Your first 5K: a race-day checklist

I ran my first half marathon when I was eight. I still remember how nervous I was at the start line, and how much it helped to have done all the little things right before I got there. Your first 5K is 3.1 miles. You've trained for it. This checklist takes care of everything else.

The night before

• Lay out everything. Shoes, socks, shirt, shorts, a hat if it's sunny. Pin your race bib to the front of your shirt so it's ready to go.
• Wear what you've trained in. Race day is not the day for brand-new shoes or a shirt you've never run in.
• Eat a normal dinner and drink water through the evening.
• Get to bed early. Nerves are normal. Even if you don't sleep perfectly, rest still helps.

Race morning

• Eat a small, familiar breakfast a couple of hours before the start, the same kind of thing you eat before a Saturday run.
• Arrive early. Give yourself time to park, find the start and use the bathroom without rushing.
• Warm up. Five to ten minutes of easy jogging and a few strides gets your legs ready.
• Find your team. Look for your Running Down A Dream coaches and teammates. Starting together makes everything easier.

Start slower than feels right. Everyone around you will sprint the first minute. Let them.

During the race

• Run your own pace. The pace you trained at on Saturdays is the right one.
• Walk if you need to. Walking through a water stop or up a hill is smart racing, not quitting.
• Break it into pieces. Get to the first mile marker. Then the next. Then the finish.
• Save something for the end. When you can see the finish line, that's when you give it everything.

After you finish

Keep walking for a few minutes, drink water and grab a snack. Then find your coach and tell them your time. Finishing your race means you've earned your Running Down A Dream reward. More important, you've proved you can set a big goal and reach it. That lesson lasts a lot longer than 3.1 miles.

See you Saturday.