I fly home tomorrow, leaving me one day to prepare for my Saturday morning 5K. I’m planning now so I can stay relaxed before the race.

I’m running in my first 5k on Saturday. Now I’ve run in other 5k races, but this one is special. My goal is to run the entire race, something I haven’t done yet. I fly back home Thursday, yet I don’t feel anxious at all. In fact, I’m pretty relaxed about the race.

Well to keep this moment of zen going, I decided to take some time today to create a checklist of what I need to do the day before the race.  I’m keeping it simple.

Dot’s Pre-5K Race Checklist

1. Pick up Race Bib & Packet – Friday morning I plan to head over to the race HQ and pick up my shirt, bib and race instructions. When I entered my first 5k two years ago, I picked up my packet the morning of the race. Bad move! It was an hour of waiting followed by 5 minutes of pure chaos as race staff tried to find my name. To make the morning perfect, I had to high tail it over to the starting line so as not to miss the start. Yikes! Never again.

2. Food & Water – Nothing special here. I plan to eat my normal low carb fare and drink my 90 ounces of water.

3. Relax – Friday is shaping up to be a beautiful day so chilling out on the deck with the dogs and the hubby’s Kindle seems like a great way to unwind from my trip.

4. No Running! – Knowing me, I’ll overdue it and wear my legs out. However I plan to take the dogs on a long stroll.

5. Set Out Gear – Rather than scrambling around my house the morning of race day, I plan to set out everything I need — clothes, shoes, bib, packet, sunblock, lip balm, water bottle, iPhone, ear buds, belt, ID, towel, sunglasses, hat, and post race snack — the day before the race. No need to stress out before I leave my house.

6. Charge All Devices – I’ll need a fully charged iPhone and Fitbit (if I can get a new one by race day). I haven’t decided if I’ll run with my music or not, but I’m thinking the music will help calm me down.

7. Check the Weather – The day before the race looks great. But race day looks amazing. Hopefully the weather holds. Since the race starts at 7:30 a.m., I need to know if I need to dress in layers or for morning showers.

8. Race Directions – Nothing will stress you out more come race morning than not knowing the race location. I plan on logging the address into my iPhone’s GPS and printing out directions via Google Maps.

9. Check Race Website – Sure I’ll have into in the packet, but the minute I pick it up it’s out-of-date. So a few hours before bed, I’ll double check the race start time, parking info and any last minute updates.

10. Get My 8 Hours of Sleep – Best way to ensure my legs and mind are fresh for the race is to get my beauty sleep.

If I follow my check list, I’m expecting a pretty smooth morning. I just need to stay relaxed, focused and not let any bumps in the road distract me from my goal…or having fun.