By Vickie Leff, LCSW (aka RunnerMom)

November is a great month to run some road races and Turkey Trots! Before you head off to the start line, here are a few reminders that can help make your race the most successful ever. A little preparation and few surprises will ensure a great race day for you.

Week before your race:

Hopefully you have been training, working up to the race mileage. In case you aren’t following a schedule, remember to scale down your mileage at least a few days before your race. You want to give your legs a bit of a rest a day or two before the race. For instance, if you’re running a half-marathon on a Sunday, you may want to do a relaxed 4-mile run on Friday and rest on Saturday. If you’re running a 10k, try running 3 miles on Friday and rest on Saturday, and for a 5k, run 2 miles on Friday and rest on Saturday.

Night before the race:

First of all, eat something easy on your stomach, including some carbs. Mexican is probably not the best pre-race meal! Drink a good amount of water as well. Check the weather report and figure out what you are going to wear. If it’s going to be chilly or rainy, bring an old shirt to wear while you wait to start, which you can easily discard during the first mile if you need to. For rain, you may want to bring a simple rain poncho ($1 at Walmart) that you can throw off along the way. Dress in layers, but not too much cotton, as that will absorb all your sweat.

The night before is a good time to do some race-day prep. Pin your race number to the front of your shirt. If you have a time chip for your shoes, attach that the night before. Spread out any energy bars or gels you plan to bring with you. Make sure you know where you are supposed to be at the start of the race. Pack a change of shirt and socks for race day.

Day of the race:

First, eat and drink what you normally would before a run. You don’t need to arrive super-early. I find I get nervous before a race and standing around just makes me more nervous! Of course, if you are looking to finish in a specific time, you may want to arrive early to get at the front of the line. For those of us just looking to finish and not embarrass ourselves, 20 or 30 minutes prior to the race is plenty of time. As you wait to start, try to relax. Enjoy being at the start line; you’ve worked hard to get there. Once the race has begun, I like to pick a side and stay on it for a while until the crowd thins out. It can be intimidating to run in the middle of a pack and you don’t want to get pushed. Start slow and take advantage of the water stations along the way.

When you finish, enjoy the moment!!

Your gear:

Part of the purpose of training is to test gear – what feels best for you, what works and doesn’t. My best advice when running a race is to never wear or use something new on race day. You want to stay with what has worked for you, what you are comfortable with and in. Race day is not the day to try a new pair of shoes, shorts, shirts or socks. Similarly, don’t use any energy drink or gels you haven’t used before. You can check the race website and see what energy drink or gels they are providing during the race in order to train with that brand.

These are simple, common-sense tips that will help you get to the finish line feeling great and proud!

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Vickie Leff, aka RunnerMom, is the author of “RunnerMom On The Go.” She is the mother of two teenagers and a Welsh corgi cardigan, and wife to a wonderful husband. She is a clinical social worker. She has been running for many years and ran her first marathon at age 44. She won her age division at that race because she was the only one in her age division! Vickie has run a total of six marathons over the past few years, including New York, Boston and Chicago. She is a back-of-the-pack runner who never comes in last. Check out her website, www.runnermom.com, for more tips, motivation and resources.