Newest Summer (Mega?) Race Slated for Gloucester, MA | Multi-Select Publishing

Steven Patak East Norwich, NYMy prerace rouitne will vary dependent on what time of day the race is, i.e. a Saturday or Sunday morning run or currently my Monday evening races.-Hydration: First I make sure I am properly hydrated. This means waking up approximately 90 minutes to 2 hours before race time for morning races and drinking 1 liter of water. For evening races I will already been hydrating throughout the day so I will generally drink less in the hours right before the race.-Fuel: I also ensure I have fuel in my body. This means a bagel with PB for morning races immediately upon waking or 2 slices of whole wheat bread with PB for evening races each about 2 hours before race time. I also take 1 Gu 30-45 minutes before the start.-Packing: I always write up a list the day/night before the race to ensure I bring all the items I might need (change of clothes, running clothes if I am heading to the course straight from work, a towel, ect.) and will revise this list throughout the day/night. I’ll pack based off my list in the morning before based on the weather outlook for race time.-Pre-race prep: I tend not to put too much thought into race until the day or 2 before, but this depends on the race. I’ll typically be mindful that I have a race coming up and take the runs in the day or 2 before the race easier than normal training runs. Obviously for a longer run like a half-marathon or marathon there will be a taper as I get closer.-Race day: I will do a deck change with a beach towel to get into running attire. I’ll put my bib on right after that. Shoe choice is an area of much heated debate right now. I’ve been battling lower leg issues consistently and just recently have found relief by running in Nike Frees. I’m still experimenting to see what works best, but my reasoning now is “use what’s been working” I will try to hit a portapotty as soon as possible to avoid getting stuck in any lines. I also try to make sure I am at the venue at least 1 hour before start time.-Race plan: I will line up based on ability if there are min/mi markers along the starting lane, otherwise I tend to stay in the middle of the pack. I prefer to pass, than be passed later in the race. I tend to start fast, which hurt me in my first marathon, but seems to be an OK plan for 5k-10k races. It’s a habit from my rowing days: hard, fast start, settle, few bursts of power here and there, sprint to the finish. I’ve followed a similar plan (minus the burst of power) for my last few short races and its worked well. My finish always involves a kick once I can see the line.-In-Race stuff: I have not used my iPod in any of my short races, but did for the marathon. I like being aware of what’s going on around me. I use a Garmin Forerunner 305 to keep track of my metrics and do the occasional pace check to make sure I’ll survive to the end. I won’t carry my own water for races and will only carry gels if it’s a long race >10k. I find that trying to pick off runners that are ahead of me keeps me powering through tough patches and motivated and results in a better race time.