Last night while reading in bed, I came across a piece in this month’s Runner’s World about โAll Too Common Mistakesโย that runners make on race day. It definitely hit home, especially since I forgot to set my Timex watch before the start of the 10K yesterday andย fiddled around with it for the first few minutes of the race. It was such a rookie moveโโand I’ve actually made the same mistake in the past, too! I get so wrapped up in everything else that’s happening on race day, I’ve forgotten to set my watch more than once.
Here’s what Runner’s World says are some common race day mistakes:
- Forgetting socks
- Trying new shoes
- Going out too fast
Are you guilty of any of these? What mistakes have you made on race day? Did they affect your race negatively or were you able to recover and still succeed?
Lunch
Today’s lunch was a big salad with leftover steak as well as blue cheese crumbles, truffle oil, and balsamic vinegar. Holy yum.
Salad veggies: mixed greens, carrots, tomatoes, green and red bell pepper.
I finished off lunch with a handful of butterscotch chips. I needed something sweet in a bad way today and butterscotch chips did the trick.
Snack
A few hours later, a whipped up a smoothie, which was also on the sweet side. In the mix:
- 1 frozen banana
- 1.5 cups almond milk
- 1 scoop vanilla protein powderย
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed mealย
- Cinnamon
Check out the newest addition to our home!
Thank you so much for all of your input about which wedding picture we should print. Photo #5 was definitely a favorite! Mal and I love it too, so THANK YOU!
P.S. Local readers: Be sure to enter my giveaway to win two tickets to the Whole Food’s Do Something Reel Film Festival!
57 Comments
Your salad looks awesome!! I love me some blue cheese on a salad.
I haven’t had any of those mishaps happen but I did forget my towels today. Nothing like showers and using your gym clothes to dry off. Trust me, it was better than not showering after two workouts.
The last one…half of the time…haha.
“Going out too fast” –I’m so guilty of this for both short races and longer ones. For the shorter races around our city, there’s no “chip times”, it’s just a free for all at the start line. So, we all burst out of the gate at the same time and have to really fight for elbow room. And, if I get stuck around the faster people, I feel like I have to try and keep up. NOT good. For the longer races, like the half marathons, it’s the same story–I start out fast because I need to get some room! I’m a huge fan of the One American 500 Festival mini in Indy, but there are SO MANY PEOPLE (about 35,000 runners), it takes several miles to get breathing room. I always start out way too fast and tire out much quicker than I’d like to. But hey, my 5k split time is always awesome! ๐
On my first 1/2 marathon morning I woke up super early to make my usual green smoothie breakfast only to realize we were out of spinach and milk. My husband was sweet enough to roll out of bed to find a grocery store that was open at 5 am. ๐
I am usually guilty of going out too fast! Made that mistake yesterday in a 10 mile race. I have to keep reminding myself that I need to start further back and not get so excited to run ๐
That smoothie looks good! I think I need to make myself one now. ๐
I’m guilty of going out too fast. I get so wrapped up in the excitement that I take off on a pace way faster than I should. After a couple miles I’ll settle down to more of a normal pace. I’m also guilty of the setting my watch or not stopping it when I finish.
I’ve definitely gone out too fast – it’s hard not to get caught up in the excitement!
Ditto! ๐
I’ve gone out too fast before, and practically died around mile 20, but because I had a friend with me for last few miles, I didn’t die….whew! ๐
I love a smoothie after lunch. I kinda want one now….!
I made the mistake of being in the porta-pottie line when the start gun went off! I had to sprint to the starting line and push through all of the kids who were lined up to run a kids run that started after the 10K. It was actually really humbling to be at the back of the pack of runners and have to make my way into my pace group.
I’ve done that too!
Ooh forgetting socks would be horrible! My husband forgot socks when he went golfing last Saturday. Fortunately, he was able to buy socks at the course … I don’t think you could get that lucky at a race! ๐
Going out too fast is a mistake I make a lot, but it works in my favor a lot of the time because once I start fast, when I slow down it feels really slow but is actually just relatively slow. So I’m usually still running faster than I normally do and have PR’d this way a few times. I think I also doubt my abilities so when I think I go out “too fast” I’m actually going out at a good pace for myself sometimes.
I’ve also committed the new shoes mistake. I knew it wasn’t the best idea but I was so excited to try my new shoes and it ended up working out great, I still run in the same style two years later. That said, I wouldn’t recommend anyone emulate this!
My one and only half marathon I went out too fast. I got completely caught up in the hype of the race. Those last 2 miles were BRUTAL.
Totally rando comment but is that a metal straw in the picture? And if so, where did you get that?!
OpenSky! Check my Shop page and/or FAQ page for how to order them. They’re awesome! ๐
Ahh, love that picture you chose, very cute!!
And the salad looks soo good. Anything steak, bleu cheese get me and add mixed greens in there…yum!
I haven’t made a mistake, BUT it’s a bummer when the gps cuts out. That’s what happens when you use your cell phone instead of a watch, I guess! : )
That salad looks superb! Blue cheese with steak is soooo yummy.
Yessss, so delicious! ๐
Haha, my blog post today is a race recap of my first half marathon and I am guilty of going out too fast! I picked the 8:24 pace group (ambitious in the first place) and they did the first mile in 8:04! It really hurt me in the end!
hmmm…I never seem to have leftover steak ๐
I forgot socks for my half this past January… and boy did I regret it. I’ll never do that again. Running socks are NOT the same as regular socks.
