I have a 10k run on Sunday - any tips?

Question

I have never done a road race before, I have been in training for this race for quite a few months now and feel competent to do it. I just wanted to know if anyone had any tips about what to eat before the race. The race starts at 10am. I am also weary of drinking too much before hand as I don't want to have that full bladder feeling, but equally don't want to be dehydrated. I do have knee pain when running, and has anyone tried taking Ibuprofen the day before the race to help it or is this not really beneficial?

Answer 1

Well... provided you have been training and you eat a high carbohydrate meal before the race and have a banana or two about an hour before, plus a glucose based drink like lucozade or something, just to give your body the fuel it needs... and drink water throughout the race to keep the moisture up... you will be fine...

Just have fun, its not a race, pace yourself and enjoy it!!

I work in IT and the last time i ran was in SCHOOL.... about 4 years ago..... but i managed to run a 3 mile chairty run without too much problems because of the fun i was having with my friends and the adrenaline, no training AT ALL.... You will be alright on the night dont worry... worst case scenario... steal a car and drive the rest of the distance.

Answer 2

You should get your knee checked out. By running a 10K, you could aggravate whatever is wrong with your knee. You might need to wear a support. I used to run and had knee pain, thinking it was because I was just out-of-shape. Not wanting to be a wimp, I put up with it. But my knee was actually damaged and I made it worse, now I have knee pain constantly and will have for the rest of my life. The ibruprofen might mask the pain but it will not make your knee heal.

Good luck whatever you choose to do!

Answer 3

Make sure you have plenty of carbohydrates for the next couple of days (pasta, potato etc). On sunday morning eat porridge or something with energy.

If you have knee pain, rest until the day you run. I use to have a knee pain and was told not to do any physical activity until a competition.

Hope this helps!!!

N good luck 4 sunday!!!

Answer 4

hello;

Well, since you've been training, you've got nothing much to worry about; A few days before the race, I'd advise you to do carbo-loading - that is, take lots of carbohydrates such as rice, bread, wheat whatever; it'll provide you with sufficient energy for the race and you won't feel weak during the run;

If you're still a bit unsure about your ability to hold up during run, buy a couple of sachets of PowerGel; y'know the kind that comes in small sachets and gives you instant energy; Ask around to see which type of PowerGel is recommended, and carry some along with you during the run; It helps, trust me;

Okay, Ibuprofen does NOT help; it in fact dangerous if you are an asthmatic; and it actually constricts your bronchus, so please, avoid it or you might feel short of breath during the run;

nothing to worry about, you're all prepared, go have a great time(:

Answer 5

Pace yourself. Go at a speed that you are comfortable with.

x

Answer 6

take weed/speed and run it in record time

Answer 7

Pace, Pace, Pace, Drink water, relax and have fun.

Answer 8

10k is a good first road race. Not too far but long enough to make it an event.

When I say not too far I mean that you dont have to carefully consider your lifestyle the weeks before to get your body ready. Your training with any luck will see you through the running of the race.

There are a few tips I can give you from experience.

10:00 start is quite early, meaning you want to be there by 9:30 - and allow for any traffic problems of several hundred people all trying to park at once. Get there with plenty of time and you have chance to relax, get there with 5 mins to spare and you will be rushed and panicked - not a good frame of mind for the race.

Aiming to get there at 9:30 means you might have to be up at 7:00. Plenty of time for a breakfast. For breakfast I have tried lots of variations - from non and a hangover (got up too late to eat) to a full english. I would recommend something with oats in - porrige or meusli, though a bacon and egg bun is also a good one. Drink - you can have a coffee if you want, but also have water too.

Between breakfast and the race, drink maybe 500ml water, and if you need to go, go to the toilet in plenty of time (there will be a queue). Dont drink too much so that you need to go during the race. Ask yourself how much you drink before your training runs and have about the same and the same time before. Many races will have a water stop half way round so you dont really need to think about carrying water with you - the race info will tell you this.

So thats you got to the race, fed and watered.

At the start, dont be tempted to go off too fast - it will happen with the adrenelin but be aware that you are going to do that and contain yourself -settle into your runinng pace as soon as you can. At the end of the race, enjoy it - you have finished!!

During the race, smile, look about, see the supporters clapping, and the other runners as you overtake them. Chat to runners going your speed as you go - even a simple "Hello" makes it a friendly sport. And dont forget the marshalls who will make sure you dont get lost - a nod or thanks is appreciated. The rest yo ucan make up as you go.

The night before the most important thing is to sleep well and avoid too much alcohol and perhaps avoid spicy food. Make sure you are well hydrated the night before - so your pee is clear all evening.

Thats about all the preperation you need to do.

Now for your knee. Its too late perhaps to get it checked out and mended for this race. You might like to consider a weeks rest or very light training next week to see if easing up helps it. If it is a problem, ask us another question with more info and someone might have advice on here. Rest today and tomorrow too to give your joints a rest to get over any niggles from training.

Ibuporofin - sure, take a tablet half an hour before the race to numb the pain, however be aware that with pain killers you wont notice any problems as they are occuring - so it will be tomorrow when you notice them, and maybe will have run on and agrevated them. Next time try to get to race day with a good knee (combination of training techniques and rests)

Oh, last thing Good luck (not that you need it - its all about the hard work you have done), and enjoy it

Answer 9

Hi! Eat a lot of carbs the night before as many people have said - and for the few days before the race.

Also, make sure you get up in good time on race day, at least 3 hours before so that you are not dreary and your body is prepared. What I normally do is get up at around 4am, eat a jacket potato and then go back to bed for a while.

Sports drinks are better for races than water as they contain more of your vital fluids - drink one with breakfast and one before the race but not right before! Gatorade is one of the good ones for this.

As for your knee - get a support! That will definitely help. Make sure you stretch it and give it a massage before the race to loosen it up.

Finally don't be nervous I'm sure you will be fine! Talking to other people before the race will help you feel more confident and ready to compete! Good luck!

Answer 10

what i did to get faster at running is that do running for ages and u will get better and use all of your energy just to speed up use equal amounts on the track and drink lots of water

Answer 11

pace yourself and drink plenty of water during the run. breath deep and don't push yourself too hard. good luck.

Answer 12

Hi Gym Bunny. I am a personal trainer who happens to be training a few athletes for a run in Sydney in August. Here are my suggestions:

- Night before the race eat plenty of Carbohydrates. Remember that Carbs are the best source of energy and if you dont have much in your system then it works off fat but fat is not as efficent as Carbs

- drink 500ml of water every 2 hours. This wil prepare your body for dramatic fluid loss the next day and save you from drinking too much in the morning.

- For every time you go toilet drink 150ml of water. This is espcially needed throughout the night. Its only for one night. If you only go once then that is ok.

On the morning:

- have small snacks. try solids.breakfast cereal would be ideal. Avoid Gatoraide or any other sports drinks. Sports drinks are better for recovery NOT during an event.

- Dont eat 1 hour before the event

- Warm up before the race.

In ragards to knee pain:

- dont take any drugs for it on the day or before. Itwill only enhance your chances for dramatic fluid loss and dehydration.

- Rub in some heat. e.g dancorub or metsal. Keep your knees warm before the race.

- During the race you probably wouldnt feel the pain as much due to blood build up around the joint and synoval fluid.

If you need anymore info, i have plenty to tell you. I just get tired typing. Good luck

Answer 13

Bananas are great also a fiber bar.

Answer 14

don't do it