Night before 5k Running – Preparation?

9 Responses to Night before 5k Running – Preparation?

1. joe says:

   March 25, 2010 at 10:43 am

   Drink lots of water and eat foods that are high in fiber and carbs for energy. Try to stay away from dairy because it could cause cramping for your race. Fruit is good, oatmeal or cereal is fine. By drinking water your body gets all the hydration it needs so you don’t get dehydrated at your race.
2. Yeti says:

   March 25, 2010 at 11:27 am

   Stick with whatever has worked in training for you so far — nothing new on race day.

   And fiber the night before will likely still be digesting during the race and give you problems — don’t do that.

   The best you can do is get your rest and stick with whatever you’ve found has worked already. Leave the experimentation for training.
3. Braden B says:

   March 25, 2010 at 11:35 am

   i ran cross country all through high school and the distance i ran was a 5k. I found the best thing for me was to eat a plate of pasta with tomato sauce not meat sauce. and go to bed at a decent hour. then the morning of the race do a little warm up and then stretch alot before the race. good luck!
4. Charles says:

   March 25, 2010 at 11:46 am

   don’t do anything different from what you’re used to, now is not the time to experiement!

   that said, stay hydrated and get plenty of sleep. you should eat light in the morning.. but i suggest at least 2 hrs before the race. oatmeal is a good b’fast food, it’s got some carbs without being glycemic. have a good run..and have fun!!
5. Donleeman says:

   March 25, 2010 at 12:06 pm

   Allow me to share my agreement with some of the others who have replied to your question.
   Race Day is NOT the time for experimentation. You should not be doing anything that is different on that day. Whatever you’ve been doing….keep doing it.
   As for breakfast, make it very light. A piece of fruit is about the most I ever ate before a morning race, with the exception of marathons. In those cases, I’d usually chow down on a couple of Power Bars (1 for breakfast and the other about 2 hours before the marathon itself.) Meanwhile, drink a good amount of water. A good way to know if you are fully hydrated or not would be by the color of your urine. If it’s clear, you are fully hydrated. If it’s darker, you need water! This would be especially true if you are expecting the weather to be hot a the time of the race.
   Before the race, a good set of stretches, along with a few wind sprints will help get the blood circulating. I always seemed to perform better if I had broken a little sweat just before race time. That seemed to tell me that I was ready to run, and it usually turned out to be true.
   Just remember that a 5K race is not a marathon. It’s only 3.1 miles, so there is really nothing to hold back. There is virtually no chance of hitting “the wall”, as we sometimes do in marathons. Just make sure that your pace is comfortable for the first mile, pick it up in the second mile, and when you reach the two-mile mark, that’s the time to look to be passing people! Those runners who go out too fast are often making a tactical error, and by holding back just a bit off the pace, you may be able to take advantage of that.
   Another tactic: During the race, you will probably see runners ahead of you. Pick out one such runner, and try to pass him or her by a certain point in the race. Once you’ve done that, set your sights on another runner. Picking them off one at a time can do wonders for your finishing time (and can be one heck of an ego-booster!)

   Good luck, and good running!
6. Raju K says:

   March 25, 2010 at 12:35 pm

   morning is the best time for practicing.
7. sabrina :] says:

   March 25, 2010 at 12:42 pm

   eat lots of simple sugars since they take the least time to digest..stretching..do that right before the race..take a nice long hot shower though. and don’t eat too much in the morning..when you run you don’t usually feel much hunger anyways. but bring an orange since it’s light and refreshing to eat like 20 min before the race and a good simple breakfast AFTER the race :] goodluck with that.
8. ohmannn says:

   March 25, 2010 at 1:21 pm

   eat pasta, drink alot stay VERY hydrated.and just stretch often. do a light run maybe a easy 20 minutes and stretch before and after so you arent soar. do some drills?
   good luck=)
9. Jim says:

   February 4, 2011 at 4:26 pm

   relax, get to bed early.
   Morning of race, long run to warm up, short sprints