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Rev up for race day

Joining your first organized race is definitely more different than what you’re used to. For starters, you have throngs of people waiting with you at the starting line, each one as anxious as you are to hear the gun go off. And when it does go off, imagine said crowd pushing and shoving to get the ball rolling! Instead of having the road all to yourself like you normally would on a regular day, you share it with hundreds, even thousands of runners!

To get ready for your first road race, consider these tried and tested tips from seasoned racers:

Come prepared. I’ve heard countless stories of first-time racers joining a 5-, 10-, even 21-K with nothing but guts in their pockets. While some of them have crossed the finish line with only their egos bruised, others ended with enough pain to convince their mind and bodies that they don’t want to ever race—or worse—run again.

“The best thing I did as a newbie was to train for my first race. I know so many people nowadays who, without any running experience, sign up for a 10k and try to wing it. For my first 5k, it took me two months to go from zero running to running 30 minutes straight on the treadmill. Some may say that's quite a slow progression, but, for me, it was the best, safest way to start running,” says The Bull Runner blogger and editor Jaymie Pizarro.

Get ready to eat humble pie. No matter how ready you think you are, know that there will be others who may be faster, stronger, and more experienced than you are. This is, after all your first race. “My first race—the University of the Philippines Botakan 10km Race held in UP Diliman on Feb.18, 1981—will always be my most memorable race,” says seasoned marathoner, Running Shield blogger and race organizer Raul Patrick Concepcion.

“I learned to never underestimate the competition and to always be humble. I was defeated—literally inches away from the finish line—by a 13-year old undernourished boy who ran barefoot, while I ran wearing first class running shoes!”

Have a technical run-through. The same way thespians have dress, lights, and sound rehearsals long before show time, runners must road test every piece of clothing, apparel, footwear, nutrition, and sun protection, weeks before race day. When I was training for my first marathon, I would take note of socks, sports bras, and shorts that made me chafe or blister and made sure not to wear them on the big event.

Never try anything new on race day; give yourself at least a month to break in to a new pair of shoes, and one or two weeks (and a few washes) with clothing and other apparel. One of my training buddies even researched what sports drink would be served during the marathon and tried drinking it during our long runs to see if his stomach would agree with it!

Pace yourself. You can tell the newbies from the seasoned racers a few hundred meters after the starting gun goes off. More experienced runners will still be at the speed at which they started, while beginners will have slowed down, others will even stop and tie their shoe lace which has conveniently come undone.

“When I started running, I would run in a 2.2K loop. All I could do was 1/4 of a lap and I would get so frustrated for not being able to run all the way. It turns out I was running way too fast, no wonder I couldn't run too far,” says professional triathlete and coach Ani de Leon Brown. I came from a swimming background, and my specialty was 50m and 100m butterfly events. Those distances required fast speeds but they are over in less than 75 seconds, and I had that programmed in me still. When I slowed down my run pace a couple of notches, I was able to run much longer.”

Have fun. You’ve put in the miles, and have gotten enough rest. The only thing left to do is enjoy. “Don't stress yourself out. Think of your first race as a party. Have fun, dream, and smile! The goal is to finish. If you finish strong and much faster than you expected, that's just a bonus,” advises model-turned multi-marathon finisher and triathlete Gem Padilla-Thomas. You’ve already done your homework, so watch the fruits of your labor enfold, and make your first race a memorable one!