How would you prepare for a race that started in the middle of the night?

Training Advice/Discussion Ultramarathon
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  • Midnight train

    Anonymous Poster

    3 years ago 03/31/2021 8:30am EDT

    We all know how important rest and sleep is in order to perform well on race day.

    I think most people will agree that if your race is starting at 8, 7 or 6 in the morning you just wake up 1 or 2 hours earlier that night and sleep maybe a little less than usual. Some races start much earlier though, or later, depending on how you look at it. If they do start in the evening or at night but it is before midnight, I'm guessing most people would take a mid afternoon nap to be well rested for the race.

    But how about when a race start is at 1-2-3-4am? How would you do it then?

    Do you start waking up at 2 at night every night during the previous week to adapt the body to the early start? Do you start waking up at noon, and taking evening naps if needed, to be able to go through the night awake with no problem?

    I happen to have an ultra this summer stating at 3am at night, and I am clueless on how to give my body the best chance to perform. Help me, fellow running experts!

  • registered

    Noah Hansen

    Member since 09/01/2019.

    173 posts. Last post 1 year ago.
    3 years ago 03/31/2021 8:35am EDT
    re: Midnight train

    Follow the same rule. Wake up about 2 hours before the start of your race so that you are fully aware once it starts. Make sure to get a full 8 hours the few nights before though, those nights will end up being your saving grace.

  • Stay up late and take a nap

    Anonymous Poster

    3 years ago 03/31/2021 9:17am EDT
    re: Midnight train

    I'd stay up late the couple nights before the race, then sleep in the day of the race and try to take a nap in the late afternoon.

    I wouldn't worry about running workouts in the middle of the night. Just make sure you get some sleep in the 10 hours before the race

  • Midnight train

    Anonymous Poster

    3 years ago 03/31/2021 9:23am EDT
    re: Noah Hansen

    How many days though? If i do it only for 2 or 3, I can already see myself having 3 terrible restless days and then race night arrives and my body is tired for the lack of sleep and routine. Waking up at 1:00am is not something you can get used to quicly, is it?

  • registered

    SDSU Aztec

    Member since 06/06/2018.

    12,445 posts. Last post 9 months ago.
    3 years ago 03/31/2021 9:27am EDT
    re: Midnight train

    Midnight train wrote:

    We all know how important rest and sleep is in order to perform well on race day.

    I think most people will agree that if your race is starting at 8, 7 or 6 in the morning you just wake up 1 or 2 hours earlier that night and sleep maybe a little less than usual. Some races start much earlier though, or later, depending on how you look at it. If they do start in the evening or at night but it is before midnight, I'm guessing most people would take a mid afternoon nap to be well rested for the race.

    But how about when a race start is at 1-2-3-4am? How would you do it then?

    Do you start waking up at 2 at night every night during the previous week to adapt the body to the early start? Do you start waking up at noon, and taking evening naps if needed, to be able to go through the night awake with no problem?

    I happen to have an ultra this summer stating at 3am at night, and I am clueless on how to give my body the best chance to perform. Help me, fellow running experts!

    When elite runners travel to Europe for a race, it's the same thing. Just make sure you're awake at the starting line.

  • registered

    ryruns

    Member since 02/25/2021.

    10 posts. Last post 3 years ago.
    3 years ago 03/31/2021 10:04am EDT
    re: Midnight train

    One bad night of sleep won't hurt too much. It's about consistency, if you are getting a good 8 hours a week or two prior one night won't do much. I would just stick to your routine and just wake up 2 hours before the race. Maybe the night before try to get bed earlier obviously but if you have been consistently getting good sleep one night of bad sleep is not going to kill you.

  • wazzu1452

    Member since 11/13/2020.

    2,666 posts. Last post 1 week ago.
    3 years ago 03/31/2021 10:04am EDT
    re: Midnight train

    Set my Alarm!

  • ultrarunner here

    Anonymous Poster

    3 years ago 03/31/2021 10:19am EDT
    re: Midnight train

    3am is a tough time to start.

    I hated the 4am start time at Leadville.

    I preferred to be up at least 2 hours before the start.

    You can also mentally prepare for this and have a couple of training runs starting at 3am.

    Before race day I would make sure to go to bed early, don't expect to sleep much and get up at 1am or so. I would also take it easy in the first couple of hours in the race.

    If you are mentally prepared to run at 3am, you will be ready.

    How long is that race?

  • Midnight train

    Anonymous Poster

    3 years ago 03/31/2021 1:19pm EDT
    re: ultrarunner here

    The race is a 100k one, but has lots of elevation. Close to 8000m+. So it will probably be around a 20h effort for me. I won't sleep during the race, but I will for sure feel the effects of the restless night de longer I go on.

    The problem is waking up at 1 or 2 am. The race is on July, and I will be on summer holidays, so going to bed before sunset while you're on vacation is gonna be roguh. If I woke up normallly at 5am and that day I just did it 3h earlier for race day, it woule be one thing. But most probably i will be waking up at 8 or 9, so that is 7 or 8h less of sleep. That's a full night of sleep.

    On the other hand, if I wake up even later at 11 or 12, the race will start around the time that I need to go to bed, so my body will not react in the best way possible.

    I much rather have the race start at exactly midnight, like I did a couple of times before. That way, you just wake up late race day and nap for a while. By the time you start, you are still full of energy. Those 3-4 hours of delay on the start are a pain in the ass.

  • Midnight train

    Anonymous Poster

    3 years ago 03/31/2021 1:29pm EDT
    re: Midnight train

    For my fellow imperialists, that's around 65 miles and 26.250 feet of elevation gain

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