Making race morning easier...

Everybody has their own idiosyncrasies to make race morning easier.  I feel like this is true for all athletes--we're all to some extent superstitious or at the very least creatures of habit. I'm not a morning person, so I make getting up at 5am for a 7am gun time as easy as possible.  Here are some things I do before my head hits the pillow the night before a race:

• Charge my Garmin during the afternoon.  Just because I haven't used it in a week doesn't mean the charge held that long.  (I run on a treadmill quite a bit due to some anxiety issues.  I'll write more on this in another entry.  Promise.)

• Put a water bottle with caffeinated nuun in the fridge.  Sometimes I'll use a nalgene bottle, but a lot of the time I'll use a recyclable water bottle. I don't use bottled water often, but when I do it's because I don't want to worry about my nice water bottles and I don't have anybody to toss it to before the starting gun.

• Put a small bag together with everything I'll need for the race--race fuel, a light breakfast (usually a luna bar), headphones, my road ID bracelet, lip balm (this one's my latest favorite and can be purchased with birchbox points!), my driver's license (a road ID just won't work if there's post-race beer), some cash and my fully charged Garmin.  I also discovered this small bag recently and LOVE it.  The bag is still a little big for what I need on race morning, but folds up nicely and comes in lots of cute patterns so it's hard to resist.  (Their standard size shopping bags are also fantastic and stand up to a lot of abuse.)  I also put my running belt with my race bib attached next to this bag.

• Check the weather report and lay out an appropriate race day outfit.  Runner's World has a great calculator that helps you decide what to wear.  My husband also made a great point when I was getting ready for the Charles Street 12 and I was getting his opinion on what to wear:  If the area has a popular local sports team playing, don't wear their colors.  Chances are lots of other people will be too.  Originally I wanted to wear a purple tank top and black long shorts, but my husband brought up the good point that we were on the verge of football season and we were in Ravens country.  I instead opted for a turquoise tank top, black long shorts and a purple headband so my husband could easily find me in the crowd.  

• Set an alarm.  Or several.  And make sure the volume on the alarm is cranked to a reasonable level.  One morning recently I was about half an hour late to one of my volunteer jobs because I overslept due to an alarm that was wayyyy too quiet.  Cue the "Oh...I'm so well rested.  I wonder what time it is...ACK!"

What are some things you do to prepare the night before a race?