11. Finishing Touches

Last week. First up, if you haven’t begun training yet then I’d suggest you give this year’s Trim 10 Mile the skip and do it next February.

If you have managed to get out more times than you didn’t, then well done. Reward yourself with what should be a taper of sorts this week. To those who don’t know, the taper is not a South American jungle mammal often appearing on-screen alongside David Attenborough but the period of time prior to a big race where you allow the body to recover from all the training it’s been doing.

In marathon training, the taper is usually a three-week period. For a ten-mile, a week is plenty. The idea behind the taper is that you are as fresh as you can hope to be, come race-day. And to ensure this, you reduce the distances you’re running, keep a few short quick ones though not as intense to keep the body alert, and concentrate on staying hydrated and rested. Easier said than done.

Unlike last year I won't be running this time around. Instead I'l be cheering you on at the 9 mile marker. In terms of mile markers, the 9 mile isn't that bad. That's just one mile to go, meaning you've pretty much made it. At that stage you could start to count down the 1,609 strides that will take you home. If you are feeling well at that stage don't be afraid to slowly raise the pace that little bit. If you are struggling just keep the legs moving. If this is the longest you've ever ran competitively be proud of yourself and use that energy to push you home. 

So, what to do these next few days along with the training listed below? A few tips:

Hydration – Hydration should be done throughout the week so carry a bottle around with you at all times. Don’t bother drinking any more water on the morning of the race more than you would usually. If you do, then you will be amongst several others who will be stopping at country gates from mile 1 to mile 4 taking a leak and cursing themselves for the 30 seconds that it costs them. One thing I can guarantee next week is that it will not be Mediterranean so dehydration is not going to be an issue.

Clothes – Get whatever clothes you are going to wear on the day ready. You’ll only be out a couple more times between now and race-day so grab a different pairs of socks, shorts and t-shirts. It will allow your race clothes times to rest as well as ensuring you aren’t searching the wash-basket for your damp pair of lucky running socks next Sunday morning.

Food – Eat sensibly. Decent meals that are not huge. They say eat smaller portions more often if you can. If you have children, finishing off their left-overs before you have yours later works well. On the day before, I’d suggest a nice lunch with a decent snack or sandwich that evening. Don’t start trying home-made quinoa if you haven’t eaten it before or stewed beetroot juice because you read it on a blog.

Relax – After that, just enjoy the week. You’ve done the training so you’ve earned it. Well done. All you now have to do is race.

This week’s training:

Slow run: 30 minutes.

Tough run: 30 min steady run with 4-6*50 metre strides.

Long run: Race Day!!!