15k training: race week workouts + night before prep tips

Race day, ahoy! The week of training was very mellow, as a taper should be, to prepare my legs for the work ahead. I surprised myself with a pair of speedy, albeit shorter, workouts that wound up being pretty solid predictors for my race pace – which flopped due to one bad mile with a hitch I couldn’t consciously prevent. One trend in my race history is not really knowing what I’m capable of even through the workouts I do: every time, including this, I’ve predicted a slower pace than what results. Always a pleasant surprise, anyway!

Curious about preparing for the big moment? I included some tips below that help mitigate any anxious rumbling filtering through the brain. I tend to plan ahead meticulously, as organization renders comfort, and if I can quell my nerves even somewhat I’m happy to take some extra time to pin my bib and set up my fuel.

Related: Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7

Monday, 9/23: 2.3 miles, 9:26 pace + 1,110y swim (AM) + 30 min strength (PM)

Though workout intensity decreases this week, movement remains important. I wanted to get a swim in a couple of times this week but don’t want to stress the body too much, so around 30 minutes felt perfectly refreshing post-run. Helped, of course, by how brief the run proved, and how lovely the sunrise looked and felt.

• 240 yard w/u, easy freestyle
• 420 yards as 30 fast/30 easy
• 60 yards easy
• 120 yards build to fast
• 30 yards easy
• 120 yards as 30 fast/30 easy
• 120 yards easy c/d

Brief weight workout to ensure the muscles remembered some power moves. This is my only weight room trip this week – halleloo!

• 10 min elliptical w/u
• 3 rounds of – 8 front raise-to-side raise, 15 kettlebell swings, 10 squat twists, 12 plank rolls, 1 min rest

Main set:

• 3 x 8 squat, 20# total on barbell (my legs would lift more, but I can’t get the barbell over my head with my current upper body strength)
• 5 x 5 cleans, 20# on barbell

Tuesday, 9/24: 5.74 miles, 8:58 pace – 30 min tempo run + 25 min recovery yoga with mobility work

This run blew my socks off. I once again tuned out to the pace and focused on garnering a smooth, steady rhythm, which occurred rather quickly once I hit the Start button. 8:48, 8:25, 8:35. What?! The best part is the effort involved: it just felt natural, and my heartrate remained steady and relaxed.

Once home I settled into a yoga sequence which combined stillness and longer holds with some movements to benefit the range of motion in my hip. I might try to meld these two styles together in future yoga sessions, since both the deep tension release of restorative postures and the lubrication of motion could further ease the tightness that occasionally manifests.

Wednesday, 9/25: 3.41 miles, 9:44 pace + 20 min gentle yoga & mobility

Simple morning run, lots of toads, and a nice low heartrate. I almost never see my average heart rates below 170, and today 160 popped up on my watch! I credit the cooler weather, but perhaps my improved fitness as well.

Thursday, 9/26: 4.33 miles, 9:15 pace – 2 x 800m @ ~8k pace + 1 hour gentle yoga

Brief tuneup workout on a pleasant morning. The intervals felt more than manageable but still faster than I expected at 8:23 and 8:15 average paces. The point of these truncated pre-race speed sessions is not to build additional fitness, but to sharpen and allow the legs to feel a pop of quicker turnover without excessive fatigue. Beneficial from both mental and physical standpoints as nerves pile up for Sunday.

Later in the afternoon I assisted in a gentle yoga class, as part of my RYT graduation requirements, but got to practice much of the sequence when the students moved through postures.

Friday, 9/27: 2.55 miles, 9:48 pace

Not sure my watch caught me until the second mile, but either way, a relaxed pre-work run to round out 15K training. The work officially ceases – it’s all faith and the miles stowed in my feet from here forth.

Saturday, 9/28: 1,590y swim + foam rolling

I wanted to keep my legs free of impact for a pre-race workout, so I visited the pool for a morning lap session. The water was cool and sparkled as the sun rose, and I didn’t really aim for any specific benefit of this workout: I merely wanted to feel refreshed by the swaying of the waves I created.

