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12 Things You Need in Your Race-Day Survival Kit

By Bill Reifsnyder, 08/05/14, 5:15PM EDT

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Don’t have a bad race day because you forgot something that seems small.

There are a lot of things on your mind come race day: Did I train enough? Did I taper enough? Is it going to be too hot? Too cold? What pace should I run? Where can I park? A lot of factors can make or break a race. There are some things you can't control but many things you can.

Someone smarter than me once said, “The devil is in the details.” While any of the above, if not taken care of, could ruin your race, what about the smaller things? Many of us have been there, stressing out moments before the gun goes off because we don’t have safety pins to attach our bib. We might be wincing in pain the final miles — not because we are overextending ourselves, but because we forgot our Body Glide.

Don’t have a bad race day because you forgot something that seems small but is ever so important. Alexander Graham Bell said, “Before anything else, preparation is the key to success.” What are we talking about here? In a few words: a race-day survival kit. This is a pre-packed “go bag” that you grab every time that you are headed to a race. It should contain all of the essentials that you may not need but will be glad to have if you do.

Here are 12 suggestions to get you started on your personal survival kit.

Race-Day Survival Kit:

  1. Gel/nutrition bar — For energy before, during and after
     
  2. Water bottle — For pre-race and post-race hydration
     
  3. Body Glide/Vaseline — For anti-chafing
     
  4. Band-Aids — For protection from nipple chafing
     
  5. Blister kit — For protection/treatment
     
  6. Safety pins — For your bib, just in case the race runs out
     
  7. Sunscreen/lip balm — For sun protection
     
  8. Hand sanitizer — For use after the porta-potty
     
  9. Toilet paper/tissues — For use in the porta-potty (or woods)
     
  10. Comfortable shoes — To change into post-race
     
  11. Road ID — Every runner should have one.
     
  12. Tampons — Because when you need them, you really need them.

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