Race Day Rituals

Today I am linking up again with the DC Trifecta Friday Five.

Thanks to EatPrayRunDC, YouSignedUpForWhat? & MarontheRun for hosting this link-up. 

When I saw this topic, it made me smile.  But as I started thinking about it, I realized I don't really have many.  But decided I wanted to join in on the link up regardless.  So I admit ahead of time, my list is a little on the boring side.

1. I only wake up 2 hours before I have to be at a race start line (unless it's a big one that I have to take a bus or something.) I flip the T.V. on and it takes me a good 20 minutes to get the energy to climb out of bed.  I usually hit the snooze on the alarm a few times too.

2.  I visit the bathroom often:)  You gotta get that morning bowl movement before you get to the starting line, ha ha (distance runners will know exactly what I mean with this one:)

3.  I eat a bagel with cream cheese.  I will have a bottle of water that I sip on gradually as I get ready. About half the time I may also eat a banana.  I am really picky about what I eat before the race, I am a pretty simple girl, you won't find me throwing down pancakes or putting anything too heavy into my stomach ever.  If in the rare instance I can't get a bagel and cream cheese, I will substitute a muffin.  But nothing else!

4. I always Vaseline up the piggies, really good:)  I rarely if ever get blisters because of this.  I also put a bunch anywhere I am prone to getting hot spots/chaffing.  This is probably the most important thing for me!

5. Last thing I do is get dressed.  I always lay everything out the night before, I don't leave anything to "thought" the morning of a race, otherwise I'd probably forget something:)
Oh, I have a pair of "race underwear"  ha ha yes, I just admitted that.  It started about 30 marathons ago, and I ran in them once and said these are the best, and now it's become a thing and I only wear them when I run a marathon.  Eventually they will wear out, I have no idea what I will do then, I don't even want to think about it, LOL


Yup, that's it I am super boring, but that is exactly what I do each race day morning!
I don't have any weird superstitions or crazy stretch routines.  I don't meditate (I just have my dreams of running my best race, the night before:)
I am weird, I don't think the morning of the race is for anything new, or different.  I think all mental, physical prep is done prior so I just relax, sleep in as long as I can and don't let the butterflies hit my stomach until about 10 minutes or so before the gun is going to go off:)