Ocean Group x RNRS High
As one of the sponsors for The Plymouth Running Festival and Torbay Half Marathon, we want you to be as ready and as excited as possible about the upcoming event. As part of the build-up we’ll be sharing tips and motivation to help as you prepare. Whether it’s your first or one hundredth race there’s always ways to improve and be better prepared. With help from RNRS High with their experience of distance running events, we’ll breakdown ways you can prepare, ideas on how you can approach your run and most importantly offer supportive messages to reduce any fears or worries you have as the event day approaches.
Plymouth Running Festival takes place on Sunday 28th April, entries are now closed: event website
Entries for Torbay 10km and Half Marathon on Sunday 29th September are now open: click here to enter
Training for the event will increase your enjoyment of the race day. It sounds so simple: train before and the race will be easier, and amazingly it’s true!
Committing to training before an event isn’t a new concept, but it’s often neglected. The thing is as well as improving your physical fitness, training also helps to build your confidence that the goal distance whether a half marathon, 10k or 5km is achievable. And once you know that, the whole event becomes a lot simpler.
When building up to an event, the aim is to eliminate as many uncertainties as possible – the biggest initial concern is knowing that you are capable of completing the distance.
On the days and weeks leading up to the event – ideally you’ll be calm, feel confident and have positive anticipation of what’s to come, not fear. There is still plenty of time to lace up your shoes and do some training runs, so you’re prepared for race day.
Suffering through a run isn’t very fun, if you train appropriately you’ll be one of those finishers saying “when can I do it again?!” rather than “I’m never doing that again!”.
Make sure you’ve tried and tested your race day kit well in advance. It’s often the case that you want to have a new vest, t-shirt, pair of trainers or shorts for the event day – you want to look good and fresh, we get it. But as much as feeling fast in your new outfit is nice, you need, Need, NEED to be sure your clothing is comfortable, doesn’t rub or irritate during the run.
There are few things as bad as starting a run and then being aggravated by rubbing clothing, it’s awful. With time on your side we recommend deciding what you’d like to wear and try it – test out your kit; the socks, trainers, shorts, vest/t-shirt, even the cap or sunglasses. Whatever you plan to wear – try them on a run or 2. Then you can change things if you need to.
So you know, come race day your kit won’t be a factor you’ll need to worry about. And yes – new shoes you’ve never run in are an ABSOLUTE NO(!) on race day, don’t do it. It’s a good idea to run for a few weeks in new shoes – so you know how they need to be laced up, so you know they feel good and again that they aren’t going to rub.
Recognise and embrace how amazing it feels to move.
When the weather is cold and wet and you’re out doing training runs in less than fun conditions, and you’re thinking; ‘this is rubbish!’, it’s always helpful and motivating to consider ‘One Day’.
One day you’ll be older, one day you won’t be able to run as freely as you can now, or one day you won’t be able compete in events, at some point one day will come when you think: ‘I wish I could feel what it was like to run in the rain again’, ‘run in the cold again’, ‘feel that exhilaration of running past strangers cheering me on’, ‘feel like nothing else matters, apart from keeping moving!’.
One day you’ll miss this feeling and wish you could experience it again, but you’re here now – accept the conditions, embrace the process, and enjoy the event… at the finish-line! Today isn’t one day, for now take it all in and remember ‘Ahh this is rubbish, BUT One Day…!’
