WIAW: Race Day!
| June 21, 2012 | Posted by Sweet Tooth Runner under WIAW |
*ETA* This is yesterday’s post, but my internet connection was badb last night so it didn’t post!
HEY friends! How is your week going? I thought it’d be fun to do a “What I Ate” post on an evening race day like today!
To catch up anyone who doesn’t know what WIAW is, it’s like a weekly bloggy event started by Jenn in which people post their day’s eats…you check out Peas and Crayons blog for all the details!
Before the race, I tend to keep things lighter than normal to try to avoid stomach issues that I have had in 90% of my races! This is different for everyone, but after a lot of different trials I’ve found that eating less and consuming mostly carbs works best for me on race day.
I started my morning with a big bowl of Shreddies, soy milk, sliced banana, and peanut butter.
I forgot to snap a picture of lunch, but it was leftover noodles from yesterday’s dinner! Followed by my favourite fruit…
mmmmm mango 
Afternoon snack and coffee:
Followed by a lovely shakeout run in the sun with my dog! Before evening track races, I do a 10 minute VERY SLOW jog three hours before the gun goes off. The idea I think is to get your blood flowing, and it works well for me!
Also, I found a grass track on the way! I am going to have fun with this this summer
Then Buddy and I had a good ol’ nap. It’s a hard life for us 
He looks cute when he’s sleeping. I do not. Fun fact: I sleep with my eyes half open. I had no idea until my friends told me, and it freaks everyone out apparently haha!
My race was due to start at 8.45pm, but it was delayed by over an hour! Not cool when you’re warmed up and ready! I had a bit of pasta two hours before, but didn’t want to risk anything else, which worked out well in the end as I felt good and had no stomach problems Today I raced the mile again, which is short for me, but we are trying to work on my speed!
My coach was there, and we made a race plan. This race was more of a workout than a big PB effort. I usually race so often that it can be much more useful to work on race tactics/speed instead of just going for a PR every time. So this race my aim was to start really FAST and hold it for as long as possible. Because I consider myself more of a longer distance runner, I am used to starting out slower and then picking up the pace. I have gotten so used to doing this, and I do it in everything from races to workouts, and my coach is always nagging me about it! For the shorter distances, it is important to start fast, so my goal for today was to get out of my comfort zone and go out hard!
stepping up
I took the first lap out in 74 (4.58 min/mile pace), and then managed to hold that pace for the next couple of laps, but then COMPLETELY ran out of gas (as expected!) in the last lap, which ended up being a LOT slower! 
I don’t have the results yet, but I think from what I saw on the clock that it may have been a new PB…we’ll see! But it taught me an important lesson in getting out of my comfort zone, and I carried out the race plan exactly. I knew that I would bomb out at the end, but it was a matter of lasting as long as I could at a faster-than-race-pace speed, and I held out longer than expected, so coach and I were pleased
Also, I now totally understand why runners strength train! My arms were seriously ACHING running into the wind at speed…definitely need to hit those weights again soon! 
And now I’m hungry again (I had choc soy milk+ a PB sandwich after the race!), so it’s late-night snack-time…my favourite
banana with Dark Chocolate Dreams PB= heaven
What is your staple pre-race food? I don’t have a “staple”, but right now cereal and milk seems to be working well!
What is the best thing you’ve eaten recently? A vegan cupcake yesterday that had BUTTERSCOTCH FROSTING. It was divine.
Are you a napper? How often do you take naps? I have gotten into the habit now of taking a nap before workouts or races and I am loving them!
Have a great day friends!! <3
I like eating oats and banana before a race, or any longer run. That mango looks so good right now! Yum! I have never been a napper, I’m totally useless at it, I just lie there and can’t fall asleep, so I usually don’t bother.
Lauren (@poweredbypb) recently posted..LiveFit Trainer Day 43
I love oats/bananas before running too!
