Running tip #42 may be my favorite trick of all. I am reluctant to share it because – like the cheater peel – it’s a trick I have used over the years that really works so I don’t want too many people (cough cough, competitors!) discovering it and using my trick to beat me. However, since my racing ship has long-since sailed, it’s probably safe to spill the beans on this one 🙂 .
Before every race, right as you are about to suit up in your uniform/race gear, take about 2 minutes to jump in the shower for what I call a “spritz-off.” Don’t wash your hair or shave your legs or anything, just let the quick blast of water serve as a jolt to signal your body to start producing adrenalin. I swear it works every time. Tony Waldrop, legendary miler from Polk county NC, once conjectured, “Adrenalin is the most under-estimated performance-enhancing drug there is.” Good thing they don’t drug test for adrenalin, because I would have failed every time.
A recent upgrade to my spritz-off trick was to add Dr. Bronner’s “magic all-one” peppermint oil soap for a double-dose of WAKE UP! to my system.
Peppermint is a proven brain stimulant, so the combination of a spritz-off with peppermint soap prepares both my body and my mind for race day … in one quick, 2-minute shower.