Your first 5K is in a week, are you ready? The best thing for you to do now is to take a deep breath and have confidence in yourself. For today’s blog, we are going to give you some tips on preparing for race day as well as a list of things you may want to bring with you.

Sleep

Make sure you get plenty of rest the week leading up to your 5K. It is normal to be nervous the night before the race, which may lead to poor sleep. Sleeping well the rest of the week, will ensure your body to be ready to go for the race, even if you don’t get great sleep the night before.

Keep in mind that your body also repairs and rejuvenates itself during sleep. Getting good sleep the week before the 5K, will allow your body to repair any sore or damaged muscles from training. Now your body and mind will be ready to go on race day!

Rest Your Legs

Sleeping at night isn’t the only time that you need to be resting the week prior to your race. Take it easy this week. The amount you run should decrease to allow for your body to be fully rested for the 5K. At this point, you’ve trained as much as possible. You’re ready to do this, now it’s just time for you to trust and believe that you can!

Don’t Change Things Up

If you aren’t completely satisfied with how you trained, what you ate, or how your shoes fit; don’t make any changes this week. Even if you think they would be changes for the better, making changes at this point is going to cause more harm than anything. Write down what you would do differently, and make those changes after your 5K in preparation for future races.

Accessories and Apparel

Having the necessary accessories and apparel for race day is imperative. 5K Tee’s offers custom race apparel for you and your team. From hats and drawstring bags to T-shirts and sweatshirts, you’ll be ready for race day in no time! Meet your fans at the finish line in style, by ordering your 5K apparel from 5K Tee’s.

Getting Ready

Pack everything you’d like to take with you the night before to avoid any last minute stressors the day of the race. Here is a list of common items to have for race day:

  • Extra layer of clothes in case it’s chilly before/after the race
  • Rain jacket
  • Sunscreen
  • Products to help with chafing and blisters
  • Water
  • Healthy snacks for before and after the race
  • Hat
  • Sunglasses
  • Watch
  • Toilet paper
  • Clothes and shoes for after the race

Place everything you would like to take with you into a bag so it is ready to go in the morning. Lay out the clothes you are planning to wear, running socks, and running shoes so they are easy to access. Pin on your bib(if you have it). Make a tentative schedule for race day. Figure out what time you are waking up, and try to get as much sleep as possible.

Race Day

Race day is finally here! Give yourself plenty of time to get to the course, as well as extra time to prepare before the race. Once you get there, sign-in(if required) and scope out where you need to be at and when.

Stay hydrated, but don’t drink too much right before the race. Perform your normal pre-run routine with stretches and warm ups. Try to keep everything as normal as possible. Eat a small snack if needed, and use the restroom right before it’s time to line-up. Stay calm and be proud of what you accomplish during the race, even if you don’t make it the entire way!

What’s Next?

Congrats on running your first 5K race! Take a moment and reflect on how your week went, changes you would make, and start making new goals. Now it’s time to choose your next race. Whether you want to participate in a color run or a 10K, 5K Tee’s covers all your custom race apparel needs. Design race tees for you and your team and receive a free quote today!