What to Expect on Race Day

YMCA 10k Training Team Head Coach Carrie Parker offers some great tips for first timers on what to expect and how to prepare for this weekend’s Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10k.

Race Day Tips for First Timers:

• Leave home early on race day – There will be over 80,000 people converging on downtown Richmond this weekend so leave early so that you can find parking.  Giving yourself plenty of time is another tactic to avoid possible stress on race day. You can also take advantage of the race day shuttles, which run from 6am-2pm from The Diamond and City Stadium, and drop off at Adams and Canal, about five blocks from Monroe Park. Tickets are first come, first serve, and must be purchased in person at the Anthem Health and Fitness Expo at the Arthur Ashe Center. The expo is March 26 and March 27 from 11am-9pm.
• Pin your race number to the front of your shirt, not the back.
• Porta-Johns – There will be plenty of Port-Johns in Monroe Park and in the start line area of the race.  Don’t worry if the lines look long; they move pretty fast.
• Start Line – Start making your way to your start wave about 20 minutes before the start.  Remember, you can always move back in your wave, but you cannot move up.  Security personnel will be there to control who gets into the waves.
• Start in the back of your wave (especially for first timers) – The folks at the front of your wave usually start out too fast so stay close to the midpoint or back of the wave to avoid being forced to run faster than you intended.
• Walk breaks – If you take walk breaks, stay to one side of the road, preferably to your right.  Don’t stop suddenly – remember, there are a lot of people behind you and you don’t want a collision.
• Pace yourself – The biggest mistake that I see from new runners is starting out too fast in the first mile.  You will be excited and it is normal to be overly enthusiastic.  Once you cross the start line, try to settle into your normal training pace, or run even slower.  You want to save your strength for the final mile kick.
• Don’t zig-zag in and out if you are boxed in during the first half mile – be patient.  You will soon find an opening as the crowd starts to thin out – then make your move, but not too fast.
• Water stops – Watch for the crowds at the water stop.  People tend to “bunch up” at the front of the water stops so I suggest going to the end of the line for water or finding a gap where it makes sense to slow down to get water.  Remember to keep moving through the water stops.  Again, you don’t want to stop completely since there is probably someone behind you and you don’t want a collision.  Pick up your water and move over out of the way if you need to stop to drink water or Powerade.
• Focus on sleep – Researchers have found that getting extra sleep over an extended period of time boosts speed and reaction time. If you can’t manage eight to 10 hours per night this week, like experts recommend, try to catch a 20-minute nap during the day; even a quick shot of shut-eye can give your performance a boost. I would highly recommend getting a good night’s sleep on Thursday since you might have trouble sleeping Friday night due to the of excitement of race day.
• Have fun! You’ve put in the hard work while training, now go out and enjoy the race!