Eliminate Stress ... Run Your Best!

Just 13 days to go ...
'Til the 2011 Austin Marathon is finally here!  If I can complete it without breaking a hip, it will be my 9th in the collector's edition of 50 I'm shooting for!  Today I thought I'd share a few things that make my life a little easier in prepping for a marathon.  Like many of us, I run quite a few races, and there's really no need to "reinvent the wheel" each time I gear up for a new 26.2.  Like all of my "bright ideas", this is nothing ground breaking, but these helpful tips have significantly reduced my stress and allow me focus on the race when I arrive at the marathon city ...

Pouring over the details

1) Stick to "The Script"...
There's nothing worse than realizing you forgot your shoes, or realizing at the starting line that you didn't charge your Garmin.  Here is checklist I put together to remind me of all the things I need befor a race, and also at the starting line in my checked gear bag.  It has helped make the morning of the race "stress-free", so I can focus on my 26.2 instead of scurrying around chasing last minute details.

2) A course is a course of course ...
This might be the most obsessive thing I do before the marathon.  I study and study and study the course map.  And then I study it again.  Also, it takes a little extra gas and time, but I try to drive the course a couple of times (or six) so I can become as familiar as possible with where I'll be running.  I focus primarily on elevation, but also pay close attention on turns, terrain, and enviornment.  I don't want anything about the track to be "new" to me during the marathon. Jotting down little notes along the way, like "only 2 miles to the yellow house" , or "this is the last major hill", greatly helps me defeat the course not only physically, but also psychologically.

3) Set & practice the pace chart ...
I'm sure everyone does this, but several weeks before the race, I develope my pace plan and run it over and over and over.  There are some training plans that have you practice your long runs much slower than marathon pace, and that's fine if it works for you.  But I can never seem to train at a slower pace, and then just flip a switch on race day and run further and faster than ever.  I want to know how my body feels at marathon pace, so I try to embed it into my "muscle memory" during training.

4) Pin me ...
This sort of goes along with #1, but I ALWAYS have everything laid out and ready to go the night before.  Including, PINNING MY FREAKING RACE # ON MY SHIRT!!!  For some reason, getting the bib straight and centered on my shirt takes me 3 or 4 tries.  My first couple of races, I screwed around with this the morning of the race.  When I was done, I was a frazzled mess ... pathetic, I know.  But I try to prep everything from laying out my clothes & packed bag, to having every electronic device charged (except for Utah, I forgot to charge my Garmin!)

5) Strong to the finish cause I eat's me spinach ...
Food while travelling can be a little tricky, so I usually try to pack as much of my pre-race nutrition as possible.  I take a pre-planned nutritional value spreadsheet so I'm not guessing at what I'm putting into my body before 3-1/2 hours of running.  I monitor everything as closely as possible.  (probably should do more of this in my daily nutrition)

Well, that's about it.  There are several other little tedious details that I won't bore you with, but maybe this helped someone.  Anyways ... off to "information overload"!
What do you do to make your life easier before the big day?
... be great today!