ENJOY

We race for fun. Racing is the icing on the proverbial training cake. Make sure you enjoy your day and your great fitness. Ensure that your whole day doesn't revolve around reaching a goal time. Goal times are important to gauge improvement and set proper pacing, but the success or failure of your day shouldn't be judged against this time. So relax and enjoy the experience!

CONCENTRATE ON YOUR ACTIONS

Don't worry about what people are doing around you. Think about your breathing, form (cadence, foot strike), and pace and adjust as necessary. Listen to your body throughout the race.

DON'T BE DISTRACTED BY DISCOMFORT

When it starts to hurt, don't shift your thoughts to how much is left in the race. Stay in the here and now. Relax, remember to enjoy the experience, and concentrate on your actions. Remember, if you are feeling lousy and tired, so must all the people around you or else they'd be ahead of you!

TAKE IT ONE STEP AT A TIME

Some times things can get so tough that you have to worry about getting to the next km marking (or even the next light pole). If necessary, break the race down into small sections and then re-evaluate after that section. That could be to the next aid station, the next km marking, the next light pole, or even the next step. Break it down, and re-evaluate.

DON'T SELL YOURSELF SHORT

Let's say you reach the 30km marker ahead of pace or are on pace but feeling so great that you feel you could push the pace a touch. Do it! Don't slow down or limit yourself to a pace just because that was your goal pace. Of course, don't do this to early in the race, but when you've re-evaluated stuff and you feel more is possible, do it. You obviously underestimated your fitness. Enjoy and push to the finish line.

AVOID OTHER RUNNERS

If you find yourself rammed in with other runners, try to find an open space where you can keep your rhythm even it it means running wide around a corner or something similar. It's more costly to slow down behind a runner around a curve then accelerate around them on the straight as opposed to passing on the corner keeping a constant pace and form. Running around the other runner on the curve will actually accelerate you naturally around them so there is no need to run harder in the straight!

AVOID WIND

If it's windy, it's worth your while to find a "draft". You're a shorter guy, so it should be relatively easy to find a taller person going about the same pace as you. Remember, if you are drafting, it should feel easier so don't get into the mind set that they guy is now going slower and you have to pass (think of swimming).

Oh yeah, and again, ENJOY.

Cheers,

-Clive

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