Tips, Tricks, and Traps
As you complete your BOISE RunWalk half-marathon training program, after your dress rehearsal two weeks prior, taper into race day and spend the remaining time preparing. Here’s a list of suggestions from seasoned Robie veterans to help you totally enjoy your experience.
- Have a plan.
- Treat the dress rehearsal (longest workout of the season) as if it were the real deal. Wear what you plan to wear, carry what you plan to carry, eat what you plan to eat on race day, etc.
- Taper into Robie. After the dress rehearsal, there is basically nothing you can do to catch-up on lost training opportunities. Instead, in the last couple weeks and especially race week, focus on the things you can do that will help.
- Monitor the weather forecast. It’s common for race-day temperatures to be 20-30 degrees warmer than what you trained in and knowing the forecast helps you adjust your plan.
- Send a “care package” on the Toad Mobile at the start. Pack your race-day bag with whatever you want delivered to the finish-line. Your favorite post-run snack? A towel for an inflammation-reducing dip in the creek? Change of clothing? Camera? Car keys? Phone?
- Start slow. Starting too fast inevitably results in poor performance the last several miles. Besides, road kill tastes better when consumed between miles 4 and 8 than miles 1 and 2. As you approach Aldape Summit at mile 8.5, that’s when road kill is the most yummy.
- Run/walk intervals. Start your intervals at the beginning of the race and adjust the intervals based on your knowledge of the course. Let gravity be your friend on the backside and, in particular, the less-steep portions of the course.
- Carry water, carbohydrates, and electrolytes. Most years, the race course has little more than water and booze. However, the 6.8-mile aid-station offers Power Bar products.
- Run the tangents. The shortest distance between two corners is a straight line. If you run the outside of the curves, over the 13.1-mile Robie course you might add an extra 2/10ths or 3/10ths of a mile… who wants to run an 3-5 extra football fields?
- Walk backward. Between mile 7.5 and the summit, you might find this a relief to your climbing-muscles.
- Talk to other people around you. “Good job!” Double your fun and run with someone. Encouraging others delivers empowering energy to all.
- Enjoy yourself responsibly and celebrate surviving the mountain!