training for a race

Question
QUESTION: Hi jared. I have a race on the 10th January. I am 15 years old and the distance will be between 3 and 4 kilometres, x-country. Over the last few weeks, I have been going out for a run every other day, of about 3.5 kilometres. What running should I do between now and the race? And what should I eat on the day of the race? Thanks, Anne.

ANSWER: Hi Anne. You've got 7 days until the tenth.
First off, rest for two days. Then do your regular jogs for two days in a row, and the next day, do some sprinting. Don't sprint more than 800 meters total. And on the sixth day, do some active rest. No running workout, just something very light like jump roping or a 4 minute jog.
On race day, be sure to get up early. I mean 3 hours earlier than your race starts. Don't ask me why, but this helps. Make sure you get your normal 6-9 hours of sleep.

The night before your race, eat very light; and don't overdo it during the day. People say eat lots of pasta but for this distance you won't need to carbo load.

The morning of your race, eat a banana. You should eat it just a couple of hours before your race. Eat as little bit of cereal (no milk, just a few handfuls of cereal) about an hour before your race starts.

I hope you consider the schedule I gave you on the running, It's a little strict, but the general idea is to rest and recover after your long training period, but stay in shape a few days before the race and make sure that your muscles feel sharp and ready. The sprinting is like tweaking you right before the race. After awhile of doing races, you'll learn how to stay in shape best but to be rested before a race. Everyone is different.
Best of luck,
Jared

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Which are my two days of rest? saturday/sunday, or sunday/monday?
thanks again.

Answer
Hey again. Rest today and tomorrow. Saturday and Sunday. You have to make sure your body is fully recovered because of your previous training. Don't get fat tomorrow though.
Feel free to shoot me any more questions if you have any throughout the week.
Jared