Night Before Bix Do’s and Don’ts!

If you're like me, you've paid over $50 to get up at the crack of dawn tomorrow and run seven miles through some of the most daunting hills the Quad Cities has to offer.

Lucky us, right?

You might also be wondering how to approach the night before the big run; What do you eat? Should you go for a walk? How much sleep is enough? What should you avoid?

As a semi-casual runner (my biggest claim to fame is that one half-marathon I ran two years ago. I still brag about it.), I've used a website called The Clymb for helpful hints and tips during training.

NIGHT BEFORE BIX DO'S

- DO have a strategy going into the race, even if you're just running for fun.  Know the course so nothing surprises you.

- DO distract yourself.  Read a book, binge watch something on Netflix, hang out with friends.  Do anything to get your mind off the run.

- DO have a normal dinner, unless that normal dinner is heavy.  You don't want to necessarily have a light dinner, but you DEFINITELY don't want to eat too much the night before a big run.

NIGHT BEFORE BIX DON'TS

- DON'T run! If you can't sit still, go for a short walk.  But don't wear your legs out.  You must save your energy.

- DON'T eat something new! Stay with foods your body is used to digesting and can digest easily.

- DON'T put off anything until the morning of the race! Pick out what your wearing, pick out your pre-race meal (which should be nothing more than a banana or granola bar), have everything packed up, organized, and ready to go when you wake up.

- DON'T drink alcohol! I have a friend in town from college so this will be the hardest part for me. But nothing will slow you down, hurt your time, and make you feel worse the day of the race than drinking the night before.

Happy running tomorrow.  If you're looking for me, I'll be the one crawling across the finish line.

SOURCE: The Clymb