GARVOC export and Commonwealth Games marathon runner VIRGINIA MOLONEY will share a six-week Surf ‘T’ Surf preparation plan with The Standard readers.
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Welcome to the final week, race week! Time taper off and freshen up.
Not too much though because it is a 10km run so you want to still be ticking the legs over during the week.
Below are my tips for your week and event day preparation. This week, keep your top gears for Sunday.
Being race ready is important. Know the course.
Get to the start line early and do a little warm up jog with friends, some dynamic stretching to get the muscles going and some socialising to keep any nerves at bay.
This is meant to be a fun run and a celebration of your achievements.
Ensure you have at least eight hours’ sleep each night and stay hydrated in the days leading up to the race.
Have some supporters out on course. This will help to motivate you and it’s always great to have them ready with some water, just in case.
Wear comfortable and familiar running clothes and shoes.
Race day is not the time to be testing out those brand new shoes you got for Christmas, hopefully you’ve given them a few wears in by now! Be prepared with sport friendly sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat.
Eat an early dinner on Saturday night. As this is a 10m event, unfortunately there is no need for ‘carb loading’.
This means you can enjoy a decent meal Saturday lunch time and a lighter meal Saturday evening.
Aim to balance the plate with some lean protein, good fats and carbohydrates that are slow releasing such as sweet potato, quinoa or brown rice.
Whatever works for you. On the morning of the event, try to eat at least two hours before the start of the event.
Many athletes will eat a light breakfast of jam on toast with a cup of tea or peanut butter/honey on toast with banana and a black coffee.
Be mindful not to try anything new on race day. If you have never had a coffee before a run, now is definitely not the time to try it!
Most of all, enjoy your run! Make sure you hit the beach afterwards for optimal recovery.
Hit up on of the amazing local cafes for brunch with your team and celebrate your success.
Unfortunately this year, I will not be running the event. Lucky for me, I will be relaxing (and running) on holiday after recently getting married.
From now on I will be racing with a new name on my bib, McCormick.
The first female runner to cross the line will receive the Judy McDowall Memorial Medal.
Josephine McDowall, I’ve got my money on you! I wish everybody all the very best and cannot wait to about the event.
Lastly, I’d like to recognise the efforts of all the Surf T’ Surf organisers, particularly Ken Drake.
Ken volunteers his time for many community events and while you may not see him running on the event day, you’ll certainly hear him! Thanks for all your hard work Ken!
Beginners
Session one: 1.5km warm up, 4x800m (two-minute rest in between reps), 1km cool down
Session two: 1km warm up, 4x600m, 1km cool down
Session three: Surf T’ Surf Fun Run
Intermediates
Session one: 2km warm up, 4x1km reps, 2km cool down
Session two: 2km warm up, 4x600m reps, 2km cool down
Session three: Surf T’ Surf Fun Run