Marathon Race Travel Tips to get You Calmly to the Starting Line

This might bring you a feeling of relief and excitement as you get ready for the test of all the effort you have been putting forth: the race itself.

However it is during these final weeks of training that you might also start to be feeling a little overwhelmed. With making sure that you are staying on target with training, nutrition, hydration, speed work, tapering, trying to rest up and the other daily activities of life, you may think that you have taken too much on your plate.

Therefore, this ezine is focused on giving you tips on traveling to and from a race.

1. Create a packing list. Start writing things that you will need on the day of the race a week in advance. This will give you a feeling of control and assure you that you do not forget anything.

2. Gather those items together several days before the race. The sooner you do this, the sooner you will know what you need to buy or look for. You don't want to leave everything for the day before the race. It will just increase your stress level!

3. Check the race day weather. This is particularly important for those who are flying across the country or going outside there natural elevation zone. Then, pack your race clothes accordingly.

4. Double check race start times and time zones. There have been more than a few people late for a race simply because they thought they knew what time the race started. Don't be that person. The starting line is one of the best moments of the entire race!

5. Set up a race morning schedule. Don't leave it all up to chance that you will make it to the starting line. Instead have write up a schedule: When you will wake up, time it takes to get changed, eat, drive, catch the bus or walk to the starting line, time to use the restroom, time and place to meet up with any fellow racers, and extra cushion time to allow for life to get in the way as it commonly does. Feeling rushed or feeling late for the race will only increase your stress and make you expend race energy so think out everything that you will need to do on race morning.

6. Figure out where the aid stations are. This will help you decide if you need to bring along your own hydration or nutrition if you are not comfortable with how the stations are spaced. This can also be a good way to break down the race and keep you motivated especially in the later miles of the race (talking to you marathoners!) Remember also that the race might not provide the same brand of hydration or nutrition supplements that you are used to so check into this as well.

7. If you are traveling via airplane: drink lots of water and pack your race items in a carry-on bag! You become dehydrated faster at higher altitudes so keep that water bottle very handy. You don't want to compromise your hydration status the day before the race. Also, pack race items in a carry-on bag so that you can be sure that they will make it to your destination with you.

8. Don't miss the race expo especially if there is no race-day packet pick up available! Again, double check the time and make sure your flights or traveling times correspond with when the expo is open. If you miss picking up your packet then you won't get your race bib or timing chip and other important information.

9. Try not to walk too much the day before the race. This can be hard especially if you are in a new city. Save your legs though for after the race. Besides, you will get to see lots of the city during the race. Also, beware of the expo. They can become time traps where you spend several hours walking around and looking at the different booths. Limit your time at the expo and focus on relaxing elsewhere, off your feet!

10. Enjoy everything! This could very well be one of the most exciting experiences of your life. Enjoy that week before with all the pre-race jitters that come with it. Enjoy the travel, the expo, the very probably sleepless night, the excitement of race morning and the starting line, your fellow runners, the race itself, and the huge accomplishment that you achieved. Enjoy it and make the race yours!

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