So, what kind of mistakes have I made in the past that am trying to avoid in the future? I've come up with a list to share with you today so you can avoid making these mistakes too.
It's vintage runDisney (before runDisney was even a thing)!
#1 Fitness Tracker/Garmin/Watch
For my VERY FIRST half marathon ever (that really cold one at WDW back in 2010), I made it all the way to the bust stop at Pop Century and realized I left my Garmin charging in the room! After turning around and running back to my room to retrieve it, I made it back to the bus stop to encounter a now SUPER long bus line. I thankfully made it to the start line on time, but still...I always plug in my Garmin to charge in a visible location and I make it part of my routine to put on while I'm getting dressed on race morning. Never. Again.
#2 No TP!
So, this one my be kind of funny, but at Rock n Roll New Orleans this year, it took me SEVERAL miles of port-a-potty stops before I finally found one that had toilet paper. Had I added Kleenex to my flipbelt, this all could have been avoided. Definitely noted for next time.
#3 Prepare for Weather
This one can be tricky because weather can change at the drop of a hat. Take Princess Weekend of 2015 in Florida for example - on Friday for the 5K, we were bundled up in layer after layer with near freezing temps and by Sunday, we were in short sleeves. Craziness. My husband was not prepared for the 5K and had to purchase additional clothing items at the Expo. Now, we always pack for any and every weather situation.
#4 Fuel
Y'all, Disney spoiled me with full marathons on this one. RunDisney has bananas, chocolate, gels, more bananas, and plenty of fuel to keep the full marathoners going for 26.2 miles. On my first non-Disney full attempt at Rock N Roll New Orleans, I realized my mistake on this - not all races equal the same and by mile 22, I was STARVING. I've run the Rock N Roll full marathon two additional times since this and am always prepared with extra fuel on my part.
#5 Travel Time
I've had some close calls in my years of running races with nearly missing an expo or nearly missing my chance to make it to day-of race registration. We always try to plan a little extra travel time to make sure we are at the race start way ahead of schedule. For out of town races, that means driving or flying in the day before and for local races, that means setting the clock just a bit earlier in the morning.
So, there you have it - my racing mistakes and ways I've adjusted so they don't happen again in the future!
What's your biggest racing mistake? Any advice to add to the list?
It's the Tuesdays On The Run Linkup with Erika, Marcia and Patty.
All very good warnings - I've also learned the hard way to pack for any kind of weather for a race...crazy how much it can change, but I was really cold a couple times so now I'm covered.
ReplyDeleteIt really is crazy how fast the weather can change! I've learned my lesson too!
DeleteI have made SEVERAL of these mistakes! but I think the worst one is a tie between the new trails shoes + new orthotics on a 20K trail (blister galore) and doing a night race without any light (because I didn't actually prepare for the race or read up on what was necessary!)
ReplyDeleteOUCH! I'm so sorry!! That sounds so terribly painful!
DeleteI think I would only add "don't wear anything new" - I find it odd, for example, that someone wears a "marathon finisher" shirt during the marathon... it's that kind of tempting the gods?
ReplyDeleteI never bring TP hahaha by my husband? He always has a roll in his bag!!
YES I couldn't agree with this more! Just don't do it!!
DeletePacking for every possible weather condition is necessary...but also stressful when you're traveling and have limited space. Most of my races require at least an hour of drive time, so I always lay everything out the night before to avoid any forgotten things or delays in finding stuff at the last minute.
ReplyDeleteThat's so true! Great idea to lay everything out the night before. I try to do this as well!
DeleteAt RnRDublin you have to wear a special wristband to get your remix medal. I failed to do so and had to BEG the poor lady at the tent. I'll never forget that again!
ReplyDeleteAnother time I somehow dropped my bib in the car between the seat and the door and didn't realize I didn't have it until I wanted to enter the corral. It looked like i bandited that race!
Oh no!! I'm so glad they gave the medal to you!
DeleteI've never carried TP during a race but for a marathon it sounds like a smart idea! I know I definitely need to start bringing hand sanitizer!
ReplyDeleteHand sanitizer is great to keep with you, just in case! I try to remember to carry some with me as well!
DeleteYeah, travel time can be interesting. My mom and I are heading down to Princess on Thursday with a race on Saturday. That gives us Friday as buffer in case anything unplanned happens. It will be February after all.
ReplyDeleteThat's a great idea!! We aren't arriving until Friday, but it *should be fairly early in the morning!
DeleteTravel time does suck. One year I missed the expo for Tinker Bell because my flight was delayed but I was able to get on another flight that was leaving on time. However, by the time I landed, got on the SuperShuttle, and then to the hotel, it was past 5pm and the expo was closed. Luckily I had been in contact with RunDisney and they told me I could pick up my bib the next morning. It was definitely a stressful day of traveling!
ReplyDeleteOh no!! That's horrible. I'm so glad they were willing to work with you! I would have been a panicked mess!
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