I’ve actually done two of the three – gone out too fast and wore OLD shoes to a race. The new shoes freaked me out, but it was a bad decision.
My worst race-day scenario, though, was forgetting my sports bra. Yeah, there’s no running (comfortably) without that. Fortunately, the friend I was staying with had one that fit. Now I always pack two. ๐
Race day mistakes for me: trying a new gu flavor, forgetting to charge my ipod, and not double-knotting my shoes. Also once I didn’t pin my bin on my shirt properly and it flapped in my armpit the whole time. Annoying!
#2 is the advice I give to anyone who is running their first (or any) race. I think it is critical to treat the day similar to a training day. Especially with the food!
i have made quite a few mistakes…but that is how we learn! For my second marathon, I made the mistake of eating a fiber-rich breakfast…let’s just say that didn’t end too well. In the same marathon I also went out WAY TOO fast and ending up crashing early. In Chicago this past Fall for the marathon, I forgot to locate satellites on my Garmin so therefore my Garmin never started and I had to fiddle with that during the beginning of the race and I also wore new shoes for the first time….different brand and model than what I trained in….which actually worked out perfectly…I ended up with a PR!
That picture is completely adorable!!
Is that a DOG mason jar???? OMG Tina, where can I get some for canning season!??
It’s actually a glass from Lagunitas Brewery! ๐
Is it weird that I saw this pug picture and thought of a complete stranger? ๐
Please tell me you’ve seen this:
http://media-cache8.pinterest.com/upload/39828777924590852_7rKLKqRR_f.jpg
Haha!
I’ve definitely forgotten to start my watch at the start of a race before, but I think that mistake can be good every now and then. It forced me to listen to my body and race according to what I had in me. Plus, there were times given at different clocks during the race, so I did have some “check-ins!”
Nice PR! Good luck training for the Run to Remember Half- I’ve raced it before and it’s a great course!!!
I wore a new shirt on the day of the DC half marathon a few weeks ago, even though I knew it was a bad, bad idea. You better believe I chafed, and it hurt like a mother. Not making that mistake again!
@Hillary: I’ve done that too with a new shirt!
Woo! I voted for picture #5, so I’m glad others agreed ๐
I am guilty of going out too fast at the start of the race. One of them, I was lucky and came in as the 5th overall… but it was an ugly run pace-wise. My first mile was 7:14, and my last one was about 9:14, hahaha. But it’s good to learn from those mistakes.
That smoothie looks delish! Love that picture of you and your husband, its so romantic! I go out way to fast to early. For example, last week I ran 4 miles and I wanted to run it in under 40 minutes. My first mile was 8:07 and I was really winded. I hope I don’t go to fast for my first half marathon.
My biggest mistake was absolutely full-sprinting up a big hill. I was thinking I would get it over faster. What an idiot I was. I had a terrible side stitch after that, and ended up having to walk a lot of the rest.
That salad looks awesome. And I LOVE the picture and the frame you chose. That was definitely my favorite picture of the ones you showed too. You guys are just too cute ๐
Oh my gosh, I would never run in new sneakers, I could only imagine the blisters. Ugh!
Great looking salad! I love steak on salad.
I’m definitely guilty of going out too fast. I could have definitely PR’ed at my last 5k if I hadn’t…ended up having to walk toward the end. Lesson learned!
Picture looks great!
I’ve definitely gone out too fast for sure. I ‘ve never heard of any one forgetting socks.
The picture looks lovely in the frame – great choice! You and Mal are an adorable couple.
I always start too fast! In road races I love the challenge of weaving in and out of groups of people in the first few miles, which makes me go waaayy too fast! And in triathlons I always end up swimming at twice my normal speed at the beginning just to get out of the pack so people aren’t climbing on me. Neither are good strategies, but I haven’t figured out a good way to make myself slow down yet.
I covet your salad!
@Michelle: Me too! I do the same thing at the beginning of crowded races!
Tina and Ladies, I have a question on the smoothie … How much do you end up with after mixing all the ingredients. I use whey protein and it turns out to be about 2 10oz glasses … Or do you only drink half of it?
@Dasha: I drink the whole thing. Most of my smoothies are 16 ounces or more.
Starting out too fast too soon is something I always try to avoid- I rather finish strong at the end!
That salad looks great! I love adding leftover meat to my salads.
The biggest mistake I’ve made during a race is feeling the need to “catch-up.” Sometimes when I’m running with someone I know and if he/ she is faster than me, I try to push myself but sometimes I push too hard too fast…
P.S. The addition of maple syrup in your shake sounds delic! Reminds me of the holidays ๐
Wearing new shoes on a race day?! That’s just asking for it!
I read that you are running hte Run to Remember in May! I am also!!! it will be my second 1/2 and i’m running with my sister and it will be her first!
I’m going to make sure to keep an eye out for Carrots and Cake!!!
@Angela: I’ll be there! ๐
my race mistake before my marathon was realizing the night before I had left my running pants at home!! I was “racing” all over the San Antonio mall that night at 8pm trying to find something to run in….oh goodness…..talk about getting an early warm up in!
@becca @ bellebottoms: Oh, no!!
Omg I forgot to pick up my race chip at a 10k race last year, I literally didn’t realize it until I was already running lol