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weather, they can switch to heavier warm- up clothes and keep them on longer before it is time to race. For distance runners, this is a little trickier. As a general rule, runners should dress as if it is fifteen

degrees warmer than the actual temperature. This will compensate for the natural heating of your body during the race. Prepare everything you plan to wear or take with you to the race before you go to sleep. This will give you one less thing to think about on race day. What to Eat Let’s discuss distance running first. On the day of the race, you do not want to give your body too many calories to process that might detract from its primary task of running the race. You have already prepared your body by eating a big, carbohydrate-rich lunch the previous day, followed by a lighter but still high-carb dinner. On race day, ideally your breakfast should be no later than about five hours

before the race starts. A 750-calorie fruit smoothie, for example, would be a good breakfast. Be sure to choose something very light. In the hours before the race, concentrate on remaining hydrated, alternating water with an electrolyte-rich drink. About an hour before the start, eat a protein bar and an energy gel with glycogen. Glycogen is your body’s primary source of carbs and provides the energy

1984 Olympic marathon champion Joan Benoit Samuelson

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