Racing ZZZs: How to Sleep Before a Big Race

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Don't Panic

Even if the worst should happen and you don't sleep at all the night before your race, it doesn't mean you'll have a bad race. Rather than focus on the lack of sleep heading into the race, focus on what you can control.

There's always something positive to focus on even when you're sleep-deprived. Many successful races have been run on little to no sleep the night before. As a professional runner, I have set personal best times after a sleepless night. Even if you haven't slept and the weather is terrible, do your legs feel good? Even if you haven't slept and the weather is terrible and your legs feel sluggish and heavy, do you have friends and family there to support you? Find something positive and focus on it.

Rather than use your lack of sleep as an excuse not to give it your best, tell yourself that you are strong enough to run your best and beat your competition even without sleep.

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