Four to two weeks out
- Confirm transportation, lodging, parking, packet pickup, and start logistics.
- Use the shoes, socks, clothing, and fuel you intend to race with.
- Read the event rules and course support details.
- Make a weather contingency list rather than buying something new at the last minute.
Race week
- Charge devices and install updates early, not the night before.
- Lay out clothing, bib attachment, fuel, identification, and post-race layers.
- Keep food and hydration familiar.
- Write a morning timeline that works backward from the start.
Race morning
- Check official event messages and current weather.
- Leave margin for bathrooms, lines, and walking to the corral.
- Avoid untested food, gear, and warm-up routines.
- Start with the plan you can sustain rather than the pace around you.