If a marathon is long, the preparation that goes behind it is longer. As race day approaches, it is natural to feel anxious and that often leads to some really bad decisions. So here is a breakdown of 7 things that you need to do a week before the race:

1. Stick to your routine – lots of people go on overdrive hoping to make the most of a week. However, it is more rewarding to just stick to your normal routine and diet. However avoid alcohol and food from outside, you won’t want to risk food poisoning before the big day. This will help your body to be in sync with your diet, sleep pattern, biorhythm, etc.

2. Moderate workout – by this time you have already prepared your body for the run. Now its all about maintaining your fitness, so avoid spending long hours at the gym.

3. Go for runs – while you don’t need to gym as much, you definitely need to go for runs daily. But don’t overdo it. The idea is to keep your body ready and make the
movements natural during race.

4. Stay healthy – a week is left. So take extra precautions to avoid illness. Use sanitizers and soaps before meals. Try and stay away crowded areas. Have lots of fluids to keep yourself hydrated.

5. Try to get extra sleep – You have done a lot of hard work up to this point. Reward yourself with a few extra hours of sleep. Body regenerates best when at rest, so it’s a good practice to get as much of rest as you can.

6. Smile – Don’t underestimate your smile. It’s the simplest thing you can do. Watch funny videos or shows. Have a good time. A positive frame of mind may give you the edge in that marathon.

7. Be mentally prepared – Prepare yourself mentally that it won’t be easy. Irrespective of how hard you have trained, it will still be a challenge. The race seems easy at first, but hurts real bad after an hour. So be prepared.

It may seem with 7 days to go you need to go overdrive and prepare as much as you can, but it is of little help if you are exhausted at the start of the race. So it is best to dial down
your regime for the last week and just focus on rest.