One of the things I actually love about big races are the expos. Okay, the Expo at Grandma's marathon was WAY overcrowded, sorry to say. But the Rock and Roll series puts on a great Expo and Fargo marathon has a great expo too. So make sure you leave plenty of room in your luggage for expo finds!
With only a few days before the race weekend, I started thinking about how nervous we get and some of the mistakes first-timers make. One of the cardinal rules of race weekend is to NOT DO ANYTHING NEW on race day. Which means you have to have all of your gear ready to go and not be tempted to actually use anything new that you pick up from the expo booths.
So here, let's make sure you have everything on your checklist, and we'll go through what you do and do not want from the expo:
Pack for race day:
 |
| first, get me a duffle bag this cute. Second, make sure you have another bag for your stinky, sweaty clothes. |
same kind of socks you have been training in
the shoes you have been training in (DO NOT be that girl who gets fitted for new shoes at the expo and then tries to wear them on race day. You will be sooooooo torn up)
the sports bra, drywicking panties, seamless shorts and top
supercheap long-sleeve shirt/sweatpants-- to get down to the starting line, and then your corral, and then wait for the start.... there's a lot of standing around. In the early morning chill. If you have on some long-sleeves, you will be more comfortable and if they are cheap, you can just tear it off and toss it once you get warmed up. Course volunteers usually retrieve clothing left behind and if you don't claim them, they are often given over to shelters or the Salvation Army or the like. Check your course info.
Cheap poncho, sunscreen-- don't forget to pack rainy weather gear, even if you have checked the forecast. Because weather changes. And again, this is mostly for when you're just standing around waiting. You don't want to start your race cold and wet and hypothermic. Plus, wearing a bright red poncho makes it easier for your friends to find you at the starting line. At the same time, if you're facing a bright sunshiny day, it doesn't hurt to at least start with a good spray of sunscreen. You can always toss these items in your "sweat bag" use them up to the last minute when you toss your sweat bag in.
Fuel-- pack whatever you have been training with, including breakfast. If you usually grab a waffle on the way out the door, pack a waffle and ask the hotel to borrow their breakfast bar toaster. Don't count on the hotel providing a stable breakfast at 5am and don't skip breakfast! Pack your gu or chomps or sportsbeans. If you're a Gu girl, like I am, don't buy into the HoneyStingers at the expo and decide to try them on race day. You don't know how you'll stomach them and you really need to stick with what you know. Pack your own stuff! Plus, the expo probably has Gu and Sportsbeans, but depending on how early or late you get to the expo, your favorite flavor is probably gone. Pack your own.
Wet Ones-- in a ziploc bag, in your race belt. There's never enough toilet paper at the starting porto-potties. Plus, you will want to 'wash' your hands after said starting line porto-potties. No? Just me? Go watch the movie Contagion and then you'll be packing your Wet Ones!!
Ice pack, bottle of motrin, KineseoTape (see below), any other recovery gear-- after the race, you don't want to have to walk to the nearest Walgreen's for Motrin. Pack the recovery gear you usually use. In a pinch, pack a few ziploc bags and use the hotel's ice machine. But make sure you pack these things! There is almost always some sort of Biofreeze-type-balm for sale or for sample at the expo. Go ahead and help yourself to this stuff-- AFTER the race
Race belt-- hopefully you have one that you've been training with, but this is one area where I would say that it's okay to get a Spibelt or iFitness belt at the expo. As long as they fit properly, they shouldn't cause problems on race day. Just stick with one of these two brands, as they are proven and tested and trusted. The cool thing about these belts is that they hold your race bib and they have lots of expandable room to hold gu, toilet paper, your phone or iPod or whatever. Pack your own but if you want to get a new one at the Expo, that's a safe purchase too.
Cute hair thingys-- there are so many wicking do-rag bandana headband things and glittery headbands at the expo! I think this is a safe expo purchase, but there are usually lines of everyone touching all of the headbands, so practice some patience and hygeine.
