Training Notes · Trail Running · Race Week
Race Wxeek Tips
for Trail Runners.
What actually matters in the final seven days before your race.
protect, do not prove
Her Trails CoachingPractical guideWritten for women8 min read
Race week is not where fitness is built. It is where fitness is protected.
01 · The frame
Why race week is not about getting fitter.
Race week is often misunderstood. The volume drops, the sessions shorten, and the structure that has guided you for weeks suddenly quietens. For many runners, that quiet creates uncertainty. There is a pull to do more. To test fitness. To confirm readiness. To find reassurance in one last hard effort.
By the time you arrive at race week, your body has already adapted to the training you have completed. Aerobic capacity, muscular endurance and movement efficiency are not changing in any meaningful way across these final days. What can change is how that fitness shows up.
“Race week does not build fitness. It reveals it.”
02 · The four levers
What actually matters in race week.
The goal becomes simple. Arrive at the start line as rested, fuelled and mentally clear as possible. Four levers carry that weight.
Where to focus your energy
Movement
Keep sessions short and controlled. Move enough to stay loose, not enough to create fatigue. Easy efforts only, with one short pick-up midweek if it is part of your normal pattern.
Logistics
Kit, nutrition, drop bags, timing and travel decided early in the week. Decisions are decisions, not race-morning improvisation.
Fuelling
Eat consistently across the week. Do not under-fuel because training volume has dropped. Lift carbohydrate intake in the final 24 to 48 hours.
Stress
Reduce unnecessary stress. Protect your time, your energy and your attention. Saying no to extra commitments in race week is part of training.
03 · Day by day
A workable race-week template.
A guide, not a prescription. Shape it to your race start, travel and personal rhythms. The structure matters more than the exact day.
Seven days out to start line
7 days out
Easy run with one or two short surges to keep neuromuscular sharpness. Begin pulling kit together. Confirm travel and start times.
5 to 6 days out
Short easy run plus mobility. Lock in nutrition list. Reduce social load. No new foods, supplements, shoes, packs or routines from here.
3 to 4 days out
20 to 30 minutes very easy with optional 3 to 4 strides. Begin lifting carbs. Pack drop bags. Reduce fibre slightly.
2 days out
Rest day or 15 minutes shake-out. Hydrate steadily. Familiar carbohydrate-led meals. Pre-pack the race bag.
Day before
10 to 20 minutes very easy plus strides if it is your normal pattern. Lay everything out. Familiar dinner, early to bed. Set two alarms.
Race morning
Practised breakfast 2 to 4 hours before start. Move through your warm-up routine. Stay off your feet at the venue. Arrive early.
04 · The mental shift
If race week feels strange, that is normal.
Many runners notice a shift in how they feel. Legs can feel flat. Energy can feel inconsistent. Doubt can surface. None of this means something is wrong. It is a normal response to reduced load and increased anticipation.
The body is recalibrating. The mind is adjusting to the space. Trust the signals that have been steady for weeks, not the noise of a single afternoon.
“You do not arrive at the start line ready. You arrive having been ready for weeks.”
05 · Logistics
Decide it before you need it.
Decisions made in calm save decisions in stress. Walk through the checklist 4 to 5 days out, not on race morning.
Race-week checklist
Kit
Shoes, socks, shorts/tights, top, sports bra, cap, sunglasses, gloves, jacket, headtorch (if applicable). All tested. Nothing new.
Mandatory gear
Cross-check every item against the event's mandatory list. Re-check on the morning. Carry the list with you to check-in.
Nutrition
Race fuel, salt, caffeine plan, real food backups. Count units per hour. Pack extra. Drop bags pre-labelled.
Timing
Start time. Bib collection window. Bag drop close. Briefing. Travel time plus contingency. Wake-up time set backwards from breakfast.
Crew & comms
Crew briefed on locations, timings, fuel handoffs and a low-moment script. Phone numbers loaded. Emergency contact saved.
Travel
Accommodation booked. Parking confirmed. Backup route. Familiar food available at destination. Arrive a day early when possible.
06 · Execution
From preparation to execution.
Race week is not about doing more. It is about trusting what has already been done. Execution on race day comes down to a few simple behaviours.
Race-day non-negotiables
Controlled start
First 30 minutes feel suspiciously easy. If it feels right early, it is too hard. Hold back the energy you will need later.
Fuel early
Begin fuelling within the first 30 minutes. Do not wait to feel hungry. Set a timer. Hit the plan, not the feeling.
Stay present
When it gets hard, shrink the race. Next aid station. Next gel. Next ten minutes. Present is always more manageable than total distance.
Move with patience
Hills are walked when walking is faster. Descents are run within control. Patience is the discipline that holds the back half together.
07 · What matters most
The work is done. Now protect it.
Race week is a discipline of restraint. The more you trust the build, the more clearly it shows up on the day. The less you interfere with the process, the better the body executes what it already knows how to do.
You have done the work. Your job now is to protect it.
to the start line, ready.
Written by
Her Trails Coaching
Practical guide coaching for women training across the seasons of their lives.
