Winning or placing highly in a big race isn’t just about having the right performance footwear. Of course, a good pair of well-fitting Mizuno running shoes can only help, but there are other things you need to do in preparation for that race. How you prepare will depend on the type of race you’re competing in – for example, for a marathon you should increase the amount of calories you consume for the last three days before you run.
How you hydrate yourself during the race is extremely important. Try and find out which sports drink is provided during the race and then drink the same one during training. If you then prefer to use something different, plan out how you’re going to work this into your race. On the day of the race, don’t drink too much, only when you’re thirsty, and certainly don’t drink alcohol on the day before as this will dehydrate you.
Wear clothes that you are comfortable in and that you have trained in because you can be confident that they won’t rub you. Make sure that you don’t wear too many clothes either – remember that your body will warm up as you run so dress as if it’s warmer than it is.
Mental preparation is almost as important as physical training, so get yourself in the right frame of mind. Trust yourself and believe you can do it, no matter what happens. Have a motivational mantra you can chant to yourself as you run.