8 Things to Do the Day Before a Half Marathon

Whether it's your first race or your tenth, pre-race jitters are never really a thing of the past. That's part of why we run races: the excitement, the anticipation, the little bit of fear. All of these things can help push us to run our best, as long as we don't let them overwhelm us. Preparing yourself the day before the race can help eliminate a lot of unnecessary stress and set you up for success.

Whether you're headed for a destination race or doing one in your own hometown, you should plan out how you'll get yourself to the starting line. Due to lane closures and delays in traffic, you can avoid unnecessary stress by knowing where you need to park, the distance from the starting line, and how to get back if your race has different starting and ending points. If your race offers shuttles, you should research their running times and pick-up locations. Planning out all of these factors in advance will allow you to arrive unrushed and with a calm mind.

Avoid last-minute forgetfulness by laying out your gear and nutrition the night before. This will prevent you from leaving anything behind on the day of the race, and from running late because you couldn't find that one running sock hiding in the dryer. If you're traveling, it's best to pack all your running gear in the same spot so it will be easy to locate on race day.

Knowing the course ahead of you will go a long way toward preparing yourself for success. This will help you gauge your speed, prepare for hills, or even plan bathroom breaks in case you need them. Knowing that you won't be surprised by a difficult stretch halfway through your race will also give you peace of mind on race day!

Carb Loading! Everyone gets excited by the prospect of an all-you-can-eat pasta and bread buffet the day before a race — and yes, you should be loading your body with fuel for the effort ahead. BUT, it is still important to stay healthy, and now is not the time to overdo it. Choose foods your body can digest easily and stick to high-quality carbohydrates so your body will have readily accessible energy for race day.

Hydration is essential, but that doesn't mean that you need to drink liters upon liters of water in preparation for your race. Overhydration has much more serious consequences than dehydration. Regardless, make sure that you are drinking when you are thirsty, getting plenty of electrolytes, and avoiding excess alcohol and caffeine the day before your race.

Your training plan has probably recommended that the day before the race be very easy, and you should hold onto that concept when it comes to other physical activity throughout the day. If you want your legs to be fresh for your race the next day, it's probably not good to get in one more long run, spend the entire day walking, or go for a strenuous bike ride. Another part of preparing your body for the race is ensuring that you get enough sleep the night before. Though those pre-race nerves may keep you up, do your best to go to bed early and get plenty of rest before your race.

Take some time to get into the right head space for your race. Hopefully, you have already had some time to figure out your goals and intentions for the day ahead. Do you want to place? Do you want to beat a particular time? Do you just want to finish? Are you there to try hard, or is it more important to you to have fun? Identifying these things ahead of time will set realistic expectations for your half-marathon and help you focus on your specific goals.

With everything prepped the day before, you won't have to worry about unexpected delays, missing items, or anything holding you back. You can feel confident that all of your focus will be on running your best race. Now, all there is to do is enjoy your run!