Rest up for the big day and catch those pre-marathon zzzzzzzz's!As the big day approaches and excitement, adrenaline and anxiety mount, it is not uncommon to lose sleep due to pre-race jitters, particularly the night before. Early on in my racing days I experienced this many times; often tossing and turning the entire night, mentally wide awake before a big race. Amazingly, I set both my 10-mile and 5k PR’s after such nights, and many others have experienced the same. Rest assured, the loss of one night’s sleep usually isn’t enough to sabotage your experience.
Research shows that if you have slept well all week, then losing sleep the night before won’t affect performance. Most experts agree that that a good night’s sleep the period of a few nights leading up to the race, particularly 2 nights prior, is most important to arriving to the starting line well rested. If you keep a normal sleeping pattern during the days going into the event and are well rested the week of the event, lying wide awake the night before shouldn’t prove to be a detriment!
That doesn’t give the green light to stay up all night at a pre-race party or dinner; the evening before should still be low-key and relaxing. Save the late night partying for the post-race festivities! Here are some tips regarding pre-race sleep:
1. If you will be awakening on race day earlier than usual, get to bed early enough the days before to get enough rest. For those running Chicago, this shouldn’t be a problem as we will be gaining an hour! Many heading for Grand Rapids will be driving up the morning of the event which means an early rise and shine!
2. Taking a nap the day before is a great idea to help compensate for any sleep you might lose to nerves. Be aware, however, that napping too long or too late in the day may make it harder to go to that night. Going to bed more than an hour earlier than usual can also leave you tossing and turning rather than getting a good night’s sleep!
3. Avoid caffeine after noon, don’t eat too close to bedtime to avoid an upset stomach and minimize fluid intake the last two hours prior to bedtime so you are not getting up to sue the toilet all frequently during the night.
4. Develop a routine to promote relaxation and sleep. Eat dinner, read a magazine, sift through all the cool stuff in your race expo packet, watch television, shower or take a warm bath, go to bed.
5. Have all your questions answered before you go to bed. Know exactly where and when you need to be at the starting line in the morning and have all your pre-race logistics taken care of. Have all your race day clothing & accessories laid out, your number pinned to your shorts, your chip on your shoe. That way you won’t lie in bed thinking of things.
6. Don’t run your marathon in bed by mentally rehearsing the race. Try to think of other things to help you relax.
7. If you can’t sleep, at least lay still. Try to minimize tossing and turning. Don’t get up and work or walk around. Your goal isn’t necessarily to sleep, but to spend as much time as possible off your feet and relaxing in bed.On race day, get up at least two hours before the event. Have a wake up call requested AND set the alarm in case one fails. It doesn’t hurt to set your sports watch alarm on top of it! Don’t depend alone on the hotel wake up call or an alarm clock you are unfamiliar with; too many runners have missed the start for this reason.Remember to get plenty of sleep the week before the big day…and you will mentally know you are physically well-rested!
Glover, B., and S. Glover. 1999. The Competitive Runner’s Handbook. New York, NY. Penguin Books.
