I vividly remember my first race, a 10K, run between the Atlantic Middle School and Long Island in North Quincy some 40+ years ago. For me it was exhilarating and followed about 3 months of preparation. At the time I was proud of the 42:11 result. I kind of "fell" into running. I was no longer playing sports other than pickup basketball and decided, on a whim, to try it. Two very slow miles turned into a passion like none I'd ever experienced previously in sports. And I'd still be competing today, if . . .
But that's not important. Many of our kids will be running his/her first race tomorrow at WHRHS versus Plymouth South, and if they take nothing else from it, I hope they will remember the experience. With luck, it may even be the start of a lifelong passion.
The important things you should remember at this point include the weather which will be quite hot. I've asked you to hydrate all week. Please continue that right up until race time. I also asked you to get a good night's sleep last night. I always found that the rest I got two nights prior to a race was a factor in how I performed on race day. Don't change your eating habits. You've been running for 3 weeks now and know what works and what doesn't. Carbo loading is impractical and can undermine a great race if it dramatically changes your digestive routine. A pound of pasta will feel like a cannonball in your stomach tomorrow afternoon. If you make any short term changes, eliminate the fiber for a day, and no dairy products after breakfast. Nerves can wreak havoc with your digestive system anyway, further complications can be avoided.
As for the race, my strategy was always to separate the race into thirds. I paced myself in the first third by holding back just a bit. The second third of my race was a little quicker and the final third was my chance to go as hard as I possibly could right through the finish. New racers tend to take the opposite approach. Fast, slower and slowest. Make a conscious effort not to go out too hard, but do so at a steady pace that you can maintain until you are comfortable increasing your speed. In my first race I arrived at the start with Mrs. Coach (who was not a runner) and essentially ran by myself for the first 3+ miles. I knew not to go out too fast and had no difficulty with pacing. At about the 3.5 mile mark I was running immediately behind a local politician (the late Paul D. Harold) who everybody along the course seemed to know and was cheering on, so I imagined those people were cheering for me. Silly, but it worked. I picked up my pace and with about a 1/2 mile to go I put in a big kick to the finish and while exhausted, felt remarkable otherwise. My time was not important, it was the finishing that counted. I raced almost weekly for months, if not years, thereafter. And I loved it. I am certain you will as well if this first time out is a positive experience. We will do what we can to insure that, but you have to run intelligently.
Our veterans, I believe, are prepared and ready. Each one of them has played this race out in his/her mind numerous times. Most have the experience to run a smart race. Each knows the pitfalls of not having a plan. And like the newcomers, each will look back on this race, the first of this season, as either an enjoyable experience, or however unlikely, a disastrous one. But you will ALL learn from it. I can promise that.
I'm proud of the effort and progress made by almost all of you. Along with the other coaches, I am anxious to see what you can do tomorrow. But what I'm really hoping for is a safe and rewarding experience for every one of you upon which you will build a memorable, and perhaps, remarkable season. Let's get this done . . .
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