Race day is approaching faster than you think if you are training for a fall race. There are pre-determined actions (both on and off the roads) to avoid or take to maximize your race day preparedness.

Four Weeks Prior to Race Day:

1. If you will not be wearing your current running shoes or a current article of clothing on race day, purchase the replacement item now. This includes shorts, tops, sports bras, socks, etc. Wear new shoes (even if they are the identical make and model that you’ve trained in) for at least one long run (two is better) and several shorter ones prior to race day. Other new clothes should be worn for one long run before race day. Racing is tough enough, without unanticipated chafing, raw skin or blisters.

2. Find out which sport drink and flavour will be available at water or aid stations. Practice drinking it during your runs before the race. Race day is not a good time to discover how your stomach reacts to a new drink.

3. If you have fallen behind in your training, it’s tempting to try to catch up to where you should be in your original schedule by skipping weeks. This is a mistake that dramatically increases the chance of overtraining and (worse) injury. The expression: "90% of the battle is making it to the starting line healthy and in one piece" is definitely valid. If you find yourself in this situation, I recommend resuming your training (if not injured), increasing your long run by no more than 2 miles per week, with a shorter long run every third week. One can complete a half-marathon with a long run of 10 miles and a marathon with a long run of 20 miles. So don't worry if your long run is a few miles short of your original plan. If you still find yourself short, consider switching to a shorter distance or running a later race.

Last Two Weeks Prior to Race Day:

During the last two weeks leading up to the race, there is very little that you can do to improve your preparedness for the race. However, there is a lot that runners do to screw things up (I’ve been guilty):

1. You are as fit as you are going to be at race day. Do not attempt to cram in an extra long run, even if you have missed long runs during training. Long runs at this time will only increase the chances of not being well rested or (worse) injured on race day. I've done both. It's a bummer!

2. Ditto for an intense speed work.

3. Emphasize carbohydrate intake at meal time and after workouts. It's time to top up your levels of glycogen stored in your muscles.

4. Make sure to keep on eating adequate lean protein for muscle repair.

Taking action to counter the seven deadlies will ensure that you arrive at the starting line well prepared and ready for an excellent race day experience.

Happy trails (or asphalt)!

Contributed to Traxee.com by Bennett Cohen, AKA The Roads Scholar who trains and coaches runners in Toronto, Canada, primarily with Marathon Dynamics, a Toronto-based training organization. Incorporating the latest running-related research into his coaching and writing, he debunks many myths that are counterproductive to training, helping women of all ages increase their enjoyment and fulfillment of competitive, recreational running.

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Tags: racing, race strategy, marathons, half marathon, competition, training, Bennett Cohen, Roads Scholar