What sort of race day preparations should be completed before an 800m straight final race?
I’ve been training hard for my race on Saturday and now I’m starting to wind down the training and get my body ready to race. Is there any specific tasks 800m Runner’s insist are a game changer when preparing to run? Anything ranging from the meal the night before, breakfast, snacks, warmup, mental prep?
Thanks,
Sian.
Its an 800, so IMO diet could matter less.
There is some science to light full-body lifts (cleans, etc) 4-6 hours before a competition helping explosiveness in jumpers and sprinters, but i'm not sure if it translates to running. Regardless, I'd recommend an easy warm-up, along with some 50 meter sprints at 90% a few hours out.
Caffeine is always useful for the mental clarity it affords. I'd normally drink a bit of caffeinated beverage right before starting the warmup.
Speaking of which, some runners feel best leaving for their warm-up 45-60 minutes out from the race. I followed a 60-minute rule, but in looking back at my 800 and mile prs, both were accomplished on days where the team bus arrived late and I had 30 minutes max to get to the starting line. Maybe there's something to that? Whether that's panicking and therefore not overthinking things, or coming in a bit tight, I'm not sure.
I'd recommend looking into the various energy systems and how they are used in the 800m. For example, creatine phosphate will be used around 20-25 seconds from the start of the race, depending on the athlete of course. So you're basically getting a free 150-180 meters. This allows you to get out hard and coast the next 220.
Fresh legs are the most important. Take it easy. Get good sleep. Don't try anything new.
Study the competition to see where to position yourself in the race.
Warming up: slow jog, dynamic stretching, faster jog, drills, strides.
Good luck!
Idk about you but listening to music before 800m races help me get hyped and motivated so you might want to try that