What to Wear on Race Day!

Don’t try anything new on race day. Have every detail planned out- socks, shoes, shorts, sports bra, tank, etc. Ideally, you should wear all your race day gear on a long run at least once.

Shoes: Race Day Gear is about more than shoes, but shoes are still very important!

I am a Brooks Ravennas girl. I always buy a new pair of my same shoe a few weeks before the marathon, ideally in time for my last big run. This way my shoes are “fresh” but I have time to break them in a little bit before race day.

Hair:

• Plan ahead how you are going to keep your hair out of your face. I’m a big fan of BIC bands or Sweaty bands which have velvet on the underneath so that they stay in place.

• Bring an extra hair binder/tie! I learned this lesson the hard way the other day when mine broke on a tough workout. It was terrible- and it would be terrible if the same thing happened during a race! Wear an extra one around your wrist just in case.

For the men…

• From what I hear…it’s important to put band-aids or a lot of body glide over your nipples. (Check out this post about chafing.)

For everyone…

• Body glide- Use it. All over. A lot of it.

• If you think you’ll want to wear a hat, practice wearing a hat on a long run.
• Same with sunglasses.

THE WEATHER:

For the Twin Cities Marathon, you really never know what to expect with the weather. I ran it on a very hot year and I ran it on a pouring rain year. The past few years, it’s been a perfect 40 degrees at the start.

Weather Forecast:
Even the 10-day forecast can change drastically. Plus, there are some things you can’t control, and the weather is one of them.  All you can control is how you react (mentally) to the weather. If it’s hot you may have to readjust your time goals. If it’s windy, you might have to readjust (unless it’s a tail wind, then you’re golden!)

In case of rain..

• You can start with a poncho and lose it after you warm up.
• Visors help in the rain.
• Body Glide on your feet to help with the blisters.
• Body Glide everywhere when it’s raining.

In case of Sun/Heat:

• Sunscreen
• Body glide.
• In the rain or the cold, you can adjust and still keep the same goal in mind. In the heat, it can be tough. The people who aren’t affected by the heat are few and far between. If it really is hot, you will need to adjust your time goal.

In case of cold:

• Ideally, you WILL be cold at the start. The colder the better!
• Bring layers- layers to shed in your gear check bag or layers to toss to the sidelines.
• Arm warmers : I have used these for the start and then either tossed them to a friend, or if I have made my own out of tube socks to toss. Some people think the arm warmers look silly, but they really work for me. Check out Louva brand, they’re my favorite.

Additional Race Day Gear Tips!

• Tell your friends and family what you will be wearing so they know how to spot you in the crowds. I highly recommend putting your name on your shirt (I wrote a whole post about it HERE!) I swear, it will make a HUGE difference.
• As an enthusiastic TCM spectator, I also have to tell you that it makes a difference when I can yell “Go Dustin” to a stranger vs. “Go #308” or “Go green shirt guy!”. Give us your name!

What to Wear After the Race…

• Be sure pack warm dry clothes in your gear check bag- sweat pants, a sweatshirt and maybe a camera or cell phone if you don’t have anyone meeting you at the finish. You will want pictures to document the experience!
• My husband likes to pack flip flops, no matter the weather; a more comfortable shoe and fresh socks is a good idea.

Okay- that was a lot of information! If you made it through the whole thing, thanks. I hope you found a useful tip or two to help you on race day!