Friday, February 19, 2016

It's all in the bag



Do you have a race-day-go-to-bag?

I have been running for almost 11 years, and have been racing (a lot) in the past years. There have been  many race-day mornings spent running around my house in a frantic last-minute search for my "stuff."

Living in small-town Iowa, most of my races are at least an hour's drive from my house. If you do the math, that means I have to set my alarm an hour earlier than a lot of the racers and don't have any extra time to be searching for what I may or may not need for the morning. More often than not, things would get forgotten or I'd get a late start hitting the road.

Finally, it occurred to me that my system (or lack thereof) was not working. I also had an assortment of drawstring "swag" bags(from previous races (go figure) just begging for a purpose. So, I made a list of all those race day necessities (and potential emergency or first-aid items), and came up with my very own Race Day Go-To Bag.



Why have a  Race Day Go To Bag?
 Here's my five favorite reasons to have one:

1-It's always packed and ready so there are
2-No last-minute searches in the dark and
3-Nothing is forgotten, which will give you
4-Peace of mind - with may lead to
5-A good night's sleep

So, what's in my bag?


Little things...
These are small items that will easily get lost and buried, so I keep them in various small bags (usually acquired from expos)...things like bandages, Aquaphor, Biofreeze samples (also from expos), and mints. Not pictured are also lip balm and moleskin.



Then, there's medium-sized items that can hold their own...deodorant (travel size), Body Glide, diaper wipes.
 
Finally, there's a few "large," last-minute items that I also throw in ..... a spare pair of socks to change into (in cold weather), flip flops (also to change into, but for warm weather),  and gloves (keepers & throwaways). I'll usually toss in a fuel belt as well, because I don't always know if I'll be using/needing it until start time.



Need a list to copy/paste? Here you go...

-moleskin
-wipes (for a mini-towel bath)
-flip flops (to replace the sweaty running shoes & socks)
-lotion (for after I've wiped myself down)
--granola bar(s) (in case they don't have any that I like)
-socks (to change into when it's too cold for flip flops)
-PlowOn gum (because I'll forget it if it's not already in the bag)
-tissues
-lip balm
-hand towel(s)
-plastic grocery bag (for sweaty clothes)
-dry cleaning bag (rain cover)

last-minute throw-ins (ideally the night before):
-Ipod
-sunglasses
-gloves (keepers and throwaways)
-fuel belt (sometimes I just don't know if I'll be wearing a belt or not until the start line)


Having a go-to bag (almost) always packed and ready has saved me a lot of frantic searching in the wee hours, especially when I'm already stressed about the commute and possible delays out of my control (traffic, parking, etc.). A lot of races have a bag drop area and typically the ones that don't will have parking close by; either way  I'll have all this stuff available at or near the finish line. Also, using a draw-string bag makes it easy to carry my gear on my back.

Another strategy? Leave the bag on the door knob (the night before your race). Yes, there have been times when my bag has been left behind on the kitchen counter, next to my phone charger. (#truth #beentheredonethat)

 Do you have any race day strategies that help get you out the door? Have you ever used a go-to bag?

I'm linking up with the DC Trifecta gals ( Mar on the Run   Eat Pray Run DC  You Signed up for WHAT?) for the Friday Five. Go check it out...lots of favorites are being featured! 









22 comments:

  1. In the winter I pack a duffle bag for every winter condition that I take with me. You just never know and I hate having to run home after work to get some other gear. As you know winter running in the Midwest is crazy! I think it will be about 80 degrees warmer for my run tomorrow than last Saturday!

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    1. Yes, the Midwest is crazy! (but it's all I know LOL)We had temps in the low-40 yesterday, and again I was almost at a loss as to what to wear...when it's been so much colder, those kinds of temps feel warmer than they actually are.

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  2. My strategy is to leave next to nothing undone come race morning. I just want to get up, dressed, eat and go.

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    1. I agree! Having this bag always at the ready has helped me a lot.

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  3. I usually end up taking only what fits in my pocket or my race belt!

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    1. If it's a short race,I do the same. Usually, the races are far enough away that I'll want/need some of these extras in the bag.

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  4. Yes! I think a race to-go bag is a fantastic idea and I have one myself. I have things like wipes, hand sanitizer, Gu, Honey Stingers, cash, bandaids, extra socks, stretchy gloves, Body Glide, etc. in mine and it definitely helps me remember everything I need to bring to a race.

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    1. I also have to lay out everything else (clothing-wise) the night before....I just can't rely on my brain to be at 100% full power that time of day when I'm focused on getting out the door.

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  5. What a great idea! I rarely race, but if I raced a lot, it would be nice to have a bag ready with essentials. I do keep toiletries and a towel in my gym bag.

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    1. Most times, I don't need half the stuff in the bag, but just having it ready to go gives me peace of mind.

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  6. It's a great idea to have your bag packed and ready to go. I always have snacks in my bag too :)

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    1. I usually throw in a couple snacks as well....I just don't "keep" them there. ;-)

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  7. What a great idea. I have quite a few of those bags too. I always pack a bag at last minutes and invariably forget something important.

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    1. I always seemed to forget stuff, too. Having most of these essentials ready saves me a lot of last-minute stress ;-)

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  8. Great idea!!!

    Now I know what to do with all of those little drawstring bags that I have! Thanks!! oooohhhh samples of biofreeze (clearly I need to go to more expos...I don't really like them though)

    -Tamieka @fitballingrunningmom

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    1. I used to keep all of those samples in a shoe box (which I seem to have an abundance of, as well).....and out of sight is (usually) out of mind.

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  9. What a great idea! I don't keep one packed, but the night before I do get one ready. I'm going to keep your list handy.

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    1. I always have to have my clothing, etc. ready the night before as well. I just found having this "bag" ready gave me a lot less stuff to remember.

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  10. Great list! I also have a few breakfast bars in there and throw in a banana last minute. Sometimes I travel a long distance and need to eat in the car. I make sure to have another small plastic bag for trash.

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  11. I love your reasoning for having this bag. I always worry that I will forget something, and its happened before, so this is definitely something I should consider.

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  12. That's a great idea. I do the race-bag thing too but I don't have several already partly packed. I love that!! And hanging it on the door is one of those ideas I wish I'd come up with!! Awesome!

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  13. Great idea! I've never brought a bag with me to a race and I've never checked my gear at a race either!! I usually lay out all of my stuff the night before and that usually works for me.

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