A little while ago we ran a little feature that looked at ten simple tips for training late last year. That resonated so well among many of you that we thought we’d look at some simple tips for racing too. After all, we do all this training because for the most part, we like to test ourselves in races against one another, but more so in ultras, against the clock and ourselves. You may already do these… you may not. But it’s good to remind ourselves of the important things when racing…
1.) Align your expectations with reality
What do we mean by this we hear you cry? This is a strange one to start with isn’t it?
The mind or rather brain is a funny object. How many times have you been on the start line with big expectations for your race, only to have them dashed by what you think is a poor performance? Alternatively, you might be the flip side of this thinking whereby your performance goes far beyond even your wildest imagination!
Expectations vs. reality is essentially all about getting to the start line with the proper training in place. Contrary to where you fit on the scale, when you look back at the cold hard reality of your race, you know why it has or hasn’t gone according to plan and that’s down to training. I’ve entered races in the past where my expectations have wildly exceeded my ability at the time of running. I’ve subsequently failed miserably and in some cases DNF’ed races as a result.
This often comes with over familiarity, which in turn can breed complacency. ‘I’ve done this race before and ran this time, therefore I can easily do it again and better.‘ WRONG. My advice? When you’re looking at how you may perform in a race and setting expectations, really analyse your training and ask yourself the question: ‘Am I going to perform to my expectations based on the training I’ve done?’ If the answer is ‘yes’, good on you. If it’s ‘no’, then realign your expectations so that you don’t end up disappointed. So many times I hear people after races saying that they could have done better – my answer is that they should have trained harder to meet their expectations, or readjusted their expectations.
2.) Don’t gun it!
The start of races are always filled with excitement and adrenaline – our male readers will be all too familiar with this concept. I’ve always said that women have a massive advantage over men in ultras… no testosterone!
Ultras are a long way. Smashing the first 10kms is the biggest mistake you can make. I have a rule… my last 10kms should take the same amount of time as the first 10kms. If you’re running a 100km race, ask yourself the question in the first 10kms, ‘Can I run this pace at 90kms?’ if the answer is ‘no’… slow down!
3.) Eat early and often
Nutrition is a painfully hard thing to get right in ultras. There are so many factors that affect it, pace and temperature being just two of those. It’s very easy to get caught in the trap of not eating early enough when racing because you feel great at the start, and feel no need to start piling the food into your mouth. Small and often is the key I’ve found. Work out how many calories you think you’ll need per hour to sustain you through the race. Most people tend to need around 250-350 an hour dependent upon body mass. Again, practice in training so that your race doesn’t become a disaster.
4.) Run your own race
Running with someone else in an ultra can be nice. You get to chat with someone, as well as experience the race with them too. But that can go one of two ways. You could end up running beyond your ability, or you could be doing yourself out of a good time. The latter of course might not matter to you, it’s when the former happens that the trouble starts. Just because you can hold the pace with the leaders for the first 10 or 20kms, doesn’t mean to say you can do it for the next 80 or 90kms. Stick to your own guns and pace.
5.) Be accountable
Unless there is some huge cock-up by someone or a race organiser, you’re the one responsible for your race. It’s no use blaming the signs on the trail for not being there if you were given maps beforehand. Similarly you’re the one that should know how to look after yourself in a race, particularly if it’s in hazardous or mountainous terrain. Don’t go blaming organisers for sending you up a precarious trail if it’s documented in the race notes and you haven’t prepared for it. If you don’t know how to look after yourself, don’t enter. The age of entitlement is over 🙂
6.) Run with a smile on your face
We all do this sport because we love it – if you’re not enjoying it then what’s the point? A simple smile can help to change attitudes and your overall sense of how your race is going in an instant.
7.) Run to feel – not to your watch
Setting splits is a natural thing to do – we all do it I’m sure. But it can be all too easy to get caught up in running to the digits on your GPS, rather than what your body is telling you. I’ve made that mistake countless times, and in the main it’s made me run beyond my own ability. Similarly, if you’re feeling good, push on and don’t get too caught up in slowing down to hit a time. The greatest indicator of pace is what your body feeds back to you. Your gut instinct is nearly always right. Go with it and follow it. Don’t become a watch jockey.
8.) Respect
By this we mean respect the organisers, respect the trail, respect your crew (if you have one) and respect your competitors. Running a race is far easier than organising, putting it together or crewing it. A simple thank-you to people goes along way towards making every involved in an event feeling valued, a job well done and a sense of community.
Those are some of our favourite tips, do you have any?
been there .. done that .. all 8s are checked into mine ..
That’s great Herbert – awesome! Maybe you’ve got even more that you’d like to share with people?
And, make sure you consume those 200-350 calories/hour on an often, steady, small dose schedule as opposed to all-at-once! Also many people have a bad response to lots of fructose when running hard and long and any really long race is hard on the body. Glucose however tends to be much easier for people to process on the run. Keep that in mind when planning your caloric needs. Also foods that are high in fiber can also get the bowels overly active during ultras. These two factors are why I almost exclusively run 100-mile races on maltodextrin, which I mix with electrolytes, a bit of soy protein, cinnamon and water to a honey-like consistency before the race and ingest this mixture about 50-60 calories every 15 minutes of my race. Keeps my energy level steady, my stomach quiet and my bowels inactive. I put extra in my drop bags. Water is about all I ever take from aid stations.
Great points, love #6. Too often, one sees people who look like they’re suffering because they “have” to hit this time or that distance. Give it up people, if you don’t hit it, or are having a bad day, then just look around, enjoy the scenery and remember how fortunate you are that you’re able to do something the majority of the people on this planet are not doing!
Awesome tips, cheers. Here’s some I thought up: 1. Make it look good. Always make sure you know where the photographers are going to be so you can get ready to strike the perfect action pose. The race lasts a day but the photos last a lifetime, so make sure you look totally badass, that you’re actually running and that your form is spot on. 2. If you’re wearing an iPod, make sure you load some random silly music that will give you the giggles, shit like Tom Jones, Wham, Duran Duran, Phil Collins, 80’s elecro-pop…you get the idea, basically the more appallingly bad and yet good, the better etc. but no country music or Nickleback as they could potentially ruin your day.