How much race research and planning do you do to set yourself up for success?
If your response is “I’m not thorough enough,” then complete this pre-race questionnaire.
The questions in this questionnaire will guide you through a few areas that you need to be thinking about, like logistics, pacing, gear, goals, fueling, and mindset.
For years, I have been utilizing this pre-race questionnaire for every ultramarathon. Overall, I feel well prepared going into events. I even send my information to my crew and pacers, so they have an idea of what to expect.
This planning also helps me create a to-do list for grocery shopping.
For example, I like to buy blueberry muffins and bananas to eat for breakfast on race morning. Also, if I’m running low on Hammer Nutrition and need to remember to order more.
I will also write a packing list, including headlamps, extra clothes, trekking poles, etc.
Check out the questionnaire below. This is mine for Temptation 200.
Jot down the questions in a notebook and use them to better prepare yourself for your next race. Best of luck! You got this!
Towards the bottom of the article, is a list of “more race prep tips and ideas”, visit them to see what you might learn.
Event Name, Date, Location
Temptation 200, 08/31-09/01, Sand Ridge State Forest, Forest City, IL
If you’ve not yet, please find and go through 3-5 written or video race reports of the event you’re participating in.
Have you done this?
Yes, I have!
Ultimate Goal.
What would a perfect race be for you?
- To finish, and to perhaps be the first place female finisher.
- To nail my nutrition and hydration.
- Stay upright and away from the cacti.
- To meet new people.
- Dig deeper than ever before and embrace what will come.
- Expand what I am capable of.
- Remain uninjured and healthy.
- To run smart and be efficient with my trekking poles.
- To know what I want before I arrive at the aid stations.
- Reflect on my family, friends, and people in my life.
- Remember my “whys”.
- To have fun.
Travel.
What are your travel plans for this event.
Will you need a day off for travel to the destination?
Are you driving?
Who will be with you and will someone be able to hold on to your gear during the run?
I HATE that the travel plans are complicated for this race. I am planning on taking traveling one thing at a time, so I don’t become overwhelmed by stress and anxiety. It is not worth affecting my time with my husband and daughter, nor my race.
Thursday afternoon, we are flying from Pittsburgh to Chicago. My in-laws are driving separately to the airport to pick us up and to give us one of their cars.
It will be incredibly important that we have all of our luggage and my daughter’s car seat. My race gear will be in my carry-on bag and check-bag (trekking poles and headlamp).
After loading up my in-laws car, we will all drive to WI to stay with my sister-in-law and her family. That is a 2 hr and 15 min drive. I hope to get a good night sleep and to be able to carb load.
Lodging.
Where are you staying?
What is the travel time to the race start?
The next morning, Stephen and I will drive from WI to the race. It is a 4 hr and 5 min drive. Ember will have fun staying with family. Stop at a grocery store to pick up food for breakfast and anything I will want at the race.
The race start and finish is at Oak Campground. Camping is available Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night. Need to leave by 10 am on Monday.
Once we get settled by either setting up the vehicle for sleeping in or by pitching a tent that we borrow from family, we will go to packet pickup.
Packet pickup starts at 2 pm. Friday evening, 5 pm, pre-race dinner provided free of charge for registered runners. Crews $5 extra. Friday night, community fire ring.
Saturday morning, pre-race meeting about 10 mins before the race begins. Race start is 4 am. Race cutoffs, start loop 7 by 10 am Sunday. Finish by 8 pm Sunday. 40 hr cutoff.
Race Strategy.
Pre -Race.
What will your nutrition plan be for the morning of the race?
What gear will you be wearing?
Will a warm-up be possible?
Will you be standing in a corral for a half hour?
What will you wear before the event?
- Banana
- Muffins
- Coffee
- Poop
- COROS
- Altra Superior 5
- Altra gaitors
- Injinji toe socks
- Buff around my head, maybe a Buff around my neck
- Petzl IKO Core headlamp
- Phone
- UD vest with water and nutrition
- Rabbit shorts
- Rocksylvania tank top
- 2 hair ties and one of Ember’s bracelets to remind me of her (motivation to finish).
- Sunscreen
- Lube
Intra-Race.
What is your nutrition plan during the event?
Go through your pacing strategy
- 1-2 Hammer Nutrition gels per 16 mi loop, plus aid station food.
- Sip water or Skratch every half a mi and drink to thirst.
- Drink water and electrolyte at every aid station.
- Drink pop when needed at aid stations.
- Eat early and often.
- 1st gel around mi 3-5.
- Gin Gins and ginger ale when stomach is upset.
- Caffeine in the evening and night.
- Eat what I feel like.
- S Caps and Anti-Fatigue Caps as-needed and recommended.
