Your Warm Up and the Starting Line
In a way, your race begins with your warm up. Before the gun goes off, it’s important to activate your muscles, loosen up and gradually raise your heart rate so that you can race efficiently. Without a good warm up, you can shock your system with a dramatic spike in your heart rate making you tire out too soon.
Get ready with 15 to 20 minutes of walking or easy running. This is a great time to add in a dynamic warm up or activation drills. You should be sweating when you line up for the start.
Find your spot at the starting line along with runners or walkers of a similar pace. It’s OK to ask others around you what time they’re shooting for.
Mile 1: The Start and Setting Your Pace
Don’t start too fast. It’s the most common mistake that new runners make. And it’s another reason to be smart about where you line up, and who you line up next to. Race-day adrenaline and the energy from the crowd can make a fast pace feel easier than usual … for a few minutes, but if you start too quickly, that extra energy quickly disappears and can easily sabotage your finish time and make the whole experience feel a lot more difficult.
Stick to the race pace you’ve practiced in your training, even if it feels like it’s too easy at first (don’t forget that’s your adrenaline talking!). A GPS watch can help you stay on track here!
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