Yorkshire-born triathlete Jess had a formidable rise to success, having only started training for the triathlon as part of Team GB four years prior to winning Olympic Gold at the Tokyo games in 2020. Jess gave birth to her little boy Fred back in September and is deep into training with her eyes firmly on winning more medals.
With that in mind, Jess knows a thing or two about preparing physically and mentally for a race. As part of her Aqua Pura ambassadorship, Jess is currently putting five amateur runners through their paces. She’s getting them at their very best as they prepare for the AJ Bell Great North Run after they won a competition run by Great Run Series Hydration Partner Aqua Pura.
Here, Jess talks about what you need to prepare for a race, how to stay hydrated, what to wear and how to get in the right mindset for your Great Run.
DEVELOPING A TRAINING REGIME
For me, the most important thing is that you enjoy your training, feel motivated, mentally focussed and want to keep reaching for your trainers.
A training programme shouldn’t just be about distance and time. I’ve been studying the five winners sleep patterns, eating habits, life stresses, and hydration levels to get a real understanding of their fitness levels and how we can fit a training programme into their life. Anyone training for a race without the support of a PT or running club should get to grips with these details too as it will help you work out a plan. Create a diary and keep a note of all these factors – you’ll soon see patterns and work out what works for you.
HOW TO BALANCE HOME LIFE AND TRAINING
For me, being very organised is key. Trying to balance things is tricky so I’ve had to adapt my training routine and I try and do a lot of my training before Fred wakes in a morning (which is tough because we all know how early babies wake up!) or when he’s napping.
For anyone trying to develop a training programme I’d say be really realistic. Plan to train when it is genuinely possible otherwise, you’ll be disappointed when you don’t stick to it. Call in favours from friends and family if you’ve childcare to juggle, run with them while they ride their bikes or if they’re really little grab yourself one of those running pushchairs and tie it in with nap times. Consider lunch time runs or running before work if evenings are a struggle. Where there’s a will, there’s a way!
HOW DO I STAY HYDRATED?
This very much depends on your body size, the weather, your sweat rate, and how much physical activity you are doing. When we exercise, we sweat to remove heat from the body, but this also causes us to lose body fluid. People very quickly become dehydrated when you use or lose more fluid than you take in, and your body doesn’t have enough water and other fluids to carry out its normal functions.
I always have a water bottle on me to physically remind me to drink and taking water little but often is much better than guzzling water in one go every few hours. By making sure you’re properly hydrated you’ll feel better, perform better and recover faster.
It’s really important to keep hydrated throughout the whole day prior to your race, and not just on the day of your race. I’d recommend adding in an electrolyte tablet into your water especially if your event is longer than 1.5 hours and consider your sodium levels too….low levels are never a good idea.
Click here for the Aqua Pura Hydration calculator which will help you understand how much water your body needs to feel great.
HOW DO I KNOW IF I’M DEHYDRATED?
Not to overstate the obvious but you’ll pee less and, when you do, your urine will be darker in colour, you’ll get headaches, a dry mouth, dizziness, and an increase in heart rate and body temperature. These symptoms all take a toll on your body and will make everything, especially exercise harder. Keeping hydrated is really important.
IF IT’S WARM, WHAT DO I NEED TO CONSIDER?
Clothing. I prefer and feel the heat less in lighter colours so I like racing in as much white as possible. I also consider how the fabrics feel, how absorbent they are, if they will rub and irritate my skin and if they will make me sweat more. It’s important you feel comfortable with what you are wearing so really do consider your outfit.
Naturally the warmer weather will increase your sweat rate – so you will be losing more bodily fluids. This means you’ll need to drink more before, during, and after your race. And don’t forget to add those electrolytes into your water when training and racing in the heat, as you lose them at a quicker rate in the heat.
WHAT’S YOUR BEST ADVICE FOR APPROACHING WATER STATIONS DURING RACES?
I always pick up a drink at every water station but how much I drink depends on how I’m feeling. Sometimes I only take a few sips before throwing the bottle in the bin, somethings I sip on the water and carry it with me before aiming it at the next bin. Little and often works well so you don’t have lots of fluid sloshing around in your tummy.
I find it can be quite hard to navigate the water stations while running, so don’t feel like you have to. Slow down and walk while you hydrate if that works for you – drinking and running is hard work! And don’t forget to look out for Aqua Pura’s Drink, Drain and Aim stations throughout the course, we all need to work together to keep those bottles in the recycling bins!
IS THERE ANY RISK IN DRINKING TOO MUCH?
Absolutely. The main risk comes from low sodium levels which occur if you are drinking a considerable amount of plain water without electrolytes. Having too little sodium in your body can make you very sick. This is called hypernatremia and we want to avoid this at all costs!
It’s especially important to hydrate with electrolytes and not just water (particularly if you are a very salty sweater) if you are exercising in the heat.
HOW DO YOU MENTALLY PREPARE FOR A RACE?
For me, because I came into sport late, I think I’ve always had the ability to appreciate everything. I don’t get too nervous and it is just such a bonus for me to be living this life as an elite athlete and that’s only increased since I have had Fred. Being able to see the bigger picture and have a solid perspective is really important. I – like everyone else – have bad sessions and things don’t pan out. That’s just life, it happens, but there’ll be another race.
The important thing is, focus, breathe and be present in the experience. Who actually cares if you don’t beat your PB? The fact is you got off your backside, have thrown yourself into training and have given it your all. That’s all you can do and that’s all you can ever ask of yourself. What’s important is to find the joy in it and soak in that happy feeling.
