A Bad Warm-up....What Does That Mean? Nothing.

The crazy part about running is how much physical effort we all put into training. Logging miles on cold winter days, rainy days, 100 degree days the work is still put in the bank.  That type of training and effort is awesome, but how many times has the mental side of running gotten in the way of your race goals with just thinking negative thoughts.  More specifically when you felt cruddy on a race warm-up have you lost it mentally and already been beaten?  Maybe we all forget how much physical prep and work has to be put in to get to that point in time where you are one hour away from a big race.  A sub par warm-up I have found to be an awesome way to center your thinking.  Control what you can control and to get your focus back on your race strategy and goals. If your legs feel like crap then you do not have to worry about how your legs are going to feel race day....you already know that after the warm-up your legs feel like garbage so move on.  That is out of your control 45 minutes before the gun goes off.

Back in March of 2004, I raced in the USA 15k road championships in Jacksonville, Florida. The Gate River Run is the largest 15k in the United States and is definitely a top notch race if you are ever looking for a racing field trip (there is a 3/4 of a mile uphill at the 8 mile mark though).  For me the winter of training for me had gone as planned before the 15k, but during the warm-up before what was my biggest race in some time things began to fall apart. I got stuck running with a guy who would not stop talking about himself like he was Pre.  Our warm-up pace was like 10 minute mile pace (normally I go 7 minute pace), and to top it off with the slower than normal pace my feet were not too far off the ground so I caught my toe and tripped and fell.  After I tripped I sprinted away from that joker. Plus on top of it all my legs felt like crap. For some odd reason it felt like a knife was stabbing the side of my heart, I had never had that stabbing feeling before and never since but it hurt like hell.  That is where the all thoughts need to turn to race strategy and that is what I ended up doing.  Control what you can control.

I knew from past experience that USA road championships go out crazy fast so I was ready for that even after all the garbage that went on within that last 45 minutes before the race. I was not ready for a cannon false start where 25 front line runners (including me) raced off the line for 10 seconds only to be called back and then told to continue. A crazy start, I do not think I got my first mile split!  The first 5k saw the leaders out in 14:10 my split was around 14:20, I finally caught my breath through the 10k in a road PR (29:20) to that point.  The legs felt awesome to that point even after the circus warm-up act and having tired legs. The last 5k was tough with getting out pretty fast and with that 3/4 of mile hill at the 8 mile mark but hung in there for a top 5 finish in 44:25 for what turned out to be one of my better races on the roads.  After all the garbage that transpired 45 minutes before the race that all led up to a  happy race.  I never again question how my legs feel in the warm-up or what other negative stuff happens before the race. I am actually worried when my legs feel great during a warmup. Anyone else ever feel like that....that worries me??

Race Day - Triggers

What trigger gets you into the frame of mind to be ready to attack race day and not wimp out?  How do you flip the switch to go from your easy run days and intervals during the week to race day mode when you try to be in total control having to just ignore all the potential negatives to maximize your race day effort?

Race day is hopefully a fun setting but the events and time leading up to the race take on more meaning because it is race day. Did you get enough sleep the night before? What if you only get say 4 - 5 hours of sleep..is that enough? What if you wake up race day with a messed up stomach? What if your warm-up is the worst one you have ever had and your legs are just garbage?  What if you tripped and fell on your warm-up? Those are all questions that your race day trigger will hopefully cancel out.

The attacking race day attitude (even with all of the questions I mentioned above) just does not happen and that is the part most runners feel like they do not need work on. The attitude, confidence, and race plan you bring to the line on race day has to be practiced and everyone should have a trigger to get this action ready to be carried out hours before the race. That trigger might be a song, a memorable quote, or maybe just your significant other saying "Don't embarrass me out there."  Sometimes you might have a second trigger as late as five minutes before race time like another runner talking some trash about what amazing shape they are in all along forgetting that you are even in the race.

Do not walk into race day without having the eye of the tiger and that trigger in your bag of tricks. Have a trigger and mindset to get you to that unstoppable mentally tough point in time one hour, 30 minutes, and finally five minutes to race time.  This takes practice. 

Would love to hear some of your race day triggers that get you into that Rocky IV toughness mode like when Rocky was training in the old Soviet Union before boxing Ivan Drago.