My Pre-Race Ritual - by Andy Baldwin

In less than one week I will be taking on the greatest athletic feat of my life – running 56 miles over five large mountains in South Africa. The event is the COMRADES Ultramarathon www.theultimatecause.org

You may be wondering how I will approach a race of this magnitude. What is my race strategy? What will I do the night before the race? What will I do on race morning?

The answer is I will treat this race just like any other race I have done and follow my Baldwin pre-race routine. Over time most athletes develop a routine (or ritual) that they go through before a race, one that is practical, often times peculiar, and in many cases superstitious. There is the long held expression, “Don’t do anything new on race day.” Athletes are creatures of habit and this definitely holds true for the running and triathlon community.

Below I will describe the pre-race routine that I have used over the past decade, which you can feel free… to try out, adopt or completely reject. Each one of us is unique and the trick is to find out which methods work best for your particular needs.

THE EXPO/PRE-RACE REGISTRATION
Arrival at the race location involves the inevitable “packet pick up” where one gets their bib number, race instructions, race T-shirt, and a bag full of coupons and sponsor gift items. At the Expo, event sponsors, vendors, and experts talk all day long and showcase their products or services. You can feel the nerves in the air and the building excitement. While fun, all this hustling and bustling can zap your energy and be a bit intimidating (as that ripped guy or gal wearing their IRONMAN HAWAII shirt bumps into you). I will go to the Expo early to avoid the lines, get my packet, then go to a vendor and pick up some PowerGels (I always use chocolate with caffeine). Get in, get out, and get off your feet!

THE PRE RACE MEAL
When I was a kid, before a swim meet, my mom would feed my brother and I spaghetti with meat sauce, heaps of bread, a salad, and lots of water. That is the meal I still eat to this day, every night before a race. Wherever the race, I always find an Italian restaurant to fulfill this need. Otherwise it just won’t be right. I have realized over the years that this is a successful pre-race meal as it incorporates complex carbohydrates, some protein, vegetables, and water for proper digestion and hydration. It is important that the pre-race meal is eaten at least 10 hours before race start so that your body has time to digest. Go out to dinner with your friends and family – joke around, have fun, and don’t think about the race. You are prepared.

THE NIGHT BEFORE
I try and have everything in order and laid out the night before the race so that when I wake up race morning I don’t need to think as much. Call me methodical, but this has worked for me. Start by reading the race instructions thoroughly. Each race can be different so it is crucial to be knowledgeable about this particular race. Each event had different rules about where to place the timing chip, how to attach your numbers to your helmet and bike, and how to pin on your bib number. After reading the instructions I set to work on assembling all of my equipment, nutrition, pinning on my bib number, attaching my timing chip to my shoe or around my ankle so that I am ready to go the next morning. If it is a running race, I will sleep in my running shorts. Weird, I know. I prep the coffee maker for the next morning as well as a bagel, banana, PowerBar and water. While doing this I take some deep breaths and listen to some easy listening music. I call the front desk of the hotel and ask for a wake-up call at least 2-2.5 hours prior to race start. I then ask for a backup wakeup call five minutes later. After things are prepped, it’s time to wind down and relax. I do a series of stretches and take some more deep breaths. As I lay in bed the night before the race, I practice a lot of mental visualization. I picture myself waking up the next day, arriving at the race site, feeling good, toeing the start line, going through the swim, the transitions, the bike, the run, and finally the finish. I visualize every step of the way and by doing so it somehow gets programmed in the brain so there is a bit of autopilot that happens the next day. Sleep is important. Many people complain about not being able to sleep the night before a race. Once my visualization is done, I just tune out, and don’t think about nerves or the race until the next morning. Look forward to the dreams and rest.

RACE MORNING
The early morning alarm is the hardest part of the race experience for me. Inevitably, I wake out of a deep sleep, cozy under the covers, wanting more, but realizing that in a short while I will be pushing my body to its limits of physical and mental exertion. To get myself out of bed, I imagine falling back asleep, missing the race, and then feeling like an idiot for wimping out. Get up ANDY! The first thing I do is chug a cup of coffee to get the system going. Then I hop in the shower and this helps me wake up. In the shower I get mentally prepared for what is to come. I eat a bagel, peanut butter, and banana. I listen to ‘psych-up’ music, which over the years has included Metallica, Eminem, 2PAC, Van Halen, and U2.

PRE-RACE
Get to the race site early. I like to rack my bike, get body marked, and scope out the starting line and not feel rushed. Make sure you wear warm clothing. You don’t want to be standing around in the cold with just your race singlet on. Keep your muscles warm. Enjoy the atmosphere. I bring my camera with me on race morning to snap photos with friends and family. If you want to warm-up with some easy running, go for it. I usually do a warm-up for a sprint race, but for anything longer I stretch and use the first part of the race as a warm-up. Make your way to the start line. I always carry a PowerGel and water with me to the starting line to get my system topped off with fuel and fluids right before the gun goes off. Waiting in anticipation at the start line can seem like an eternity. Make friendly conversation with others around you. Wish them luck. I always remind myself how fortunate we are to have this opportunity to race, to compete, to challenge our own bodies to see what we are capable of. In many areas of the world this would not be possible, and many people don’t have the physical means to do so. As the minutes count down to race start, I remind myself of the training I have done, that I can do this, and to most importantly have fun. I emerge from my thoughts with a smile on my face, and ready to go. GET EXCITED AND HAVE FUN!!