Pre-race rituals - what's yours?

[wdwmagic]

Do any of you have any pre-race rituals? I'm thinking more about actual races, rather than training runs.

 

[joel_maxwell]

Do any of you have any pre-race rituals? I'm thinking more about actual races, rather than training runs.

I try to stay pretty calm and low key. If it were a 5K, id get all hyped up since it would be over in no time. Long runs need a cool mind I think. I walk around too much so I try to sit down until 10 minutes before start. I drink a Prime 1 Gatorade 15 minutes before start... and jog a little about 30 minutes before.

As Im passing the time chip clock, I cross myself like any good Catholic would do and repeat over and over for the first mile, "Run your race. Just like in training, run your race. You have run XXX miles to get here, now lets have some fun and kick some ______"

 

[Sam Eagle 1776]

Yes for that long of a race anything too crazy for a warmup isn't great but definately some short runouts beforehand, stretching of course to stay loose, light jogging 20 mins before helps me be ready, gatorade is good too, I personally don't really drink other than running and working out but it is good to have pre race.

 

[dreamfinder]

Hitting up the port a potty. I'm really not a huge fan of going mid run, and would rather make one last pit stop before hand.

 

[Fievel]

I'll hit the port-a-potty at least twice to make sure i'm all emptied out..

Other than that, I try to keep myself calm, and don't let myself start too fast....although Disney does a good job controlling that with corral placement.

 

[MKCP 1985]

for a half marathon or longer, on the night before I lay out all my gear so that there are no surprises come race morning.

And there are still surprises! :lol:

 

[surfsupdon]

At Disney, night before, I always eat a whole pizza from Picabu at Dolphin, bring it back to my room, and eat it on my balcony mentally going through the race at hand, visualizing the course and how I feel.


Race morning, I do a bunch of stretching, mostly dynamic high knee stuff b/c the nerves get me amped up!! It's fun!! Haha.

 

[joel_maxwell]

for a half marathon or longer, on the night before I lay out all my gear so that there are no surprises come race morning.

And there are still surprises! :lol:

I forgot that one. Yes, I lay out my gear the night before all long weekend runs and any that I do before work.

If I am out of town, I check and double check that bag 20 times to ensure I have all my gear.

 

[Donald Duck]

Wake EARLY.
Methodically dress, with the Garmin strapped on last.
Put on vest and fill it with nutrition, food, etc...
Put on hydration pack then load front holsters with 2 waterbottles.
Two bagels.
And I don't speak a word, even to my wife until I get to the start.

 

[Phonedave]

Nothing really as a ritual. I walk around, hit the port-a-potty. If they have it at race start I drink some coffee. Do some stretching, a little light running maybe.

I do tend to stand around stretching my calves by hanging my heels off of a curb, step, rock, whatever. I just like the way it feels.

And yeah, I am another one who gets ready the night before.

Post race ritual is to finish and then walk around for 2 minutes or so before I realize I forgot to shut off my Garamin - AGAIN!

-dave

 

[joel_maxwell]

Wake EARLY.
Methodically dress, with the Garmin strapped on last.
Put on vest and fill it with nutrition, food, etc...
Put on hydration pack then load front holsters with 2 waterbottles.
Two bagels.
And I don't speak a word, even to my wife until I get to the start.

Im one of those quiet types too. Always have been. I see a lot of guys/gals hooting and hollering and carrying on. I like to get into my zone. The one time I did that, I entered the sporting event in high school and had my worst game ever. I wasnt mentally ready at all.

Nothing really as a ritual. I walk around, hit the port-a-potty. If they have it at race start I drink some coffee. Do some stretching, a little light running maybe.

I do tend to stand around stretching my calves by hanging my heels off of a curb, step, rock, whatever. I just like the way it feels.

And yeah, I am another one who gets ready the night before.

Post race ritual is to finish and then walk around for 2 minutes or so before I realize I forgot to shut off my Garamin - AGAIN!

-dave

I like that too. You gotta be careful though, you can stretch it too much on a curb and actually hurt it. I tweaked my calf once doing that too deep.

 

[Phonedave]

I like that too. You gotta be careful though, you can stretch it too much on a curb and actually hurt it. I tweaked my calf once doing that too deep.

I'm pretty lucky, I never have problems with them.

The one gym I belonged to had a calf raise sled. That was awsome. Load it up, bang out the reps, and then stumble around for a few minutes until you can walk again

-dave

 

[joel_maxwell]

I'm pretty lucky, I never have problems with them.

The one gym I belonged to had a calf raise sled. That was awsome. Load it up, bang out the reps, and then stumble around for a few minutes until you can walk again

-dave

Ive done those too. Love calf raises with mega weight. Truthfully, I bet I already had an injury that wasnt exposed yet and the stretch did it in. It was so long ago, I dont recall much of the details.

 

[JillC LI]

Wake EARLY.
Methodically dress, with the Garmin strapped on last.
Put on vest and fill it with nutrition, food, etc...
Put on hydration pack then load front holsters with 2 waterbottles.
Two bagels.
And I don't speak a word, even to my wife until I get to the start.

Really? And that doesn't offend her? Or is she still asleep at those ungodly hours you start running?! LOL. I'm all for staying in the zone but I definitely want the verbal support of my family before a race.

No real rituals here in the sense of true rituals. Just planning ahead and following the usual routine like everyone else.