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Race week: Getting from the couch to the Run In The Dark 5k start-line in eight weeks

It’s go-time.

NOTHING YOU CAN do between now and race day will make you any fitter.

You can, however, prepare as well as possible before the event.

You should have everything you need at this stage and it’s no harm writing out a checklist to double check.

Bear in mind that you might be travelling to the venue directly from work so your packing will need to be done by the latest on the night before and the weather can go from one extreme to the other.  Pinning the race number to your T-shirt well in advance is always a good idea and lessens the chance of forgetting it.

Don’t overdo the pre-race hydration as the last thing you want before the start is feeling the need to use the toilet and that’s a normal race day reaction.  The same can be said for eating in advance of the start.  Stick with your regular lunch-type meal and between finishing work and the race start you might get away without the need to eat but if you feel hungry choose something small and light and try have it consumed at least two hours before the start.

Make sure to arrive at the venue in good time to avoid any unnecessary panic and to allow time for a short warm up.  You may think the warm up is unnecessary for the race distance but this is when you discover if all is ok and you’re ready for action.  During the warm-up you might notice that your shoe laces are too tight for example.

Knowing where you’re going is always advisable and If travelling with or supported by friends and family then it might be worth planning a meet up point for after the event just in case you get separated.  Keep the meet-up point close by and obvious as the area will be busy and it’s easy to get lost in a crowd.

If you plan on using a GPS watch make sure the battery life is sufficient for your expected finish time plus a bit more and I’d advise switching it on well in advance of the start to get a fix on the satellites as this can take longer than usual when surrounded by tall buildings.  The positive energy that’s radiated from such a large group of like-minded people can be hard to match so aim to arrive at the start line well rested and make the most of the moment.

Race week

Monday:  Five-min brisk walk (15 min  run/35-min walk, 10-min run). Walk to finish.

Tuesday:  rest

Wednesday: RACE DAY! Five-10 min easy jog to warm up, finishing about 10 minutes before race starts.

Thursday:  Rest or active recovery. Cycle/swim/brisk walk.

Friday: rest

Saturday:  rest

Sunday: Rest or active recovery. Cycle/swim/brisk walk.

Best of luck!

See the full 5k programme here or the 10k here for more advanced runners.

John O’Regan is a renowned adventure runner and the Life Style Sports Run in the Dark’s expert coach. Follow him on Twitter: @johnoregan777. He is available an online Q&A every Monday from 8-9pm on the event’s Facebook Page to answer training related questions.

Pamela Anderson completed the New York Marathon with hardly any training

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4 Comments
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    Mute Ferg Breen
    Favourite Ferg Breen
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    Feb 15th 2012, 3:36 PM

    What’s with the negativity?
    We may be boring at times but its working. Id rather win our group games 1-0 and be bored than loose 5-4 and be entertained.
    European Championships here we come!

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    Mute Begrudgy
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    Feb 15th 2012, 3:45 PM

    Whats the point in watching so? I would rather us have a go then play that boring tripe.

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    Mute Brian Fransisco Kealy
    Favourite Brian Fransisco Kealy
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    Feb 15th 2012, 4:45 PM

    http://www.zonalmarking.net/2011/11/16/trapattoni-ireland-tactics-euro-2012/

    We would be steam-rolled by any team with decent players. We don’t have great players so why should we kid ourselves? Everyone who says Trap is too boring now are the same people who would be calling for his head if we “had a go” and shipped a shed load of goals to Spain

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    Mute Kevin Maybury
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    Feb 16th 2012, 12:26 AM

    @brian we might not be the best team in the world but we are not as bad as trap allows us to be he doesnt pick the best players and when there is a chance to go for the win we rarely take it

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    Mute Kieran White
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    Feb 15th 2012, 4:07 PM

    i , for one cant wait for the Euro’s – Trap is doing a great job.

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    Mute Begrudgy
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    Feb 15th 2012, 3:37 PM

    England 5th???? Lol. B.S.

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    Mute Martin O Regan
    Favourite Martin O Regan
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    Feb 15th 2012, 2:02 PM

    Who are we on about again
    The England B team is it .
    What rubbish .

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    Mute Dave McAuliffe
    Favourite Dave McAuliffe
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    Feb 15th 2012, 2:34 PM

    Hey if you want John Terry, Ashley Cole, Rooney etc then off ya go, dont let the door hit your ass on the way out.

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    Mute Brian Fransisco Kealy
    Favourite Brian Fransisco Kealy
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    Feb 15th 2012, 4:41 PM

    So would you celebrate if we won something or just drown in your own pool of negativity?

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    Mute George Byrne
    Favourite George Byrne
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    Feb 15th 2012, 5:15 PM

    Can anybody explain how Ireland’s FIFA ranking points increased from 864 to 893 in a month when they were not playing.

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    Mute Steven Smyth
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    Feb 15th 2012, 8:14 PM

    Eh…….no. Makes you wonder (and the fact England are in 5th)

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    Mute Kevin Collins
    Favourite Kevin Collins
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    Feb 15th 2012, 9:35 PM

    cos recent results are weighted higher than older results. and some of our older results (i.e. under stan) were dragging us down but have now dropped off so our points average has gone up. simples.

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    Mute George Byrne
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    Feb 16th 2012, 4:57 PM

    Thanks Kevin.
    However, only results in January can impact the February rankings. In each of the four Januarys in question (2009-2012) Ireland were not playing so I think the mystery remains.

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    Mute Patrick Hynes
    Favourite Patrick Hynes
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    Feb 15th 2012, 9:02 PM

    Please god we’ll be higher after the euros.

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    Mute George Byrne
    Favourite George Byrne
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    Feb 16th 2012, 5:15 PM

    Looking at Feb fixtures, a rankings of 17th in March is not out the question if we beat the Czech Rep

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    Mute Conor Reilly
    Favourite Conor Reilly
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    Feb 15th 2012, 9:19 PM

    How were we third seeds for the Uefa Draw for brazil 2014?

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    Mute George Byrne
    Favourite George Byrne
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    Feb 16th 2012, 5:08 PM

    Seedings for the qualifiers (Euro & WC) are based on the UEFA Coefficient not the FIFA rankings

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    Mute George Byrne
    Favourite George Byrne
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    Feb 16th 2012, 5:47 PM

    Correction: Since 2006, WC qualifiers use the FIFA rankings.

    Ireland are ranked 13 (within Europe) by UEFA coefficient. UEFA coefficient excludes all results except last three tournaments (qualifiers & finals) of Euro & WC. Oldest gets a lower weighting.

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    Mute Steven Smyth
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    Feb 15th 2012, 10:11 PM

    Trappatoni looks like he’s waiting for his last number to be called at the bingo!

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