Tips for a Good Pre-Race Plan

As I prepared to race at the USATF Southwestern track meet on Saturday, it dawned on me that some of the newer runners out there may not be familiar with having a pre-race plan.  I've outlined my pre-race steps and hopefully they can help some of the new comers.

1. Day before make sure you get a half way decent meal and a good night's sleep.  Pretty much self explanatory here, but as you can imagine its probably not a good idea to get trashed the night before a race.
2. If you can, pack your running stuff the night before or at least allow enough time to grab your gear.  My bag consists of:
1. Towel
2. Water/Gatorade
3. A couple of tees, I have a pre- and post tee so I don't have to wear sweaty clothes all day.  Layers are good.
4. Racing singlet
5. Racing flats and/or spikes
6. Muscle cream (Ben Gay...) and Vaseline (for those areas that can cause friction.....nuff said)
7. Electronics - ipod, camera, etc.....
3. Eat a simple meal approx. 2 hours before race or maybe even earlier.  Really depends on you and what kind of stomach you have, I get butterflies pre-race so the earlier I eat the better.  Typically my races are in the morning so I have always have a piece of toast and a glass of water.  Use the bathroom before you leave too!  Its a gamble with those Porto potties!!!
4. Do you know where you're going?  Make sure you have your driving directions and race registration info.  Don't forget to bring cash or a check book if you didn't pre-register.
5. Once I arrive, I immediately wrap-up any final registration required.
6. Warm up!  Typically I'll do a light jog 15-30 minutes and stretch.  The trick to this is that you want to time it so that you're nice and loose with a little sweat going just in time for your race.
7. Pray and have fun!!!