Edinburgh-based personal trainer Michael Ulloa has teamed up with AVA Berries to provide some race-preparation tips ahead of the Edinburgh Marathon Festival weekend at the end of this month.
Whether you are running the 5k, 10k, relay race, or the ultimate 26.2-mile challenge, here are five things that every runner should think about before the big day:
- Whatever the weather, be ready
Edinburgh’s weather can be very unreliable, so it’s important you prepare for every eventuality. We can have almost every season in the space of an hour so you need to get your warm, hot, cold, and your wet training gear at the ready… just in case.
2. Use your support networks, they will help you cross that finish line
Get your support network in place. Bring your family and friends along on the day and find out where they’re going to be standing, they are going to help keep you going as your legs start to tire.
3. Running partners are great, but what if one of you is feeling sluggish?
If you are going to be running with a partner on the day, get your plan mapped out. If one of you is feeling faster, or one of you is feeling sluggish or gets injured, are you ok splitting up? Cover all eventualities – you need to be prepared so that on race day, you can focus fully on getting round the course, and not worrying about whether or not you are impacting on your partner’s performance.
4. Big race, new trainers – BIG mistake
If you need new trainers then get them now, or they won’t be broken in before the event. You don’t want to risk getting blisters or finding out on the day that your new trainers are too tight. Depending on your running style and shoe, you should think about changing your trainers every 400 miles.
5. Choose your fuel, and test it now
Food supplements and sports drinks will help to push you across the finish line. But you need to know what works for your body, so start using them now in your training. Never, ever try something new on race day. Your body might reject it, and you don’t want that to happen on mile 21.
AVA Berries are proud supporters of this year’s Edinburgh Marathon Festival and will be helping runners to refuel at the finish line with their nutrient packed, Scottish grown AVA™ strawberries.
A team of runners from AVA Berries are also taking part in the Edinburgh Marathon Festival Hairy Haggis relay race and are raising money for Angus Foodbank, a charity that provides a life line for many individuals and families in crisis.
Developed from plant to punnet by an expert team of fruit growing and breeding experts, AVA™ strawberries only receive the AVA™ stamp of approval if they meet the highest standards in appearance, taste, juiciness, and yield. The first Scottish grown AVA™ strawberries of the summer season; AVA™ Star, AVA™ Blush and AVA™ Rosa, will be on supermarket shelves in abundance from next week.
More information about Michael Ulloa Personal Training: https://www.michaelulloa.com/