Getting Ready to Du

I'm a confirmed, lifelong proctrastinator, and I don't think it will ever change. Going back to school when I would wait until the last minute to write a paper. At work when I wait until the last minute to turn in paper work (although I'm not nearly as bad about this as I was at school). At home I don't get my clothes ready the night before, don't get my lunch ready the night before. I'm always fumbling around in the dark early in the morning for clothes, and throwing things in a lunch bag on my way out the door when I pack a lunch.

There is one area that this procrastination does not spill over, and that is my sporting life. It is amazing even to me sometimes that I have no problem whatsoever making sure that I'm signed up for races well ahead of time (at least for races I think of as "important"), doing my training in a timely manner, and getting race ready during the days before the race with little to no procrastination. The one area that I do fall down in when it comes to procrastination is with bike maintenance, but that is a blog for another day.

Today is all about what I do to get ready for my race tomorrow. The first thing I make sure I have ready is my food for pre-race, during the race, and post race. Well, not so much post race. That is usually taken care of by the race directors. There are usually bagels, bananas, and other snacks at the races I attend. I do usually throw in a banana and a granola bar just in case though. I'm still doing a bit of experimenting with my pre-race meals. There are a few things I can eat that are reliable, and I make sure I have available. My staples are: peanut butter and jelly on wheat, bananas, instant oatmeal, and occasionally eggs. I also like Starbuck's Frappucino if I have enough time before the race to get things moving along. That's only for the days I have a couple of hours before the race. During most races I usually stick with a pack or two of Gu Gel. I don't like to eat a lot of solids during races. There is a greater chance for something to upset my stomach. I usually use a shot of Gu for every hour I'm on the course. For hydration I alternate between water and Gatorade cut with water. This might be changing soon. I'd like to find something more effective than Gatorade. During longer races I use Gu and Clif products.

The day or two before the race I also get my bike ready. I clean it up, and lube and/or clean the chain if needed with my Pedro's products. When I get out on the course I don't want to worry about chain issues, or adjustment issues if possible. Besides that every race is like taking your bike out on a date. I want to look and feel my best and I want my partner to look and feel her best. This is what we spend all our time training for right?

The night before the race I lay out all my gear exactly as I'd be wearing it during the race. What's the weather supposed to be like? Do I need my arm warmers or shoe covers? I want to see all my clothes and gear in front of me. If I have my race number I either attach it to my jersey, or race belt depending on the situation. I don't need to wake up in the middle of the night in a panic wondering if I have my gloves ready, my cycling shoes in the bag or where my sunglasses are. I also put my tools and tire pump in the car, and the bike rack on the car the day before. I usually make a few last minute adjustments and pump up my tires at the race site. Most of the races I attend require some driving, so once I'm there...I am there.

If I am well prepared I can relax the night before the race, and if I'm going to be worrying about something it's not going to be my gear. On race morning I am usually just barely coherent, so there is no way I'm going to trust that I can get everything ready and not forget something. There are few things worse than spending weeks or months training, weeks planning, and days preparing for a race only to find yourself panicking over a forgotten piece of clothing or equipment on race morning.