What to Do the Week Before Your Race

Race week is the week most runners ruin races they've trained well for. They panic about fitness they can't gain in seven days, run too much, eat differently, buy new shoes, or spiral into anxiety. Here's what to do instead.

Monday–Wednesday: keep moving, cut volume

Run easy every day but cut your total mileage to about 40–50% of your normal week. Include one short shakeout with a few strides on Wednesday or Thursday — just enough to remind your legs what fast feels like. Nothing heroic. Nothing new.

Sleep is your most important workout

Two nights before the race matters more than the night before — most people sleep poorly the night before a race and that's fine. Prioritize sleep Monday through Thursday. Limit alcohol. Protect your sleep environment. The fitness you've built all season is stored in your body — rest lets you access it.

Eat what you know

Race week is not the time to experiment with carb loading if you've never done it. Eat normally. Keep carbohydrate intake moderate to high. Avoid anything your stomach doesn't know well. The night before, eat something familiar and low-fiber — pasta, rice, whatever you've had before long runs.

Gear check on Thursday

Lay out your entire race kit on Thursday. Shoes you've run in. Socks you know. Race kit you've tested. Fuel you've practiced with. Charge your watch. Pin your bib. Do not wear anything on race day that you haven't run in before.

The mindset

By Friday, your fitness is set. Nothing you do in the next 48 hours will meaningfully improve or hurt your aerobic capacity. Your job now is to stay calm, stay off your feet, and trust the training. The fitness is there. You just have to show up and run.