At my recent half marathon comeback (my first long race since I was pregnant), I knew I was in for a hell of a time. The weather in my area is always hot and humid in late June. The race day was no exception, and my pace was much slower than I hoped for. Really, the best you can do is train properly and hope for the best. But here is a list of how best to approach any race you do.
1) Have a plan...and prepare to abandon it. It's good to have a goal pace (make sure it is reasonable for the conditions...a hot day and a PR pace are usually incompatible), but if you start out at your goal pace and things go wrong, adjust early. And readjust as necessary. There is absolutely nothing wrong with changing your goal mid-race to "just get through this." There will be other races. Don't kill yourself for this one!
2) Hydrate early and often. Same goes with any other fuel you have. If you start too late with electrolytes, you will regret it. Make sure you have plenty on hand and take some at each aid station. Do not become too distracted so that you forget this.
3) Let your mind go where it needs to. You might want to distract yourself by playing songs in your head. You might want to wallow in self-pity. Decide which thoughts are unproductive and cast them out, replacing them with something more beneficial. Mantras are usually good. I have frequently thought of myself as "floating down the river," the river being the race course. It's a good mantra because it is a reminder that your legs can go on autopilot.
4) Trust your training! So many people think "oh my god, I've only gone 20 miles, how can I go 26.2 today?" Because if your heart, lungs, and legs have trained so well that they can carry you for 20 miles, they are basically only limited by how much energy you can replace in your body. Hell, you could walk 50 miles if you had to. You would be AMAZED at what you can do if you had to. And nothing says "you have to" quite like the promise of a finisher medal.
5) Odd things will stick out in your mind, and odd things will take you from being totally run down and exhausted to feeling invigorated. Example: at last week's half marathon, I was pretty much dead around mile 10. Then the lone boombox that some random person left on their front porch started playing the opening to "Baby Got Back." I somehow found the energy to yell out "I like big BUTTS and I cannot lie," and I felt great from there onward. Yet another way that Sir Mix-a-Lot has saved lives.
6) When you finish, you will likely forget to stretch. Stretch as soon as possible, if not immediately. You will be very, very sorry the next day if you don't stretch. Also, eat something starchy, because if you don't eat within 20 minutes you will probably get quite nauseous, especially if it's a hot day. You do not want to have to eat AFTER you get nauseous. It's not fun.
7) You will be walking funny. Embrace it. Don't plan a lot of activities for right after the race. Relax, take it easy, and stay off your feet if you want. You should probably move a little just to avoid stiffening up, but don't make it a requirement.
8) A lot of people like getting massages after a race. If you get a massage within 2 or 3 days post-race, do NOT get a deep-tissue. I cannot stress this enough. You will rue the day you got a deep massage post-race. Gentle rubdown is all you need and want.
