Pre-Race

Every runner, regardless of talent, strength or team placement, has a pre-race strategy. When a runner can master exactly how to mentally and emotionally prepare for the next race on his plate, that race and that season will come together.

As a high school and college runner, I followed my raceday preparations as though it were a religion. Without them, running was incomplete.

The night before, I made sure every ounce of homework was completed before dinnertime. (Sometimes, that homework didn't get done.) At dinner, I piled my plate with Ziti (never spaghetti!), red sauce and a mason jar of water on the side. After dinner, I sat in the quiet of my room away from the noises of the Powell household and prepared my raceday bag--my racing spikes, my uniform, my number (if I had it), my team warmups, extra socks, trusty trainers, and my raceday blanket-- all while listening to Barbara's Soundtrack to Running.

I visualized my race. Visualized my opponents. Visualized aggression and speed. Even visualized the obvious pain I was to face.

The morning was always the most important to me. Waking with butterflies fluttering wildly in my belly, I would get out of bed and stand in front of my full length mirror. There, I would look at the runner that had trained all season to get to this point. I read over and over the inspirational quotations pasted up by my mirror:

"The will to win means nothing without the will to prepare"


"The greatest pleasure in life, is doing the things people say we cannot do."

"May your mind be strong and your feet be swift. Our Lady of Victory, Pray for Us."

"To win without risk is to triumph without glory."

Down the stairs I went to the same breakfast I always have before a race: peanut butter toast, a banana, and a small cup of coffee. I filled my Nalgene to the brim, the one with the peeling hip numbers 2 and 5 from my best races that season.

I followed this formula for 8 years of competitive running. And although I faced both good races and poor ones, I was confident each and every time I stepped on that line in my box with my team and looked down at the sea of competitors. I was prepared.

How do you prepare for Race Day?