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17 SLEEP Can't sleep? The night before a race can often be compromised by pre-race nerves, over-hydration and many trips to the bathroom. That's okay. In my experience, it's the night BEFORE the night before a race when it's most important to get a good night's sleep. You will have enough adrenaline pumping through your body once the gun goes off to make up for lack of sleep the night before. PRE-R ACE WARM UP The warm up is one of the most important elements to running a successful race. It prepares the body for the physical demands of distance running and improves muscle flexibility so that you're less prone to injury. Whether you're a competitive athlete performing at a high speed or a recreational jogger in the back of the pack, you will find it necessary to do a pre-race warm up. The starting gun goes off and you're off and running. The effort itself is an active stretch to your muscles. To prepare for this instant explosive burst of activity, you want the body temperature warm. Remember that you can't stretch cold muscles! Think of your body as a piece of gum: when you first take it out of the wrapper it's cold and hard, and easily torn or broken apart. But put that gum in your mouth and chew it up and it expands and stretches. If it's warmed up and stretchy and gooey, then it won't tear apart as easily. You want to be all sweaty going to the starting line, protected from injury with gooey muscles ready to perform to their fullest capabilities. Start your warm up with some fast walking or light jogging for at least five or ten minutes, depending on your fitness level, then active or static stretch on all major running muscle groups. Active stretches are those that increase the muscle range of motion by repetitive exercises, like leg-swinging or arm circles. Static stretches are those that hold the muscle in position for a period of time. Both should be included in a good warm up. If you are a fit runner or an experienced competitor, you should then include some fast-paced running before you begin the race, consisting of a race-pace effort of three to four minutes of steady running. This will make the start of the race feel less shocking and allow for a better performance. Don't warm up for too long! This can be counter- productive by increasing fatigue before you even start your race. The warm up is an individual preparation depending on your fitness level; one runner's warm up might be another's full workout! Find what works best for you and try different warm ups in your training before you use them on race day. PACE YOURSELF The best way to run your most successful race, no matter your fitness level, is to take a conservative approach. You can either reach your greatest potential or sabotage yourself depending on how well you pace yourself. The most common mistake a runner can make is going out too fast and then slowing down. You may not even realize you're running a pace faster than your capabilities because your adrenaline is pumping and you feel great at first. But after a few minutes, your body can tighten up and you may feel like you have to slow down to breathe. This is usually followed by a recovery and Find what works best for you and try different warm ups in your training before you use them on race day. " "