‘Twas the Night Before The Race

The 24-48 hours before a long endurance race is crucial. Being mindful of your last days of preparation matter as much as the months of training preceding the race. Here are pre-race considerations that may spell the difference for a tough or tougher race.

1)    Lay out your race attire: race-bib, race-belt/fuel-belt, champion chip, water-pouch, visor, shoes and socks.

2)    Ensure that you have adequate calories through energy-gels and energy-bars. You can store bottles of energy-gels in the refrigerator overnight. If you like, you can mark volume (one serving) levels with a permanent-marker.

3)    Bring salt-tablets in case you suffer electrolyte-related cramps. Store them in a Ziploc bag.

4)    Pack your special needs bag if one is available with extra race attire, towel, and caloric assistance.

5)    Smear Vaseline or body lubricant (when you dress up) to reduce chaffing or abrasions.

6)    Have the most sleep at least two nights before. Pre-race anxiety usually robs you of restful sleep.

7)    Hydrate fully 24 hours ahead of time. Drink enough fluids including sports drinks.

8)    Avoid spicy or irritating foods and condiments. Avoid high-fibre food 24 hours before the Big Dance as gastro-intestinal (GI) issues may surface due to abdominal massaging effect.

9)    Clear your bowels as often and as much as you can, including before the race.

10) Stretch your muscles, and avoid deep tissue massage within 48 hours of the race. Raise your legs and stay off your feet as much as you can the night before. If overseas, no shopping the day before!

All the best to those attempting the adidas Sundown Marathon 100K run on Saturday evening. A big shout out to Victor Chan and Ng Lap Huan! Enjoy your long night out, and more aerobic efficiency to you.

9 Ways To Stay Calm & Composed Before the Big Race

This piece is for Saturday: The day before the Hong Kong Marathon. I decided to squeeze in several days of posts in advance in case I enjoyed my break too much. Stay tuned for our interview with adventure racer, Ironman triathlete, and coach Wilson Low next week!

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You have done the time. Time to deliver the goods. Even with the best-trained and recovered athletes, other factors like concerns, worries and doubt can disrupt optimal performance on race day. If you experience pre-race jitters, how do you manage them? When left uncontrolled, anxiety and nervousness can sap away at our race energies. Emotions can drain your physical energies and put you in a less-than-optimal state. Here are some thoughts on how to exorcise some of these energy parasites.

1)    Listen to your favourite choice of music and songs.

2)    Rest. Take a nap. Keep your feet off the ground.

3)    Enjoy your Social Media (Tweeter, Facebook, blog, etc.).

4)    Avoid strenuous physical activities, like going for a run to burn excess energy off.

5)    Enjoy a good comedy. There are plenty of funny animated films available.

6)    Shoot the breeze with friends, except with those who are highly competitive and talk about racing strategies.

7)    Sit on a bench at a park, and watch the world go by.

8)    Be realistic about your goals. Complete or compete. Avoid giving yourself heightened expectations that are hard to meet.

9)    Stay near the start-point so that you get extra sleep, and not worry about reaching there on-time.

Well, that’s what I’ll be doing from today onwards until Sunday’s race. I will be running at 6:20am with thousands of runners at the Hong Kong Marathon. Then, the real race begins as I grab lunch and head for the airport, to Shanghai for a teaching assignment. It should be a blast!

To those who are racing this Sunday: Have a great day!

Are You A Groupie?

Kevin blogged about his first group ride in weeks; he completed IMWA in December. Read his blog about the exploits of this elite-level, age-group, triathlete – and he is fast!

A groupie is a person who chooses to hang out with a celebrity. This was clearly described in the film, Almost Famous. The groupie offers himself or herself to musicians, who return the favour with the residual notoriety or fame that rubs off them.

Having recently returned to group training for swimming and running, I have made several discoveries. Mainly, I can engage more in competitive type efforts. We can push each other harder, or encourage each other further. Plus, we can simulate race-day pace when we decide to test each other’s mettle. Monday evening pool swim session has activated my interest in pacing at a higher threshold. I am also inspired by the progress of my fellow endurance athletes. Hui Koon is improving nicely (in all three disciplines) after his PB at IMWA, and his training regime for Cairns Challenge has begun.

This evening, after a punishing rainfall, I took off for a run. It was raining cats and dogs, and when I left my home I stepped into a poodle. I had the good luck to pace after Danny Lee, who was finishing his 10K run, and stalked him for about 3K at 4:30 pace. After we bade farewell, I continued at a moderate pace (my heart-rate monitor did not register anything!), relying instead on my breathing, Perceived Rate of Exertion (PRE), and my intuition. I timed at 52-plus minutes at the 11K mark, so knew I was on-track for a sub-1:45, half-marathon timing. I opted not to drink much fluid, and ran at an easier pace of 4:50-4:55 to compensate, as I wanted to tap on my fatty acid system, thus the higher aerobic/low anaerobic pace.

I picked up the pace at the last 3K as I was starting to fatigue, but sprinted eagerly home to a much-appreciated time. One more month to the Hong Kong Marathon, and I hope to do reasonably well. Fingers crossed!

Pre-Race Premonition & Preparation

Four weeks more till Ironman Western Australia. Hopefully, the reports of shark sightings and shark attacks will not deter the participants from procuring thicker neoprene wetsuits. Some writers joke that it may motivate swimmers to swim faster and emerge from the waves and wake of Geographe Bay sooner. I hope to be one of them registering a PB, out of necessity and need.

For neophytes to the Ironman distance, here are additional suggestions (on essentials to bring along) from seasoned finishers of the 226K races:

1)    Have your bike serviced at least two weeks before as your bike-shop might be plagued by other desperate, last-minute requests (test-drive your bike after servicing, then degrease it before you pack before your trip)

2)    Bring as much tested-in-training nutrition as you will need for the race and before (Gatorade is the official drink, sports gels, energy bars, electrolyte tablets, instant noodles – comfort food after the race)

3)    Your racing clothes (2 X goggles, seasoned wetsuit, 2 X tri-suit, head-gear, eye-shades, helmet, running shoes, bike-shoes/cleats, socks, contact lenses or race-spectacles)

4)    Ward off wind-chill with warm clothing on race day (it gets cold at the T1 area when you set up; and you need dry clothes immediately after the race as it gets windy)

5)    Avoid buying from race-fair, except for gas canisters (bring your own inflator/adaptor, spare tubes/tyres, speedometer, duct-tape, Ziploc bags, Bento-Box, elastic bands, safety-light)

6)    Exchange currency into Australian Dollars; credit card (for post-race, Finisher merchandise purchase)

7)    Clean rags for cleaning your bike before and after the race (used socks are very useful)

8)    A mid-sized hand-pump (a Joe-Blow pump can be shared with close buddies if they carry some other stuff for you)

9)    Above all, zip up your tri-suit and remove all Spartan-shoulder pads (okay, stale sponges) before you leap, roll or dash through the Finish Line!