Don’t Forget These 3M Half Marathon Race-Week Reminders

3M Half Marathon race week is here!

It has finally arrived! Race week for the 3M Half Marathon presented by Under Armour’s 25th anniversary is here! We know you’re just as excited as we are. With all the excitement is easy to forget the simple things you need to do race week. We’re here to help with these race-week reminders.

Invite your friends

  • Fact – running is best enjoyed with friends! They can run with you, cheer for you at various points along the course, or celebrate with you at the finish line festival. If your friends have been on the registration fence, now is the time. Tell them about the upcoming price increase on Thursday, Jan. 17th, or gift them a registration yourself!

Hydrate

  • Begin hydrating during race week. It’ll help ensure your body has the fluids needed to secure that next PR! Make sure you’re getting a nice balance of electrolytes and fluids during the week. You’ve put in the training miles, now make sure all systems are ready for race day! BONUS – hydrate with nuun, it’s what’ll be on course.

Plan your race day

  • There aren’t many runners who don’t already do this, but nevertheless, it’s a great reminder. Layout everything you’ll need the night before and double-check it. This increases the likelihood that you forget nothing race morning. You should even plan what you’ll eat the morning of and the night before. Stick with what works! This should help keep you “regular” race morning.

If you didn’t train with it…

  • Don’t do it on race day! As simple as it seems. If you didn’t run with it, eat it, or drink it during training, don’t do it on race day!

Celebrate at the finish line festival

Last but definitely not least, celebrate! Once you cross the finish line, snag your commemorative 25th anniversary 3M Half Marathon finisher medal and head to the finish line festival. Grab your snack bag and some hydration. Then check out the food trucks, music, and the beer garden! BONUS – family or friends who cheered or tracked you via the app can meet you and help celebrate.

3M Half Marathon Welcomes HEB Back for Another Year

H-E-B returns for another year to support 7,500 3M Half Marathon participants

High Five Events announces H-E-B will provide post-race snacks for participants of the 3M Half Marathon presented by Under Armour. H-E-B’s continued support ensures Texas’ favorite grocery store will refuel more than 7,500 participants. The 3M Half Marathon will take place on Jan. 20, 2019.

“We’re fans of H-E-B and proud to work with a company that cares so much for their community,” said Stacy Keese, co-owner of High Five Events. “They understand the importance of a healthy diet and understand how vital it is for endurance runners to properly refuel.”

The story of H‑E‑B begins more than 100 years ago in a small, family‑owned store in Kerrville, Texas. Today H‑E‑B serves families all over Texas and Mexico in 155 communities, with more than 340 stores and more than 100,000 employees. Their commitment to excellence has made them one of the nation’s largest independently owned food retailers. Their success hasn’t changed their commitment to exceptional service, low prices, and friendly shopping.

The 3M Half Marathon boasts one of the fastest 13.1-mile courses in the country and will celebrate its 25th year running in 2019. Runners will enjoy a point-to-point course with mostly downhill running that showcases some of Austin’s finest locations. Starting in north Austin and finishing near the Texas State Capitol, runners will appreciate a 306’ net elevation drop. Registration is currently open for all options.

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Taper Tips for a Successful 3M Half Marathon

These taper tips are crucial for race day performance

The Taper. For those unfamiliar, tapering is referring to the reduced volume and intensity of workouts before race day. While some runners find it hard to scale back after so much time dedicated to training, others find themselves glued to their favorite couch. But doing too little or too much during this time period can compromise all your hard work. Make sure you are at the top of your game by following these tips between now and race day.

SleepImage result for happy sleeper

This may be the best thing you can do for yourself at this time. Experts recommend sleeping eight to nine hours per night. To start, choose a consistent time that you are in bed, this may or may not include actual sleep. This will signal to your body that rest is important and hopefully lead to more shut-eye.

If you have a favorite show that you just don’t want to miss, see if you can record it to watch after the race. It will be great to have something else to “marathon” after your race.

Instead of focusing on trying to get a good night sleep the night before, try for two nights before. Pre-race jitters can sometimes leave us with the “I am not even sure if I slept at all” feeling the night before. But don’t let this bother you. One poor night’s sleep shouldn’t affect your performance if you have tapered well in other aspects.

Reduce work stress

While it might be out of our hands, setting yourself up with an easy week at work can have a big impact on your energy going into race day. So if there is a project that needs to be done put in the extra effort now or see if it can be completed after race day. Take time to find a quiet place to meditate for 10-15 in the morning or evening.

Image result for under armour runNo new workouts

Now is not the time to get a weird sore spot under your ribs because your friend convinced you to try the new barre class. Stick to what you know and focus on less intense and less volume for each workout. Keep your runs to under 30 minutes. It’s fine to do some easy cross-training on non-running days, as long as the activity doesn’t make your muscles sore or have the potential to cause injury. If you don’t want to exercise on days you don’t run, that’s okay, too.

Example of a week out workout: 10-min warm-up jog / no more than 3 miles at half-marathon goal pace / 10-min cool-down jog

Nutrition

Skip the pizza and beer for now. Focus on a diet that balances moderate carbohydrates from whole food sources, quality protein, and healthy fat. You may also want to keep a close eye on your calorie intake. While you are used to high-intensity training and the extra food that comes with it, if you don’t watch what you eat, the pounds can sneak on in these last weeks, which is less than optimal for race day.

Avoid eating that can affect your sleep quality. This includes eating large meals within 1.5 hours of going to bed as well as spicy foods or large amounts of protein.

Now is also a good time to make sure you are well hydrated. It is recommended to drink 8-10 glasses of water a day. You can also add electrolytes from nuun, to get your body ready for race day hydration. You can also try the on-course fuel with Gatorade Endurance gels.

Race Morning

By starting now, you are setting yourself up to be ready race morning. The last advice we have is to arrive at least 90 minutes before the start. Walk around as a light warmup, and then follow the Camp Gladiator trainers as they lead a pre-race warm-up at 7:15 at the start line.