Race preparation

What do you do in the days leading up to a race? I get asked this question a lot. How do you get ready? What do you do to train? What do you eat? Do you try and sleep more? Eat less? What?

I don't have the answers. But here's what I am doing.

Sleep:
I get about 7-8 hours a night and seem to function just fine. So that doesn't change.

Food:
I eat pretty healthy most of the time. So that doesn't change either. Steel-cut oatmeal in the morning with fruit, yoghurt, honey, and nuts on the top (recently switched to the steel-cut from the old fashioned oats when Amber told me that I could cook up a weeks portion on Sunday and just warm them up in the microwave!). You'ld be surprised how fast I can put this together. Soup and sandwhich for lunch with fruit as a snack during the day (pot of soup is also prepared on the week-end or Monday night). Then crazy salads with blueberries, nuts, chicken, and cheese on them or some light pasta for dinner. Or both, after all I am still training.

Training:
It might get a little lighter starting around mid-week, but I still did my track workout last night (I love running in circles!). I still ride my bike to work every morning and home every night and to the store on the way or stop by the bars....

Drinking:
More water, less caffeine, less alcohol (sad). It might not be that I drink more water per say, I am just more conscious of it. I ween off the caffeine with a couple days of half-caf-espresso from Starbucks (I can't help it: 1) Thanks Mom and Dad for the Starbucks card. 2) It's right there on the way to work. 3) They are so friendly. 4) They do make a lovely espresso.) And then it is decaf in the French Press, until the day before race day and of course race day itself. I have practiced this many a time for Half-ironman events (anything shorter doesn't require the decaf stage). I also try to cut out the micro-brew, sticking to a small glass of pinot noir if the occasion calls for it... it will tonight (celebrating).

Mental:
VERY IMPORTANT!!! I picture myself racing, transitioning, getting up in the morning, travelling to the race, getting my packet, everything... even what I am wearing before after during. So much so, that I start dreaming about it. However, I'm not done yet, because last night I dreamed it snowed on me during the bike portion of the race and that the sun on the front of my new Spish race suit was melting a path for me to ride through. Wouldn't that be cool...

So, it's going to be an old-fashioned Oregonian show-down in the elite waves... once again I'll be starting off with all the elite men and women. Sweet!