Want to know what I did before a race for
optimal performance? Keep reading to know all the nuts and bolts of how I
propelled to the finish line, including what I ate, warm-up routine, music and
my personal experience.
My past running experience
Today I participated for the second time in the cross-country race of my town. My first attempt of this cross was last year and the result was actually quite good as I ended up 4th in my category! YAY. I had never ever before competed in a race and getting 4th to the finish line felt really empowering. However, it was kind of sad that I didn't realize it until two weeks later when the classifications were published online. |
| Classifications 2015 |
Nevertheless, I started running more often
until I became addicted. I no longer wanted to stay inside the gym for my cardio;
I wanted to get outside in the sun and fly. During winter I do not run as often
because I like working out with light clothing and now it's too cold to be
outside. But in spring I ran other two races, one of which I also won in the
most adverse climatic conditions. (If you want I can write a post on those
too).
I don't take running seriously. For me, it's
just an activity I enjoy and in which I perform well. I don't really care about
races or winning, I just delight in being outside feeling the ground under my
unstoppable feet and seeing how strong and powerful my legs are. Nothing
compares to running through the bay first thing in the morning before most
people have even woken up. Yes, I am a morning person who gets the job done
ASAP.
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| My favourite place to run Photo:geoelx.blogspot.com |
I hadn't run for some weeks because of the
cold and the only reason I signed up for the cross was that it would raise my
PE mark. I don't understand how can I be so fit and sportive and get such poor
marks in most physical tests (with the exception of endurance, flexibility,
dance and drama). As a result, I need to increase my grade as much as I can
through theory, attitude and extracurricular activities.
Today's race
To be honest, having to take the bus when
it was -4ºC outside, felt like a kick in the teeth. At least my mum accepted to accompany me so I
didn't feel alone (like last year). When I got to the racing area I still had
35 min to mess around so I had plenty of time to get my place bib, go for a
walk (aka look for a place to pee) and warm-up.
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| Little kids running the 600 m cross Photo: cronicanorte.es |
WARM-UP
For my warm-up I chose a ~200m hill where I
did:
Easy run x4
Butt kicks x2
Lateral run x2 each direction
Cross-overs x2 each direction
Skipping w/ arm circles x2 forward x2
backward
Without moving I performed:
Alternating jumping jacks x20: regular
jumping jacks, but instead of always raising your arms laterally, alternate
between rising to the sides and to the front of your head.
Cross jumps x16: Jump opening your legs and
your arms laterally in front of your chest. Jump again crossing your legs and
arms in front of your chest.
Leg circles x10 each leg: with or without
bending your knee, draw a big circle with your leg to the outside.
Body twist x10 each side: bent your right
knee and cross that leg to the left while rotating your torso to the right.
Plank to cobra, transition smoothly 20
times
Plank lunges x12 total: Bring your right
foot outside your right hand while bringing your hips down. Repeat with the
left side.
Hamstring stretch: standing, bend to touch
your feet and hug your legs.
This warm up didn't take more than 10 min
but it got me ready for competing. Before, I only wanted to lay in fetal
position to get warm; after it, I didn't even need my coat.
To stretch or not to stretch- that is the question
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| Photo: betterhealthpublishing.com |
Static stretching before working out will
most likely hinder your performance as your muscles think it's time for
relaxing. On the other hand, dynamic stretching will prevent injury while
telling your muscles that it's time to work. That's why the only stretch I do
is for my hamstrings and only because they tend to be really tight. Learn to
listen to your body and find out what's best for you.
What I ate
Before
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| lindt.co.uk |
10 min before starting I ate 10 grams of
90% dark chocolate to increase my glucose levels. If the event is less than 1
hour long you don't need to eat anything prior to the competition. However, I
know that if I eat a fruit or a dark chocolate square I feel better during my
workouts so I do the same before racing. It had been almost 2 hours since I had
had my breakfast which consisted of a green smoothie (if you want the recipe
tell me in the comments below) and therefore, I wanted to make sure I didn't
hit the wall aka bonking, which I had already experienced in a previous 1k
race.
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| My breakfast |
After
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| Post - workout snack 1 Photo: grandvoyageitaly.weebly.com/ |
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| Post-workout snack 2 Photo: media.cairodar.com |
Music
Then, I started preparing my music. I just
put my mobile in a regular sport armband and in-ear headphones that I got at a street
market. Nothing fancy, nothing expensive, but very useful.
| Photo: encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com |
Normally people who
train for races don't use music as it distracts them from concentrating on what
they are doing. As with the stretching, do what feels best for you. I am able
to listen to my body and concentrate on my performance while listening to
music.
The songs I use are upbeat, they pump me up and I don't really care
about the lyrics (that's why I can also concentrate on my body and the race).
In fact, if you're going to use music, you shouldn't choose slow, romantic
songs because they will probably slow you down.
For this race I used:
Final experience
Not only was it a tough circuit, but there
also were frozen areas that remained from the freezing night. At the starting
point there were many women (all categories were running together), but I
managed to be in the front line. As a result, I was in the leading positions
throughout the whole race. In front of me there were only some older women,
most of whom I overtook. For most of the race I ran side by side with another
woman whom I only passed during the last hill.
For the final sprint I gave everything to
the point I felt I was going to fall down. But I didn't. I didn't get first of
all women but I got first in my category. I couldn't be more grateful. All the
hard work, all the training (although not strictly running) had flourished.
That's the real prize: realizing that all your efforts will be rewarded. Its
arduousness and the pain you experience are proportional to the satisfaction
you feel afterwards
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| Photo: decalsforthewall.com |
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