Here's How to Prepare for Your Race
By Virginia Laird
There are many runners who begin to plan participating in a wide variety of races throughout the holiday season. As this time approaches, it may be necessary to change your workout and preparation to best help you maintain and build endurance so that you can be successful along your trail. A few tips you should include when preparing to hit the race course include:
- Get enough sleep
- Start drinking plenty of water daily
- Stretch daily
- Slowly increase your distance
Get Enough Sleep
As you prepare for race day, it is essential that you get plenty of sleep. For the body to perform at its best it needs a full night of rest. For most, this is at least six hours of uninterrupted sleep each night. Still, there are plenty who require much more than this. Experts admit that those who fall short on their sleep goal may struggle to complete their race. Now is the time to start making sleep a priority so that you can be best prepared on race day.
Start Drinking Plenty of Water Daily
Research indicates that staying properly hydrated is one way to help the body perform at its best. When you get ready to race, it is necessary that you hydrate. The best way to maintain proper hydration is to start now. It is suggested that the average person drink at least half of their body weight in ounces of water each day. Start today drinking plenty of water so that you can keep your body hydrated and ready to tackle the race at hand.
Stretch Daily
Fitness experts say that those preparing for a big race need to start stretching daily now. Stretching long enough prior to your race can keep you from being sore. Your stretches should include the entire body from the head to the toes. As you race, the muscles of the body will be engaged, which can cause any of them to become store tension. Start today making stretching in the morning and evening a priority to prevent stiffness.
Slowly Increase Your Distance
Those preparing for race day should start training now. This is not to say anyone should jump up and begin their training with an extremely long jog. It is suggested that you should increase your distance slowly. Starting first with a very low amount of mileage and increasing slowly can be the best way to avoid overwhelming yourself and to keep you moving. Make sure that you reach your goal distance prior to race day to ensure you are mentally and physically able to maintain endurance throughout that distance.
Now is the time to begin preparing to tackle your race. Best of luck on your big day.
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.