Runner's Guide to Racecraft

One of the most pleasurable things about training for the last couple of years has been the realisation that most people develop and ‘learn’ how to race. There can be a big difference in a runner when training and then sticking them on a start line of a race. Even the most hardy of runners can crumble under the pressure.

It should be simple, you do the same thing you do in training, just a bit faster.

Of course, the reality is often somewhat different. A myriad of thought, emotions and experiences manifest themselves in the mind of our nervous racer. This is something I have suffered with for a number of years.

It may not be massively profound, but hopefully some will find the following tips, found out the hard way, of some use.

1. It’s A -> B

I know you’ve got a cacophony of noise swirling around your head, but you need to silence it. Imagine a calm, serene lake in the glens of Scotland. Calm those troubled waters .You are here to travel from Point A to Point B (which is sometimes Point A again). Ignore everything else.

2. I mean that, ignore everything else

Unless you are lucky enough to be at the front of the field vying for a podium position, you don’t need to worry about anyone else.

Your club mate who always beats you?              Forget Them.

The people who sneak up on you mid race when you are most tired?        Forget Them/

The school bullies who have stopped whatever they were doing at that moment and travelled over to the race to heckle from the sidelines?

Deffo Forget Them

None of these people matter. It’s just you and your race plan.

3. HAVE A RACE PLAN

This is vital. Whatever the distance, you should form your plan early and then make your target on the day to execute that plan. It should not (in most cases) be “GO OUT AS HARD AS I CAN AND HANG ON FOR GRIM DEATH” (also known as the Maguire Supposition). When the going gets tough, you can turn all your thoughts to your race plan and how much of it you have achieved so far.

4. Ignore Everyone Else!

You may be detecting a theme here…

Unless it is a safety instruction, ignore other runners comments on time, pace, distance, feel, attractiveness of the squirrels, attractiveness of other runners (unless it is about you), breathing patterns, weather and everything else. The number of times I’ve been fed erroneous information…It’s a mind game, treat it as such.

5. Take it easy

The more I race, the more I realise a sensible pace should not leave you feeling like death after the first kilometre of a 5Km race.

I’ll use our local 5K race as an example.

It is a 3 x 1 mile loop and as such splits the race nicely into Start, Middle and End. When nailing my PB, I knew the feel I wanted as I raced  - I call it my ‘float’. Ignoring numerical pace, I concentrated on maintaining this feel. At the end of the first lap I still felt good and was starting to worrying that maybe I was going too slow. Fortunately, the race officials were shouting the 1 mile split times so I knew I was spot on. The second lap was harder in terms of effort but it was a gradual increase before coming round for the final lap. At that point, most people may be a bit ‘kitchen sink’, but by making the early stages of the race easier for yourself, you are more likely to have the last little bit of reserve for…

“GO GO GADGET, COURAGE LEGS”  - (thanks to Anna Railton for that)

Courage Legs (with 50m to go)

6. There can be too much respect

There may come a point in the race when you find yourself in, or just behind, a group you recognise a being a little faster than you are used to. It is so easy to think “Oh they are much faster than me…I must be going too fast…MAYDAY MAYDAY etc” But you have no idea what their race plan is, their current state of health or fitness. Do not show them too much respect. If you think you can pass them without messing up your race plan – go for it, put your raceface on and slowly reel them in.

7. K.I.S.S.

When entering the Hurt Locker, take everything back-to-basics. Concentrate on good form, the position of your head, placing of the body, relaxed shoulders, putting one foot in front of the other. I think back to my ‘float’.  More accurately, I think to myself “Where’s your f***in float Hawkins?” and also “What would Colin say?”. That’s a whole other post in itself…

8. Be Kind to Yourself

If it has gone well, it doesn’t mean you are suddenly the greatest racer in a pair of shorts. If it has gone a bit wrong, it is not the end of the world. There are so many races out there, you’ve just got some valuable experience under your belt.

9. You think you can’t – You can

Most people are not natural racers, it can take years of practice. There is plenty of time to get it right.

I used to hate racing, but I’m growing to love it, one race at a time.