A guide to going under 3 hours
By the time you finish, the sun is most likely going to be relatively high in the sky. To avoid looking like a cooked goose, it's advisable to smear on some form of sun protection.
Just make sure it's a good brand, and that it won't run into your eyes - you can avoid this by smearing vaseline just above your eyes. There's nothing more energy sapping then having to spend the last 15 km of the race wiping stinging suncream out of your eyes.
It's not the most tasteful subject, but needs to be discussed. Your gut can take quite a while to wake up, which is a good reason for getting up a few hours before the race starts. This gives it time to wake up and for you to 'do your thing'. If you've been moving your sleep cycle like described earlier, it doesn't really matter that you're getting up really early.
Remember, you're going to be pounding away on the pavement and vibrating your entire body for hopefully just a little under 3 hours. That's enough to shake loose everything inside your body, so it's good to feel light on your feet if you know what I mean :)
It's amazing what nervous and excited runners can forget on the day of the race - so make a simple checklist. Here's a sample one:
Running events can have thousands of people at them, which can make finding your family, friends or fellow runners quite challenging after the race, especially if you're coming in at staggered times. Arrange a meeting place before raceday so that you can find each other after the race. Remember, you probably won't have your mobile phones with you to communicate.
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