Race Day Tips for Walkers

Oh, how I love race days. Sure, I tend to hate the early wake-up times—and the chaos of driving to the starting line and finding a parking spot tends to stress me out. But once I’m lined up and ready to go…that’s just the greatest feeling. I love being surrounded by all of the other racers. I love the energy. I love walking through the course and greeting volunteers and spectators and fellow racers. I love walking and talking and laughing with my friends. I love the after party. And I love wearing my medal to Dunkin afterwards for coffee.

Of course, it helps that I’ve participated in a whole lot of race days, so I know what to expect—and I know some of the ways to make sure everything goes smoothly (and, in many cases, I’ve learned the hard way). And I’m here to share some of my tips for making race day the best day.

Plan Ahead

This may just be my anxiety talking, but I strongly believe in being prepared ahead of race day. Race day is already crazy and exciting and stressful enough; you don’t want to add the extra stress of last-minute preparations—especially for early-morning races. So be sure to have everything ready ahead of time. Know what you’re going to wear, what you’re going to have for breakfast, and how to get to the starting line. If you’re as prepared as possible, you’ll have a better chance of getting enough sleep the night before (okay…if you’re like me, there’s no way you’re getting enough sleep the night before, no matter how prepared you may be), and you’ll be able to enjoy the big day without panicking about road closures and finding parking lots.

Don’t Try Anything New

By the time race day rolls around, you should have all of the details of your race figured out. You should know which gear works best for you—which socks won’t give you blisters, which layers work best in race day conditions. You should know if you’re packing water or Gatorade or snacks. You should now what to eat before the race. Now stick with that.

When Kristin and I were driving to our half marathon, she told me all about the new shoes she’d just gotten that day—and how much she loved them. She told me that she was thinking about wearing them for the race. I may have given her a look of sheer horror. The next morning, she decided to bring her regular, broken-in walking shoes along. And at the last minute, she changed into her old reliable shoes. The next week, she told me that she was glad she did—because those super-comfy shoes weren’t the perfect walking shoes that she’d thought.

At the same race, we were excited about the fact that there would be snack tables throughout the race—just a little cup of jelly beans or a couple of crackers for the occasional burst of energy. It was so much fun to stop by and grab a donut hole or some licorice during the race—but, at one point, I realizes that I needed to cut back. I think it was that big, sugary caramel that did it for me. My stomach was not happy. And I realized I’d broken that #1 rule of race day: nothing new on race day. I hadn’t trained with a whole bunch of sugary treats, and, if anything, I needed to consume them in moderation. And after that point, I started walking past more of the treat tables.

So if you’re thinking about bringing out new gear (or new snacks) on race day, please don’t. Those shoes aren’t broken in. That new hydration pack might be uncomfortable. Those socks might give you blisters. Stick with what works.

Don’t Overdo It

It’s easy to get caught up in the energy of race day—the music and the crowds and all of the excitement. When you cross that starting line, you’ll see the runners sprint away, and you’ll suddenly feel like you can race away, too. But remember that this isn’t your regular Saturday afternoon walk. Sure, you can quit when you get tired, but that’s not really the point. So don’t speed away from the starting line—because you’ll only end up crashing hard down the road. Stick to your usual pace—and keep that pace going until you finish.

Know Your Pace

You’ve trained for this race (you have trained, right?), so you should have an idea of your pace. For shorter races, it’s not usually important; 5ks don’t typically come with a time limit. But if you’re doing a longer race, you’ll want to keep an eye on your pace, so you can stay on track.

For our most recent half marathon, I had an idea of both our ideal pace and a slightly slower pace—one that would still get us across the finish line before they started sweeping stragglers to the sidewalks—and I wrote the timing in the inside of my wrist with a fine-point Sharpie, so I didn’t have to do the math during the race. Fortunately, we stayed on track—but if we’d fallen behind, I would have known to pick up the pace a bit.

Enjoy It

Race day can be overwhelming. All the preparations and the people and the noise…it’s a lot to take in. And if you’re doing a new race—or a longer race than you’ve done before—it can be a little stressful, too. But don’t get so caught up in the stress that you forget to have fun. You’ve worked hard training to be here. Celebrate it!

I’ve often said that race days are my days to have fun and celebrate the hard work I put in every day. Most of the time, I’m participating with friends, so I’m not worried about getting my fastest pace. I’m just focused on enjoying the day with my walking buddies. That makes the day more fun—and it takes away a whole lot of pressure.

So while you’re out there, enjoy the experience. Take it all in. Take a million pictures. Just. Have. Fun.

Remember Where You Parked

Okay…this might sound ridiculous, but hear me out here: when you’re up at the crack of dawn (or, in many cases, long before), and you’re anxious and excited and ready for the race, and you’re really just focused on getting to that starting line, the last thing you’re thinking about is where you parked the car. Unless you’re completely familiar with the area surrounding the race, you might get a little lost—or just forget where you parked altogether. I know this because I’ve been there. So before you leave the car, pay attention to your location. Send yourself a text…or pin your location on a map…or, I don’t know, leave a GPS tracker in your car. You’ll thank me later.

Those are some of my top tips for making race day fun. If you’ve got your own tips (and lessons you’ve learned along the way), we’d love to hear them! What are your best race day tips?