Your 21km PB Plan

Wilson Low from Kinetik Edge shows you how you can take your running to the next level

The beauty of 10km and 21km runs is that unlike marathons they don’t leave you sore and drained, and you can get back into training within a matter of days. But one thing that remains the same with every running event is the need for a good race plan. Read on for your 21km PB Plan…

READY…

YOUR BODY
+ Sleep well two nights before the race (eight hours or more is good). The eve of the race is not a good time to catch up on sleep.
+ Hydration is important here, ensure you start increasing your hydration two days before the race itself.
+ Ensure your digestive tract is ‘stable’ – in terms of its ability to absorb calories quickly – this includes establishing regular time in the mornings leading up to race day that you go to the toilet.

SET…

YOUR KIT
+ Shoes: you might want to consider lightweight racing shoes with more in-built support, or a more cushioned pair of trainers.
+ A race belt helps carry spare food, small water flasks and electrolytes.
+ Take along essentials (such as music player, hat, bandanna, glasses, hat, etc) to improve comfort if run duration is longer.

YOUR DIET
+ Leading up to race day keep the same portion sizes and go for a low-fibre approach (eliminating almost all fibrous vegetable and fruit). This goes against ‘healthy eating habits’, but it can be effective from a performance point of view.
+ On race day keep your breakfast simple and don’t change your routine.
+ During warm-up, eat a gel 15 minutes before the start and chase with constant sips of water all the way up to race start.
+ Take along a spare gel or two (depending on your energy expenditure and run duration).
+ A mixture of plain water and sports drink will be more effective, especially if you are spending around two hours on the course.
+ Electrolytes might be needed to maintain hydration balance.

GO…

YOUR RACE
+ Plan to be on-site ready to do your warm-up as opposed to ready to meet the start time of the event.
+ Ensure you have some nutrition and some hydration handy after you have handed your drop bag over to race staff.
+ Consider how long you need to walk or stand around waiting prior to the race start. Try your best  to minimise this.
+ If competitive, move to the start chute early and do not get bogged down by being caught in back of your start wave.
+ Get into a rhythm within the first 3km and hold it.
+ Go just slow enough that you are able to take sips of water and eat a gel somewhere in the first 10km.
+ Try to run the second 10km slightly faster than the first.
+ Go all out on the remaining 1km.

Wilson Low is the head coach at www.kinetik-edge.com who specialise in triathlon, running and cycling training. He also coaches runners for Singapore charity www.thechainreactionproject.com