I used to be the same with naps, but now I’m in love with them and can fall asleep in about five seconds haha 
have a great day Lauren!! <3
Nice race!!! Middle distance star in the making right here
Man I know that arms feeling!! Core work and strength work should help though. My staple food is honey, on a variety of different things and just by itself 
Honey and dates work well! I love mid day naps!! Especially with twice day training! It’s great that you’re practicing different tactics and going out fast..should be a huge boost to your mental confidence and besides its great finishing a race and knowing you could have given NOTHING more!! Have a great week!
haha I don’t think so…I am NOT fast!
but thanks for saying so!! and yeah, I REALLY need to get back to doing core+strength regularly…woops! oh, and I LOVE honey and dates!! 
p.s. did you delete your blog Eryn? just wondering cos it’s not coming up on my computer! <3
Haha my little cousin did “accidently”..as in he kept clicking through intending not to click the final confirm button but did by accident! I might start up another one when I get my proper coaching certifications/ I finish making my final olympic qualifying attempts
Hope you are having a great week. So jealous that you are in London for the Olympics!!It’s going to be amazing!! Have a great week <3
haha typical! aah I’ll miss reading it! and WHAT you are trying to qualify for the olympics?!?! THAT IS SO EXCITING!! please please PLEASE keep me posted, and good luck with that!! hopefully I will see you here then in August!!
<3
Well done on the race! You, my dear, are speedy – amazing pace
Lisbel recently posted..In need of recipe inspiration!
thank you so much Lisbel!!
have an amazing day!! <3
my go-to pre-run meal is two pieces of toast with almond butter and a mug of coffee! never messes with my stomach and always tastes delicious
Julianna @ Julianna Bananna recently posted..I’m Going to Run a Half Marathon!
mmmm toast+almond butter is so good! and I do love hitting up Starbucks before runs/races
aaaand if I haven’t said it enough yet…CONGRATS on graduating!! <3
Well done on pushing yourself out of your comfort zone
Maria @ runningcupcake recently posted..Choco-love
thanks Maria!! hope your running is going well!!
Banana and dark chocolate dreams is possibly the best snack.
My tastebuds forever owe PB & Co.!
Katie @ Nutrition in a Peanut Shell recently posted..What I ate Wednesday ~
DITTO. I just recently picked up the jar and I’d forgotten how much I loved it!! their white chocolate wonderful and cinnamon raisin are faves of mine too!
I’m very lucky that my stomach almost never gives me problems during races – the only exception is if I’d had too much to eat. But since I can basically run on anything, I get to experiment a lot
I think my ultimate favorite pre-race snack is a larabar (especially the cashew cookie or coconut cream pie flavors). They give me tons of energy but are very compact 
aaah lucky you!! I wish my stomach was made of steel like yours! and cashew cookie is the BEST larabar I think, but then I haven’t tried coconut cream pie yet…
have an awesome day Erin!! <3
I’m still working hard to figure out a “staple” pre-run food. I get heartburn pretty easily if I eat the wrong food or run too soon after eating, but I’m slowly learning what works and what doesn’t!
Oh ditto!! I’m still trying to workout the perfect food for me…I found out yesterday that brownies do not work well
have a great day Irina!! <3
I feel you on that. I don’t have a staple either-sometimes it’s a bar, sometimes a bagel with peanut butter…it always differs. Nothing is worse then having a heavy stomach in a race.
HollieisFueledByLOLZ recently posted..Happy Birthday to My Mom
Emma! I’m so glad to have you back, I’ve been missing your posts!
thank you so much Maria!! that made me smile
have a GREAT day!! <3
Where do you get your PB&Co babes??? I only ever see it in Whole Foods but not a very big selection
Jenn @ Lotus and Pie recently posted..Jamie Eason’s LiveFit trainer Phase 2 – Day 30, 31 & 32
that one was from Whole Foods, but usually I get it from iHerb.com! they have all of them AND shipping is pretty cheap!