Preparing for my big race

~Mike Romaniuk, sharing the secret thoughts of men

The countdown has started.

In 9 days, I’ll be participating in the 2009 Cumberland Mind Over Mountain Adventure Race.  This year I will once again be racing with my business partner, Ray, against approximately 325 others.  The race is approximately 50km of combined trekking, biking & kayaking.

I’ve been asked – so what do you do before you race?  Well, in these final days, I do a few things…

I slow down…  My last big endurance training (59km, 7.5 hours) was 2 weeks before the race.  My body needs the time to recover before the big race.

I keep active…  I still jog and workout a moderate amount.  I keep it simple and generally to under 1 hour per day.

I become the ultimate germaphobe…  The last possible thing I want to do is to get sick before a race. I’ve trained too hard, for too long. For the next 9 days, I’m sorry but if you’re sick I’ll be nowhere near you.  My hands will be washed more than a doctor’s and will have the constant smell of Purell.  I won’t shake your hand, I won’t use your phone and, no, don’t even think about try to get a hug – even if you’re not sick.

Other than that, its strategy planning with my race partner, perfecting my gear list and mentally preparing for the big day.

Wish me luck!

About Mike Romaniuk: In 2002, Mike rode his go-kart around the world, but didn’t raise money for anything. He did, however, find fitness and embrace it. In 2004, just one year after returning, Mike was allowed to shoot the starting gun at the All Mikes, Only Mikes Marathon.  In 2005 he completed that same marathon under a pseudonym. In 2008 he completed the Autumn Ostrich race, winning by a beak.  Mike lives to blog about the Secret Thoughts of Men for Girlgetstrong. (note: no ostriches were injured during the fabrication of this biography)