Your next race is approaching. You might have anxiety and thoughts of how you’ll run and win the race. If your main goal is to run effectively, it is good to plan before the day approaches. With this, you’ll be preparing the body, which can enhance your performance. Whether you want to complete a 5k or 10k race, it is good to understand that running is easy if you have a good mindset and the right tools.
What comes to many peoples’ minds when they hear about preparing for a race is how long does it take to get ready for a run? Sure, you need to ensure that your body and mind are ready for the day. However, this doesn’t mean that you need to exercise each day from morning to evening. Getting ready involves various things such as:
- Investing In the Right Running Gear
Running is not all about waking up one day and wearing your normal boots. You need to invest in a pair of footwear that will enhance your running experience. Shoes that have proper cushioning should be your option since they increase comfort. Also, opt for sweat-wicking t-shirts and leggings.
- Understand the Weather
It is good to train running during different weather conditions. During the actual run, you might find it challenging to run due to rain or sunshine, which can lower your experience.
- Understanding the Route
Being familiar with the route before the day of the run will help to remove fears of things and people you might encounter. Also, it will allow you to run effectively without losing directions.
- Training Your Muscles
Training your muscles is a good way of strengthening your body. This situation can help to improve your metabolic rate and enhance your performance. Also, it can reduce the risk of injury by boosting muscle activation.
As you are aware, getting ready for a run requires a plan. So, it might take some time to prepare effectively. However, various people take different times to get ready. Generally, an average runner requires at least four months to get ready for a run. However, if you have tight schedules, you can extend it to 6 or 7 months.
Why Is It Important To Get Ready Before You Set Out On A Run?
Many runners fear getting tired the day before the race. But the fact is that getting ready will increase your chances of running well. Regardless of the distance of your race, you’ll be engaging in, getting ready before the actual run will prepare your mind, body, and legs. Here are 3 benefits of getting ready before the actual race.
- Enhance the Flow of Blood
When engaging in a run, the body requires more nutrients and oxygen. That’s why you need to ensure that you have more blood flow. Getting ready and engaging in an exercise days before the actual run increases blood flow to the muscles, which will deliver enough oxygen and nutrients. When engaging in short races such as 5k and 10k, the oxygen and nutrients will help you to become flexible to allow the strides to feel more natural.
Also, getting ready before a run will allow your muscles to store extra glycogen to help you run longer.
- Stimulate Your Nervous System
The nervous system helps in communication between the brain and muscles. It sends a signal to the muscles, allowing your body to become more active. The good thing is that you can allow your neuromuscular system to perform at its optimal level by exercising regularly before the actual run.
- Calms the Nerve
Every runner becomes nervous before engaging in a run. They lack the idea of how they will perform the race. Imagine entering the race event without knowing the route to follow? Or imagine engaging in a race with the wrong running gears? You might be nervous, which can make you perform poorly.
Getting ready for the event will allow you to be mentally prepared. With this, you will run with confidence. That’s why it is good to create a training schedule weeks before the race. You can choose a partner or train alone if you want to engage in a 5k, 10k, marathon, and half marathon race plan.
Preparation is essential if you want to get good results on your run. With a good plan, you will have an idea of how many hours to train each. The amount of time to train varies for many runners. The time you need to exercise will depend on various factors such as:
- Distance of the race
- Fitness
- Training volume
An average runner can take 20-30 minutes, while a runner who has been training consistently can go for 30-50 minutes depending on his comfort. If you want to remove the nervous energy and loosen the muscle, it is good to make the run long.
What Are The Things You Should Consider Before You Set Out On A Run?
Whether you want to engage in long or short runs, chances are, you may want to squeeze your runs into your tight schedule. You will need to wake up early and skip some social gatherings to ensure that you prepare effectively for the run. People have their ways of getting ready for the run. All the rituals can help you increase your running performance. However, it is good to understand that mindfulness can have an impact on your goals.
Due to busy schedules, runners forget that there is a purpose behind each exercise, and one should make improvements. So, why don’t you set yourself to succeed in the run?
Here are 6 things you should think about before you set out on the run.
- Create a Plan
Regardless of the distance you’ll cover, preparation should be your priority. It will help you create a schedule. You’ll know the number of hours you’ll set aside to run in each week. Also, you’ll know the types of food to consume to boost your energy. When preparing, you will have time to experiment with various clothes that will enhance your running performance. Some clothes can irritate your skin. Thus, it is good to plan on what to wear so that it will not cause discomfort.
- Hydration
When running, you sweat a lot, which allows your body to lose fluids. That’s why you need to consume enough drinks to replace the fluids you lost. Being hydrated during your run will maintain normal body functioning and maintain a high-performance level. But how will you know the amount of water to consume during your run?
The temperatures and humidity of the climate and the distance of the race will determine the amount of water to drink. It is good to drink enough water 30-minutes before the race, especially if the temperatures are high. Also, remember to dehydrate well if you are engaging in a long run.
- Create Work out Goals
At times, you might target to achieve a specific time goal, but unfortunately, things happen, making you not to cooperate. For instance, you can wake up one day only to find out that the weather is very hot. When you think about sweating and getting tired when running, you might find yourself postponing. That’s why it is important to set goals before you set out on the run.
With realistic goals, you will look for other options to help you achieve them. For instance, you can consider drinking enough water to enable you to remain hydrated during the hot season. You can also invest in breathable gears to allow you engage in long runs, thus achieving the goals.
- Consider a Pump-Up Song
Do you know that a song can do wonders when setting out for a run? A song can get you fired up and get motivated to continue running. Thus, it is good to choose your favorite Spotify playlist before you get started. The song can enhance your mood and energy levels and, at the same time, increase your heart rate, preparing you to conquer many miles.
- Consume Balanced Diet Meals
You need a lot of energy to help you remain active throughout the run. Remember, healthy eating is not about consuming chocolates and ice creams. You require plenty of carbs to boost your energy levels. You can consider meals such as pasta and potatoes.
- Prioritize Sleeping Enough
Lack of enough sleep can lower your running performance. Sleeping at least eight to ten hours each night is a good way to allow your body to relax and heal. Nevertheless, some people require more hours for their bodies to remain active. Thus, if you want to be energized and remain alert on the race day, you need to focus more on your bodies’ needs. Sleep enough and remain well-rested as the race day approaches.
Running is an activity that will help to strengthen your bones, muscles and maintain a healthy weight. Many people run for fun while others for athletics races. Regardless of the purpose, it is good to ensure that you get ready before the actual run approaches. Remember, being ready is not about waking up and putting on running attires. You need to prepare your mind and body for the race.