You've put in MONTHS of work to get to your goal race, whether it's a 5k, 10k, half marathon, marathon, or even ultramarathon! Don't let all your hard effort be derailed on race day because you don't have a plan!
Just like we preach "nothing new on race day" (that means all your gear and fuel should be battle-tested), it's essential to have a solid race day plan to help you cope with normal race-day anxiety AND to help you stay focused in the race and deal with whatever comes your way!
There are several parts to developing a good race day plan: the "ephemeral" (your goals, thoughts, and feelings); the logistics (what are you going to wear, when will you wake up, when will you get to the start line, etc); and the in-race details (what are your fueling and pacing strategies?)
DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE RACE DAY PLANNER WORKSHEET
YOUR GOALS
What are your goals for this race? It could be pace or time goals, strategy or execution goals, "have fun!" goals, or all of the above! This is NOT the section for A, B, and C goal-planning; this is where you list your PRIMARY goals for this race
DESCRIBE 3 WAYS THIS RACE COULD GO & HOW YOU WILL RESPOND
In this section, list out 3 possible ways your race could go and how you would respond to. What's the best-case scenario? What's the worst-case scenario? How will you react and what will you do? By planning for all possibilities, we take away some of the fear and anxiety that surrounds the "unknown" and remove the power it has over us.
PACING STRATEGY
The longer the race, the more crucial the pacing strategy. You can't win a marathon in the first 5 miles, but you can definitely lose it if you go out too fast! Break down your pacing strategy and make sure to include features of the course like hills in this plan as well.
FUELING/HYDRATION PLAN
What are you eating for dinner the night before? What about breakfast the morning off? What's your ACTUAL in-race strategy for fueling & hydration: WHAT are you drinking and when are you drinking it? What SPECIFIC fuel are you taking, how will you carry it, and how often are you taking it? By mapping out these very important actions in advance, you remove the anxiety and indecision that can come mid-race when you don't have a plan in place and aren't sure what to do.
RACE GEAR
What are you wearing? None of your race-day gear items should be new; you should have worn everything previously to make sure it's race-ready! Nothing like figuring out at Mile 15 that this new race singlet is REALLY chafing under the arms...
LOGISTICS
This is ultra-important for out-of-town races, but planning your schedule is essential to make sure you have plenty of time to do what you need to do and be where you need to be! Begin with the race start time and work BACKWARDS from there. Race corrals often close before the race starts, so when do you need to be in position? How long do you need for a warm-up? How long will it take to arrive at the race? When will you wake up and eat breakfast?
CHECKED BAG
This is vital for larger races, but a checked bag is something you bring to the start line and then check with the race organizers and get it back at the end of the race. Checked bag essentials can include pre-race items like sunscreen, snacks, anti-chafe balm, and more; post-race essentials might be comfy dry clothes and outer layers, a phone charger, sandals/comfy shoes and fresh socks, and more.
YOUR 3 WORDS
What are your three words for this race? What three words will keep you on track, inspired, and refocus you when you need it? They can be ANYTHING: verbs, nouns, adjectives. But they will speak to you and ensure you have the strongest race possible.