I was thinking of all the strange things I do as part of the process of getting ready to race – and given the demographic of our little group here, I’m pretty sure there are stranger rituals than mine. So lets have 'em.
I’ll start:
NEVER EVER UTTER THE F Word (you know, the one that describes the sudden loss of pressure in your tires). I even get uncomfortable talking about fixing deflated tires on the road. I’m even having a tough time typing this… there is no known cure (except TUFO’s).
NEVER wear the race T-shirt during the week before the race. This applies to shirts from the same race a year ago.
ALWAYS crumple your race number.
Don’t pre-excuse your performance in the race, everything you say will come true.
For ski racing, I once had great success after an evening of too much beer and chocolate, so I’ve adopted that for the entire XC race season.
NEVER shave on race morning. It strips your aura away, stealing power from you. Do not let strangers touch you. It steals your power. If you get up before sunrise, you will be faster.
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5. For ski racing, I once had great success after an evening of too much beer and chocolate, so I’ve adopted that for the entire XC race season.
LOL! My first marathon PR was done after a similar evening like this. I woke up late, broke every speed limit to make the gun, ran from the parking lot to the start line as my warm up with about 5 seconds to spare and proceeded to have the best marathon up to that point.
Since then I’ve adopted this ritual and have had great marathon experiences since.
i actually wear the t-shirt i got from my previous race to whatever i race i’m doing that day. i have never broken this rule. I don’t know what will happen if i enter a race that does not give out t-shirts.
ALWAYS pee in my wetsuit while waiting for the gun to go off, ALWAYS, even if I have to force it out…when a local tri was recently switched to a du because of poor weather…I didn’t know what to do.
After I race my body says it wants pork sausages (on bread with ketchup). I figure that my body is telling me to replenish some stuff I used up in the race. So, I figure why not store up on that stuff pre-race. So that’s my dinner the night before I race. I know, I know, this is a little too scientific for most of you to grasp.
I’m thinking that there is a strong correlation between wetsuit use and flats. I have a much greater flat incidence when I swim in my wetsuit. My hypothesis is that it is a great rubber karma thing. Gain time by the rubber, lose time by the rubber.
Always set 2 alarms! Set my Ironman watch alarm that I wear during the race and my alarm clock.
Never shower before the race. You want all that good karma sticking to your stink!
Always wear my LiveStrong winter knit cap. I don’t care if it is July and 98 degrees out! Hey, you why are you staring at my cap like I’m an idiot!
No “treating your body like an amusement park” (in the words of George Constanza) for at least 3 days prior to race day. It depletes your mojo and sure enough you will regret it the last few miles of your run split!
I get up real early.
No shower…
Never wear the t-shirt from the race until after you have finished.
Pop Tarts, banana, and 7-11 Coffee flavored coffee.
Try to be the first person to rack my bike on my rack.
Have the porta-john to myself for a nice, therapeutic, #2
NEVER wear the race T-shirt during the week before the race. This applies to shirts from the same race a year ago. .
I have 3 or 4 items of clothing that have Ironman logos on them, including my favorite hat for running. After I found out I lotteried into Kona this year, I have refused to even touch any of those items until after the race.
