Preparing for Your Race & Recovery

RACE WEEK PREP: 1-2 Weeks Prior to Event

Taper Your Workout

• Taper your training the week prior to your race.
• Avoid heavy strength training, speed work, plyometrics, or tough cross-training.
• Don’t add any new types of training you have never done before such as CrossFit, Orange Theory, or Zumba.
• If you regularly do this during the week, try to swap one of these days for a rest day or light activity such as walking, ElliptiGO, or swimming.

Boost Recovery and De-Stress Your Nervous System

• Make sure you are getting in some extra stretching or foam rolling this week.
• Have a massage to release tightness or soreness in muscles. However, the week prior to your race, limit deep muscle work unless you are used to having this kind of bodywork prior to a race. Deep muscle work may cause muscle soreness and could affect how your muscles perform on race day.
• Consider having an AromaTouch massage with therapeutic essential oils which help reduce stress, decrease pain and muscle soreness, boost immunity.
• Use therapeutic essential oils to reduce muscle soreness and calm the mind and body.
• Incorporate Bemer, Neubie Master Reset, or other technologies that help improved blood flow, oxygen, and nutrient to cells and calm your nervous system.

Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate

• It is important to stay well hydrated before a race. Monitor the color of your urine and target to keep it pale yellow. You don’t want to start race day dehydrated.
• If you have a history of cramping, add some electrolytes such as Gatorlytes to your water and sip throughout the day. You can also salt foods to get extra sodium into your diet.

Adjust Your Nutrition to Maximize Performance

• 3 days prior to the race, increase your carb intake to about 70-80% of total macros.
• Keep high fiber foods low the day before and the day of a race to avoid an upset stomach.
• Limit sugars and spicy or new foods/supplements that may cause an upset stomach.

Get Connected! Scope Out Race & Your Environment

• Connect to the race event via social media.
• Get familiar with the course, water stations, and bathrooms.
• Find out about expos, athlete services such as the recovery zone, packet pick-up times, road closings, and parking. The better prepared you are the less stress you will experience on race day.
• If traveling out of town for the race:
  • Check hotel surroundings, grocery stores, gym locations, massage or medical services.
  • Check the weather so you come prepared (and pack for potentially hotter or colder conditions than expected).
  • Prepare a travel kit (blister pack, snacks, drinks, massage stick, etc.).
  • Arrive early to acclimatize if needed.
  • Bring compression socks and wear them while traveling.
  • Stay well hydrated when traveling.

Get Your Zzzs 

• Make sure to go to bed early starting 2 days before the race! The night before a race we typically don’t sleep well as we are thinking about the race and have to get up early for race day.
• Incorporate Bemer or Neubie Master Reset.
• Try meditation or restorative yoga before bedtime.
• Take an Epsom Salt bath with essential oils that calm the body and mind, such as lavender or cedarwood.
• Use soothing essential oils in a diffuser next to your bed or directly on your body to deepen your slumber.

NIGHT BEFORE

• Check the weather so you can adjust clothes if needed.
• Lay out your clothes for race day and get all your nutrition together.
• Have your yoga mat set up with a foam roller/massage stick to complete any preparation you may need to do prior to leaving your house.
• Eat a solid meal with 70-80% carbs and hydrate well.
• Take a hot shower or Epsom salt bath with essential oils, stretch, and get to bed early.
• Make sure you fully charge your phone.

RACE DAY – LET’S DO THIS!

• Give yourself enough time to prepare, eat/drink, warm-up, get to race, park, etc.
• Go to the bathroom before getting to the start line.
• Kill it!

RECOVERY POST-RACE