Race day know-how

“Race day is all about controlling the controllables,” says Kabush. Prep your gear in the days before the race by building your race-day bag with what you plan to wear before, during and after your race, including things like safety pins for your bib, lube or chafe cream and any hydration or food you’ll need. Make a schedule for the day before and the day of the race, writing it out so you just have to follow the plan. Include what your support crew is doing: will your family be at the start line? Where will they meet you post-race? What will you do when you finish? (With fall races, remember you’ll be cold at the finish, so have a plan for getting warm clothes, fast.)

Chill on the carb loading, says Van Horn. Instead of slamming a pizza the night before, spread out your carb intake throughout race week, while lowering your fibre intake as the race approaches. “You don’t want to overload the system the night before a race, though you do want to have a good amount of carbohydrates and less fat and fibre the night before,” she adds.

Don’t overdo caffeine on race-day morning, especially if you’re prone to race-day jitters. Your usual cup of coffee is fine, Van Horn says, but five shots of espresso might be overkill. And don’t forget your pre-race breakfast. (This is why you’ve been practising it during your long runs.)

Also, plan your bathroom strategy. “When you see a bathroom from the moment you leave your house until you get to the start line, go in and use it, whether you have to go or not,” says Fraser. “Those early bathrooms you see on your way to the event site are probably not crowded, and you’ll ensure that you don’t have to go when you get to the start line and there are 200 people waiting to use one porta potty.”

Know that even pros get nervous before a race. “Reframe your race-day jitters as excitement,” says Kabush. “The nervous stomach, the dry mouth – that just means you’re ready to go. Accept them, and don’t let them shake your confidence.”

Senk recommends starting your race a little chilly. If you’re cold in the morning, wear inexpensive gloves that you can toss at an aid station once you warm up. She’s also a fan of the prerace warmup: jog for 15 minutes, tossing in a few fast efforts to raise your heart rate and get out your jitters.

Remember that every race is a learning experience – even gold medallists will tell you that there are things they wished they’d done differently.

Even pros get nervous before a race. Reframe your race-day fitters as excitement