Technical devices-- your iPod, your Garmin, your phone, and all of their chargers! If you are counting on your Garmin to keep your pace, you must not forget it, or else you will be constantly playing math games in your head as you pass the timekeepers trying to calculate whether or not you are on pace. If you're used to running with music but you unpack at the hotel and don't see your iPod, you are going to be mentally put out. Pack your techno gear and all of the proper chargers. Give yourself plenty of time to make a race-day playlist and take it out for a short run or two to make sure the music isn't going to drive you crazy. (I had a bunch of hip-hop and house when I ran the New Orleans RnR half. Only, when I turned on my music, I needed some positive motivation, and the housebeats, while strong, weren't the words I needed to put a smile on my face. So test your playlist, or make a few: "driving beats" "happy run")
Laundy Bag, shoe bag, or at least a plastic grocery bag-- because your clothes--- ewww--- they will be salty, sweaty, soaked, and stinky. You will love me forever for reminding you to have something else in which to bring them home.
Things to pay for in cash at the expo:
Three things about the expo: 1-- have cash. Most places take credit cards, but you move more quickly with cash. And you stick to your budget. 2-- make a plan to meet up with your buddies after shopping around, because you will want to go up and down the aisles and you don't want to wait for your friend while she shops for a "My auntie runs 26.2 miles" onesie and she doesn't want to wait for you to find those socks that say "Bad Ass" on the back of them. 3- you may easily spend two+ hours navigating the parking, the packet pickup, the expo, and navigating back to the parking lot. Bring water so you can keep sipping and stay hydrated.
 |
| packet pickup, sales people, sign ups for other races,and of course, checking out the competition! |
Okay, let me just say that by the time you get to the expo, you've been training HARD so it's okay--you have my permission-- to reward yourself with a little gift/token/souvenir/trophy. Here's where you get your necklace/bumpersticker/shirt that proclaims your victory. (okay, you will get the medal and the race t-shirt and probably a water bottle in your swag bag.... but this is the really CUTE stuff)
I think our favorite runner shirts and stickers and accessories are from One More Mile. They are at almost every expo I've been to and they GET runners-- from bumper stickers to shirts to arm warmers, their slogans are so dead on!
Arm warmers and head-bands: (see above) whether or not you want to wear them on race day, they are cute accessories and there's usually a great selection at the expos. These also make great gifts for your running buddies because who doesn't love cute arm warmers?
Other running gear: head for the clearance racks. Everything else is usually the same price as in your megasports store or MORE to cover the charges for the expo booth rentals. You do NOT NEED to pay $20 for cute socks you found at the expo. Go home and get them on Amazon for $8.
Pace tattoo or bracelet: get there early, because the common ones: (3:45, 4:00) are usually GONE. Buy online in advance or get there early. These are neat to have just to stay on track, and be able to tell, at mile 17, if you're on pace for your goal. They are super cheap and I think they're a great expo item.
KT-- KineseoTape. If there is a booth of this product or a very close knock off, this is a great product! And often, there is a line of people getting taped up the day before the race. The tape will stay (mostly) stuck to you through the night and into the race. If you don't like it, you can always just take it off! But make sure you learn how you're getting taped so that you can buy some tape and retape yourself for recovery after the race. If you have NO idea what I am talking about, look up KineseoTape and go visit with the reps at the expo. Like I said, if you don't like it, you can take it off.
I think that's just about everything but if you have other brilliant ideas, PLEASE share them with us Crazy Running Chicks!
..... so with only 9 days left till the Fargo race weekend (which is what many of you gals are running soon) now is the time to make sure you have everything in good proper working order, or make those very last minute purchases so you still have time to log a few short runs to make sure everything works or fits properly. Trust in your gear and don't get sold into last minute changes at the expo. But leave plenty of room in your suitcase for the cute running t-shirts and sparkly headbands!
Happy running!
~Jen
No comments:
Post a Comment