- Possibly take Advil/Asprin, as recommended for a few hours, if I reach a level of pain that makes it difficult to run (I don’t do this at every race. It is rare). Note: Do your research on how pain management pills can harm your body. There is a risk involved.
- Mobility exercise helps when I feel really tight. This just takes a few seconds.
- For the first 60 miles, run my usual ultra pace, between a 10-12 min/mi. I am expecting that due to the sand, this could go 13+ min/mi.
- Maintain pacing the best that I can, run everything runnable.
- Minimize time at aid stations.
- Michael (2 loops) and Stephen (1-2 loops. Trying to get him to commit to 2) will be my crew and pacers, set up at the start/finish line.
- I want to find 1-2 more pacers.
- Relentless forward progress.
- Keep going.
- You’re done when you’re done.
- Get that snakey buckle.
- You’re fine.
- I don’t want to have to do this race again.
- Quitting is not an option.
- All of the positive self-talk, motivation, and utilizing being with others.
- Enjoy the trail and ultra community.
Post-Race.
Will a cooldown be possible?
What are you going to do immediately post-race?
- Watching others finish and eating?
- Getting out of disgusting clothes?
- Sleeping?
What events do you have on your calendar going forward?
Let’s get this race finished before I consider Oil Creek 100 this year. Many of my friends will be there.
Temptation 200k Race Report
About the course, stories, course strategy, and mindset tips. Temptation 200k Race Report (2024).
Post-Race Questionnaire
You’ve seen the Pre-Race Questionnaire, now check out the Post-Race Questionnaire. My Temptation 200k Post-Race Questionnaire 2024.
Ultrarunner, do you want some guidance and accountability?
If you are interested in working together on stepping up your mindset and mental wellness around racing and life, reach out to me. You can potentially unlock your ultrarunning potential.
I’d love to hear about your goals.
We will look at problem areas or where you’d like to see improvement, set a realistic goal, and then put those steps in place.
– I work with ultrarunners all over the United States who want to dial in their race mentality, mental strategies, and overall improve their mental wellness.
— My coaching services are fully on the mental side (I have a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, a Master’s degree in Counseling, and well over a decade of experience working in the mental health field. Coaching is a non-clinical service).
HERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT I CAN HELP WITH
- Improve day-to-day mental wellbeing.
- Build better habits.
- Incorporate mindfulness
- Learn emotion regulation strategies for stressful situations.
- Set challenging, yet attainable goals.
- Discuss motivation
- Address body image thoughts or concerns.
- If you feel concerned that you have an eating disorders, let’s discuss it, so you can find help. I am informed on eating disorders. I cannot treat ED via coaching.
- Talk about you! Who are you, besides a runner? – parent, sibling, entrepreneur, community member… What else do you do, and how does it impact training for races or vice versa?
- Coping with injury and setbacks.
- Managing disappointments, like “Did Not Start” and “Did Not Finish”.
- Self-beliefs
- Juggling priorities and time management.
- Are you actively trying to find a mental health professional? I can assist!
- Are you searching for a running coach? I can provide pointers on how to go about finding someone who’s a good fit and what questions to ask the coach when interviewing them for fit.
- Mental strategies and mindset for racing.
- Positive affirmations or swearing during races? Both?!
- Training and race day visualization.
- General training and racing concerns and race day worries.
- Happiness. What is it? How to get more of it.
- What might you do if you encounter a problem during a race.
- Building trust with yourself.
- Improving self-care, self-esteem, and self-compassion.
- Knowing when to push yourself and when to be kinder to yourself.
- Why’s and meaning behind what you do. Passion. Using that as support and drive.
- The unique situations and challenges that women face in sport. Being a parent, pregnancy, miscarriage, dealing with periods during races…
- On top of talking, I do provide resources and homework.
I hope that this paints a picture of the good stuff that we can work on together.
Contact me if you have questions or want to schedule.
More race prep tips and ideas
Visualize How Your Race Training Fits Into Your Week For Success
Race Start Mindset and Strategy
Race Day Visualizations (Etsy store)
The “I’m too Slow of a Runner” Mental Struggle
My General Plan for Finishing Burning River 100 (2023)
Burning River 100 Post-Race Questionnaire 2023
How Do You Get Pumped Up to Race?
Subscribe for more valuable ultrarunning, mindset and mental wellness resources
Will you join me in my mission?
One of my many goals is to increase mental health awareness, the availability of free resources, and the access to services.
If you value my free mental health content, it would mean a lot to me if you would “like,” share, or Buy Me a Coffee.
This helps people find my free content and allows me to continue providing free content.
Thanks for being a part of my mission.
Happy running,
Shannon