My Running Shorts

In the day or two before a race you may be a jittery nervous mess.  Not the best time to try and figure out what essentials you will need before, during, and after the big event.  A little bit of advance planning, helpfully done for you here, can save you hours of fretting the night before (or worse yet, the morning of) the race.

The wisest course of action is to pack and lay out everything the day before the race, leaving nothing to race morning chance.  Organizing your stuff before the stores close is the best plan, just in case you need to make a last minute Gatorade purchase.  With everything you need ready to go you can sleep restfully knowing you need only wake up and go through the motions of getting ready.  5 am race morning is not the time for list-making.  Nor is it the time to try and remember where you put your iPod.  The goal is to wake up and get ready without thinking about what you may or may not need, worrying that you will forget something critical (like your timing chip), frantic searching (where are those safety pins), or disastrous discoveries (you ran out of gels).

Although this might sound lofty, aim to have everything ready by 6 pm the evening before a morning race.  That way you can enjoy a laidback dinner and early bedtime.  Aim for an even earlier time if you have a procrastinating husband apt to thwart your best laid plans.   Last-minute or late-night scrambling is a waste of time and energy.  Save the mad dash for the finish line.

I divide my race day essentials into two bags:  (i) stuff I will (or might) need before and during the run and (ii) stuff I will need after the run.  Below are handy checklists for both – anything you don’t end up using before the race just stuff in your checked bag for post race use.  Don’t accidentally bag check anything you need before/during the run – that’s why it’s advisable to use two separate bags.  Be warned, many items on this list came from hard learned lessons - lessons passed down through the ages from runner to runner.  Some of the stuff may seem obvious to you in your current calm state, but once race brain kicks in anything can happen.  Suddenly you are at the start line, pants on backward (yes, happened to a friend), asking strangers for extra gels (I’ve been asked, but had none to spare), writing a makeshift paceband on your arm.  My advice?  Make like the boy scouts and be prepared.

---

(i) Before and During the Race Checklist

1. Race day apparel.  Lay out your clothes the night before, otherwise race morning you’ll discover your lucky shorts are at the bottom of your stinky laundry pile and your only clean socks are cotton.  If you are traveling to a race (or if the weather is uncertain) you should have multiple outfit options suitable for a variety of conditions ready-to-wear. 
2. A bib (that piece of paper with numbers on it) pre-pinned to your shirt/shorts/bib belt.  If you hesitate to put pin holes in your spiffy gear opt for the bib belt.  Double check the rules, some race organizers get cranky if the bib is anywhere other than the front of the shirt.  Make sure the bib is on the layer you intend to run in, not the outer to-be-discarded layer.
3. A timing chip pre-attached and doubly secured to your shoe.   A little paranoia in a runner is a good thing, ask anyone horrified to discover they lost their chip somewhere between the start and the finish.  You want to be able to forget about the chip, secure in the knowledge it will stay put.  
4. ID.  Carry some sort of identification and fill out the back of your bib.  They ask for that information for a reason.  Probably no one will ever need it, but heed the adage: better safe than sorry.  More and more races are asking for your exact pre-race weight.  Fill this in and don’t guestimate – the medical team may use this information to help assess dehydration and hyperhydration and a pound or two can make a big difference in diagnosis.
5. Breakfast and pre-race hydration.  Race morning you want to quickly make your usual breakfast, not spend 15 minutes looking for the peanut butter.
6. Put together a Runner’s Emergency Kit containing extra safety pins, extra hair elastics, Band-Aids, nip guards, body glide/Vaseline, extra shoe laces, Kleenex (you never know when a port-a-loo will run out of t.p.), prescriptions you might need (e.g. inhaler), pain relief meds (but save the Vitamin I for after the race), topical analgesics, other (legal) drugs of choice (e.g. Imodium, antacids, etc.) …
7. For the ladies, you know what this is.  Bring one just in case.
8. If you are carrying (on the run) any of #6 or #7 in some sort of SpiBelt, pouch, pocket, or fannypack make sure this is pre-packed and ready to go.
9. Sunscreen and sunglasses, as required.
10. Hat, as required (think sun or rain).
11. Hydration system, if you are carrying your own.  Pre-fill the bottles so you aren’t mixing (and spilling) Gatorade at 5am.
12. On the run food, if you are carrying your own (and I advise that you do).  Have it pre-stashed, pinned, or pocketed – however you carry those little packages.
13. Any technical devices you are using should be fully charged and ready to go – this includes watches, GPS gizmos, shoe pods, heart rate monitors, music-makers, and anything else that runs on a battery.  This is worth repeating: charged.  Test everything before going to bed, just in case your playlist mysteriously vanished or your Garmin failed to charge.  Lugging around a dead device for the duration of the run is a frustrating reminder of your lack of planning.
14. Depending on the race and your reasons for running you might want to bring along a light-weight camera to document the event.  If you do so, #13 applies. 
15. Pace bands (one for each of your gold medal, silver medal, and bronze medal goals).
16. An extra layer of throw away clothes for added warmth as you wait for the race start.  Inexpensive gloves and ill-fitting (read: one size does not fit all) race tops or old sweatshirts are my picks for starting line throwaways.  Rumour has it most of these clothes are gathered for charity.  Check with your race director to confirm – if they aren’t already doing so, ask that it be done.
17. A garbage bag for rainy/windy conditions to help keep you dry/warm as long as possible (or just to sit on while you wait).  Don’t run with it on though, or you risk the ‘wet sauna effect’.  I prefer to save those shiny Mylar blankets distributed at the end of races for use at the start of my next race.  Reduce, reuse, and recycle.  Plus flashing your fancy finisher’s blanket around draws stares of admiration in much the same way an old finisher’s t-shirt will. 
18. Write your name on the front of you shirt.  You don’t need to permanently alter your nice shirt; a sticker or even electrical tape will work.  Don’t skip this step; the motivating personal attention will help you over the bumps in the road.
19. Directions to the race start, road closure information, and parking instructions (as needed).
20. A positive attitude and a smile.  And maybe some hokey mantras to get you through the tough bits.  Remember, this is supposed to be fun.  Challenging, but fun. 