• 210y warmup. easy freestyle
• 120y as 15 fast/15 easy
• 60y easy
• 240y as 30 fast/30 easy
• 60y easy
• 480y as 60 fast/60 easy
• 60y easy
• 240y as 30 fast/30 easy
• 120y easy cooldown

Sunday, 9/29: 9.39 miles, 8:40 pace – Fort Desoto 15K! + 1 hour teaching yoga

The stitch hit at mile 8, as pretty much predicted, but this race still exceeded my expectations quite neatly. I kept a pace much faster than I trained with, at the same effort (about 8:30-8:35) until around 7.4, when my right side cramped up and I had to halt. Dejected and in pain, I slumped over the side of the road until a very kind fellow runner pulled me back onto the course and walked with me for a few moments, softly speaking encouragement. Another guy ran by during this period and yelled “THE POWER OF JESUS AND YOUR SIDE STITCH IS GONE!” while the original helper first strolled, then jogged, then let me loose and assured me he was there if I had to stop again. That mile timed at 10:24, but I recovered and clocked an 8:36 for mile 9, and 8:24 for the last .39 miles. I was WIPED when I crossed the line, the heat dial turned way up after mile 5 and the breeze on the course vanished, but after a period of recovery we found the race results and noticed that I placed third in my age group! I could’ve contended for second if I hadn’t paused, but I’m still impressed and happy. Safe to say my 15k race pace is actually 8:35, right? Endurance didn’t steal my minutes, an uncontrollable circumstance did. I’ll go with that, happily.

Look for a fuller race recap soon!

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Before sleep overtakes me the night before a race, I try to prep myself for the morning as much as possible to mitigate any stressor that might render me restless in bed. I am a bit obsessive about planning at times, but if I can manage my nervous energy with things I can control, only the race jitters remain, and those are quite normal to experience before the whistle blows and the feet pound pavement.

What to do, then? I’ve compiled some of my best advice, dug up from personal preference and experience. Have any to add? Do let me know!

1. Attend early packet pickup

If at all possible, remove the race day registration lines and visit the packet pickup location beforehand. Usually races have at least one day designated for early pickup. For one, any questions about race day are more easily answered by the volunteers manning pickup, so if something nags at you about the course, time limits, or other logistics, you can rest easy knowing your inquiry is accurately answered. For me, holding the bib a day or so before excites me! I become more tangibly aware that all my training is coming to a head soon, and the work I was able to do is complete.

2. Set aside your race day outfit

A bonus of early packet pickup is the abundance of safety pins offered for bib attachment. I always pin my bib to my shirt prior to going to bed to ensure I don’t, God forbid, lose the bib or forget it when I’m anxiously stepping out the door to leave. Aside from the bib, I like to set my clothes out in the order I intend to don them. I’ll fold my sports bra above my running top (with attached bib), a pair of underwear above my shorts and my running belt beneath the shorts, and my compression socks hanging loosely from my shoes. Water bottle, fuel (if using) and electrolytes go beside the outfit somewhere, ready for water and any quick preparation before I depart. Garmin must be fully charged as well.

3. Prepare as much of the pre-race meal as possible

At the very least, set out the ingredients you’ll need. I usually have some variety of bread, peanut butter, and/or banana before a race, and I like to place it on the counter somewhere near the toaster for easy access when I’m groggy. If you prefer coffee before a race, grind some beans, fill the tank with water, and set up the filter with said coffee grounds so all you have to do is push a button and let it brew. Bonus points if the machine is programmable to automatically begin at a certain time.

4. Early bed + serious pre-sleep chill time

I am the queen of evening relaxation, particularly since I’m dysfunctional past 8 p.m. naturally due to my weird circadian rhythm. However, the night before a race is a perfect excuse to pamper yourself just a little more. Be wary of totally new routines if you haven’t engaged in races before (such as icing, baths, foam rolling, or anything involving the muscles or new food), but anyone can benefit from quiet time. Read, paint your nails, play with an animal, put on a face mask – I love Derma E’s Charcoal Mask – or anything that isn’t running-related but still aids in zen zone arrival.

5. If you regularly foam roll or stretch, do so!

I passed about 15 minutes slowly rolling over the entirety of my legs, with special focus on my IT Band and calves. I also used a baseball on this particularly stubborn knot in my left soleus, something which crops up and nags me all too often in various training cycles. Mobilizing the tissues the night before is particularly important in freshening the legs and unwinding any tension that may have popped up with the reduced movement in the taper week. Sometimes, less running helps you notice more flaws in the muscles, and a few minutes of attention can prove tremendously impactful to race-day performance. The motion also keeps my mind temporarily off the upcoming event.

What are your best race night prep tips? And HOW do you handle side stitches?