Tomorrow is the big day! I can’t wait! There are many different philosophies and theories to what you should or shouldn’t do before a race. Should I carb up? Should I not workout? I have to drink a gallon of water! Do I skip breakfast?

The simplest answer is that everyone is different. You will have to discover your pre-race ritual by trial and error. Things will vary depending on the season, course, and more. I don’t claim to be an expert on the topic, but based on my experience these are my tips.

1. Workout before the race, but nothing overly intense.
2. Don’t over do the carbs.
3. Drink plenty of water throughout the day and only about 2-3 cups before the race.
4. Get a good night sleep.
5. Eat a light breakfast.
6. Get your race packet as soon as possible. (Something I need to get better at)
7. Relax. You already won the race because you got off the couch. I don’t run races for the time or acknowledgement. I run the race for fun and my personal happiness.

My daughter has been my inspiration in getting healthy. I want her to have a healthy and active mom who she could admire. Being healthy isn’t about being a certain weight or a certain dress size, but about making healthy choices when needed and being able to run, play, and keep up with your child. Sure I would love to reach a certain weight or dress size, but skinny doesn’t always mean healthy.

I have began eating healthy by choosing vegetables and fruit over cakes and cookies (though, I do like to indulge occasionally). I also have begun exercising and sitting away from the computer or TV.

Both of my parents are very active people and kept my siblings and I active as well. I think it is very important to do the same for my daughter and needless to say that if my daughter could admire me as much as I admire my parents, then I have done it right.

I have researched many ideas for playlists while running and working out, but I have had no lucky finding a simple solution to making your own playlist. Though, my mission is not over! I have tried generating playlist based on beats per minute (BPM). I personally like music players that will dynamically generate a playlist on a few specifications, but all the music players that have that feature don’t read BPM.

I did find something I absolutely love  a  website called “Rock My Run”. The website has DJs create playlists, which are downloadable for a small cost. I have found several of their mixes an excellent alternative to my own mix.

For this race I am going to have a pre-made mix from Rock My Run called Haulin’ Sass by DJ Riggz. My goal is to learn how to create my own mixes, but for now I love the Rock My Run mixes for both running and general listening. Go check them out!

My awesome husband, who doesn’t share my new obsession, bought me the New Balance N4 Heart Rate Monitor as a random gift after I started talking about running within my lactate threshold (which is another topic for a later time). To workout within your lactate threshold you need to have a heart rate within your 80-90% range.

The New Balance N4 Heart Rate Monitor will calculate your ideal thresholds based on your age and weight, then you can determine if you want a light, moderate, or intense. The N4 will set an audible alarm to let you know if you are above or below your target zone and will record your run. The statistics it provides are very helpful and include total time, time in zone, calories burned, % fat burned, max BPM,  and average BPM. The N4 also will display my heart rate on the various treadmills I use at the gym.

At first I was a little skeptical about how well it would and how comfortable it would be since the monitoring relies on a sensor strap that is positioned just below your chest, but I have found myself not even noticing it. In fact, I have caught myself forgetting to take it off after a run. I also use it to track my HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) workouts as well.

I love this heart monitor and I highly recommend it.

I am not a runner. I have never been a runner and I never thought I would be a runner, but I have become one. Shortly after my daughter was born I decided to be healthier for her especially since I suffered from Preeclampsia during my pregnancy.  I thought the best way to get in shape and keep myself dedicated and determined was to sign up for a race. That is when it all started. Now, I find myself craving for my daily run and plotting my next race.

This year my goal is to do at least a 5K race every month.  I will be doing the race with my best friend who also fell into the runner habit. This week’s blogs are going to be focusing on some tips and ideas to help anyone before their race.