Caution: Anything you wear/use/ingest before or during the race should be something you wore/used/ingested during training.  Race day is not the day to experiment with new products.  Stick to what you know.

---

(ii) After the Race Checklist, i.e. things to stuff in your checked bag. 

1. Mark your checked bag with a bag tag – usually one is provided (often as a tearaway section on the lower section of your bib), but I always add a second tag just in case.  A simple piece of masking tape with your bib number on it will suffice, but a fancy luggage tag with your name and bib number works too.
2. Bring bag check money, if required.
3. Health insurance card, just in case.
4. Mad money, just in case.
5. Wetnaps and face wipes (better yet, skip the chemicals and bring a face cloth that you can dampen) to clean off the sticky salt and sweat.   A clean face will instantly make you feel like a new person.
6. A towel to wipe off your sweaty body.
7. A full change of clothes.  Full includes socks and underthings.  And full includes shoes, big roomy shoes/slides/sandals for your sore swollen feet.  Bring both warm snugly clothes (favoured sweatshirts, yoga pants) and clothes that keep you cool, as body temperature regulation can be a bit wonky after an endurance event.  In my experience it is usually the former, as in people get post-race chills even in warm weather.
8. Personal care products: lotion, lip balm, pain relief medication (now you can break out the ibuprofen) and topical analgesics, blister care products, Band-Aids and anything else you might need to doctor yourself post-run.
9. A cell phone to help you find your family/friends/ride home.  Remember to turn it off; otherwise it will serve as a ringing invitation to sticky fingers.
10. A camera to document your race glory.  You, a Mylar blanket, and a shiny medal – that’s one for the holiday card.  If you are worried about bag checking valuables ask a loved one to meet you at the finish with a camera (or better yet, to capture your great running moments along the way).
11. A protein-based snack.  Races directors like to fill you up with carbs post-run, but you know you need some protein as well.  Toss in a PowerBar or some almonds to balance out your post-race snack.  If you are sick of bananas and bagels you might want to bring your entire post-run meal.
12. A loved one.  Okay, they won’t fit in your checked baggage, but have them waiting nearby.  You may need their muscles and brain power to help you get home after the race.
13. Your finisher’s shirt.  Wear it with pride, exhilaration, relief – whatever feelings you are experiencing.  It looks good with your medal.  Which you should also wear.  All day.  And maybe to work the next day.

 

---