Everyone has a diffirent way to prepare for a run. You might not have a good picture on what to expect for your first run and how to prepare for it. A few competitive runners will share their tips and tricks on how to show up fresh and strong at the startline. There will be a packing list on the bottom of the page, to make sure you don’t forget anything.
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Mark Looije (Lsr, 18 KM) : Don’t do anything crazy
“If you want to experiment with new clothing, how to train in the week for a run, nutrition, then do it before a training. Don’t try it out in your match.”
“If you are going to stack carbs, or eat more or diffirent things than your used to as a recreational runner or beginning competitive runner, you won’t have much use of it.
Let the alcohol stand for a few days before the run and make sure you eat enough the night before, but again not crazy amounts. I like to have a light breakfast the morning of the run, but you can find that out yourself.”
“And don’t plan to do anything for school on the afternoon/evening after a match, because you won’t do it”
Mark also spends a lot of attention on picking his runs. He deliberately chooses competitions where he knows he can go fast and he trains accordingly. Because Mark know that he runs better in warm weather he is also having a ‘winterbreak’.
Rob Lubbers (LSR, 18 KM) : Prepair yourself mentally
Take a lot of rest and you have to commit yourself mentally.
With a big plate of pasta on the evening beforehand and a bunch of bananas he has enough energy on the starting line.
Beside a good meal on the evening before, Rob also checks the obstacle list a week before the run. Then he know until which point he has to survive; What is the toughest part of the run.
Max Spier (MSR, 12 KM): Create your own routine
“I always have the same routine before a run: The night before i pack my bag and make a big load of spaghetti, of which i also eat the next morning and ideally two hours before the run. Combine this with a banana and some iso drink and i’m ready to go. Off course this is my personal routine, everyone has their own way to prepair. What i find most important is having a fixed pattern, so you have less change to forget something and won’t face any surprises.”
You can also prepare yourself on the days before the run. Then you can go through the obstacle list and get enough sleep. In the summer, also drink enough water in advance, so that you are not already dehydrated before you start.
“You have to plan well over the entire season which competitions you want to do. Sometimes that is difficult because there are many runs close together, but then you have to choose on which ones you can go really fast. Because each run has its own character, you can achieve better results on some runs than others. There is enough knowledge about the different runs within Slopend that you can use to form your own preferences. ”
Dorien Lambregts (KSR, 8 KM): Timely preparation
The week before the run, Dorien trains more calmly and ensures that she does not get into acidification. She also sleeps well the few days before the competition. To be sure that she is going through the obstacles smoothly, Dorien looks at the obstacles in time so that she has time to practice difficult things before the run.
“On the day itself I make sure that I don’t eat large things 1.5 hours in advance so that I don’t get bothered during the run. I also check in advance what the weather will be so that I have all the necessary clothing. It is always better to have too much clothing than too little: you can always choose not to put it on.”
Packing list
- Survival shoes and socks
- Clean shoes and socks
- Clean underpants
- Slopend tight
- Slopend shirt/sweater (Hype!)
- Normal pants or sweat pants
- When it’s cold: Thermal clothing, hat, buff
- Bananas
- Lunch
- Water or sportdrink
- A plastic bag or trashbag for your dirty clothes
- Snacks!