7:00 a.m. – Eat a balanced breakfast with a higher carbohydrate percentage breakfast such as oatmeal, pancakes, or a bagel with a piece of fruit.
8:00 a.m. – Go for a short shakeout run or walk of 20-30 minutes.
9:00 a.m. – Do some light stretching using a foam roller.
10:00 a.m. – Head to the expo for packet pick-up.
11:00 a.m. – Resist the urge to use anything you’ve bought at the expo on race day.
12:00 p.m. – Eat a balanced lunch such as a salad or pasta with protein or a sandwich with veggies.
1:00 p.m. – Are you hydrating?
2:00 p.m. – Put your feet up for awhile and relax with a book or music.
3:00 p.m. – If you have trouble staying asleep the night before a race, indulge in a short catnap.
4:00 p.m. – Eat a small snack such as a piece of fruit or yogurt.
5:00 p.m. – Keep hydrating.
6:00 p.m. – Eat a balanced dinner such as protein with rice or pasta with a tomato-based sauce. Avoid foods with high fat or high fiber content.
7:00 p.m. – Lay out race day clothes, alternatives, and drop bag items. Charge electronics.
8:00 p.m. – Read, watch TV, play a boardgame, etc. The idea is to keep entertained OFF your feet.
9:00 p.m. – If eating breakfast is difficult pre-race, try to at least get a small snack before bed.
10:00 p.m. – You better be sleeping. Or at least trying to.
11:00 p.m. – Turn on the golf channel or pull out an old college textbook.
12:00 a.m. – Yes, you did remember to charge your GPS watch. Go back to sleep.
1:00 a.m. – Sleep, glorious sleep.
2:00 a.m. – It is too early to get up.
3:00 a.m. – It is still too early to get up.
4:00 a.m. – Depending on where you have to travel, it is now acceptable to be awake.
5:00 a.m. – Eat a high carbohydrate breakfast and skip the fiber. Drink a cup of water, but don’t overdo it.
6:00 a.m. – Get to the race with plenty of time to make a pit stop and find your corral. Enjoy the prerace excitement.
7:00 a.m. – Ready. Set. Go!
Carissa Liebowitz has run the Boston Marathon as well as dozens of marathons and half marathons. You can follow her running adventures on Instagram and her blog.
