A Little Advice for Marathon Day and Before
Stick to the PLAN that you have decided upon with your own coach. You will get lots of “Know It All’s” at the Expo etc. giving you advice. "Don’t listen to them" stick to your Plan.You can always test the advice from others on another day.
Remember a minute too fast early on can (and usually does) cost you 5-10 mins in the last few miles. The race does not start until the 20 mile mark at the earliest.
Cork Athletics Webmaster's Advice for Marathon Day
If you are feeling unwell or have just
been ill - DON'T RUN!
Most medical emergencies in the Marathon
are with people who have just been, or are, unwell
Last Minute
Preparations
-
Wear clothes that you've worn before
-
Eat food that you've eaten before
-
No new things the day of the marathon!
-
The sleep you get two nights before the marathon is more important than
the sleep you get the night before the marathon
-
Don't be afraid to smear vaseline on your thighs
-
Take it slowly at the beginning - run the second half of the marathon
faster than the first half
-
Plant supporters along the route - it gives you something to look forward
to (esp. around mile 22).
-
Afterwards, soak your legs in ice-cold water - does a world of good
-
Protein: Burns dirty. Eat very little protein in last 24 to 36 hours, same
goes for high fibre foods, otherwise you will probably need to stop for a
(p)it stop in the first 10 miles or so.
- Pack
your kit bag the night before. Double Check!!
- Don't
forget any old clothes or bin liner to keep warm before the race, ready to
be deposited.
Also don't forget some goodies for when you finish the race.
It's not these 26.2 miles that are the test. It's the 500 miles leading
up to them!
Eating &
Drinking
Eating
- Get
up early and eat as soon as possible - probably best to eat about 2 to 2
1/2 hours before the start. Don't eat something which will "go
through you" - like brown bread. If you've hydrated and Carboloaded
properly, you need very little on the day. I'll eat about 6:30/7am and
I'll have exactly the same as I have before my long runs - weetabix &
yoghurt, with a very small amount of fruit, and a small bit of liquid. Eat
about 300 calories that morning, 2-3 hours before the starting gun. Toast
and bananas are other options. Make sure you've practiced this routine
before several training runs. Beware of some sports drinks, as you will
need to dilute these heavily, or you'll be making a pit stop for a crap
long before you're finished.
- On
the morning, don't have more than a glass or two of water/isotonic drink
beforehand...or you'll be making an early unscheduled pitstop
Before the Race
Toilet:
- Make
sure to have a crap when you wake up!! If you've eaten early, peristalisis
will set in about an hour after eating and you will have to visit the loo
for a dump, so timing your eating will be very important. Don't leave it
too late!
Chafing
- Although
you may be sharing the course with thousands of other runners, you can
still use the course to your advantage. In many of the major marathons
there will be a line on the ground that measures the exact race distance.
Follow the course line wherever possible to ensure you are taking the most
direct route to the finish line! If it's very windy out there, tuck in
close behind a group of runners, so that they act as a windshield for you!
-
Watch your running step! This applies particularly to the first mile when
the road is littered with discarded bin liners, plastic bottles and
clothing - and to drinks stations, where people move erratically. I've
seen many a bruised and bloodied runner being tended to by the first aid
teams before they've even got into their stride! It's quite a challenge to
run in such close proximity to other people, and you need to keep your
wits about you. Try to stick your hand out, like an indicator, if you
intend to move sideways - and always check before you pull out in front of
someone or stop.
·
f you can, grab your drink and run through the water-station. If
it's in cups, you'll need to get it down quickly or it'll spill. If it's
bottles, get away from the mayhem of the station and drink at leisure. You can
actually 'make time' by breezing thro' like this
·
Work the course - If you've done the work, most of the
Marathon effort is in the mind. I after a 90 hour working week, ending on the
Sat afternoon before Dublin, I once got thro' the race repeating to myself (not
aloud) "Long, cool and easy", and visualized this. (Finished in 2:51
that year!)
·
Get some
support. Know where your supporters are, and put your name on your t-shirt.
·
Think while you run
·
Try to stay present in your running. If you drift off into a reverie, or get too caught up in the carnival atmosphere, you may forget to hydrate properly and may not notice your pace quickening (or less likely, slowing down) until you suddenly reach the halfway point in a time that's way off target. Staying focused means you can do something about it if you do make a mistake, whereas getting so carried away that you don't even notice you've made a mistake is hard to rectify.
Try to stay present in your running. If you drift off into a reverie, or get too caught up in the carnival atmosphere, you may forget to hydrate properly and may not notice your pace quickening (or less likely, slowing down) until you suddenly reach the halfway point in a time that's way off target. Staying focused means you can do something about it if you do make a mistake, whereas getting so carried away that you don't even notice you've made a mistake is hard to rectify.
·
Supporters
·
No matter how independent you are, it really
helps to have some supporters out there on the course. Whether it's a charity
that you are running for, or for yourself, or for friends, family, or work
colleagues - try to get as many spectators out there as possible on the day. Be
very specific about where you want them to be. Remember to tell them not just
at what point on the course (for example right by the seven- mile marker), but
also at which side of the road. Also, them as accurately as possible at what
time you expect to get to that point on the course. And the advice about
putting your name on the front of your t- shirt might be old hat, but it still
holds true - so do it! Hearing your name called, even by someone you hardly
know, is hugely heartening when your spirits are beginning to flag and your
legs feel heavy.
·
If you take nothing else from this article, remember this: Learn
to body scan. All you need to do is cast your mind's eye from head to toe,
looking for any signs of unnecessary tension or tightness, any muscles that
could do with a stretch, and any joints that could do with loosening up. I
often find it's my jaw that is set solid, with a frown across my forehead. Try
a smile - it's impossible to be tense and smile at the same time. I suggest
doing a body scan every ten to 15 minutes, to ensure you are as relaxed as possible
and not wasting energy.
·
Even if you are hell-bent on breaking three, four or five hours
in this race, don't keep your mind focused entirely on the finish line
throughout. Instead, try to enjoy the journey as well as the destination.
You've put so much into preparing for this big day, the least you should do is
try to savour it a little!
·
Drinking / Gels / Power Bars
·
DON'T drink or eat anything that you haven't
tried on your long runs - No matter how much others tell you how great they
are! I did it once and, in spite of perfect training and form, blew up due to
nausea from the "you've gotta take - it's brilliant!" isotonic drink.
·
You have been warned! You have too much riding on this race to
blow it on an untried drink/gel/bar
·
Drinking
II
f you've followed the advice on hydration, then you'll be pretty
well hydrated and will only need to drink very little on the run, just enough
to keep your mouth moist. Remember if you drink too much — if you can feel
water sloshing around in your stomach — you are creating a problem also = too
much water is toxic! Learn to take water on the run, how to run through the
water station and sip as you go.
-
Remember to drink before you get thirsty, and eat your energy bars (or
gels or whatever you're carrying with you) before you think you need them.
-
Drinking on the go can be tricky if you haven't practiced it before. Most
people have success folding the cups into a V. But don't be afraid to walk
through the water stations
-
Drink at least a bit of water or isotonic drink at EVERY drink station.
Don't wait until you feel dehydrated, or it will be too late.
-
Unless you're really dehydated, or it's really hot on race day, don't stop
for water in the last 2-3 miles. Your body won't absorb it fast enough 'to
help much, and it can be hard to start running again once you stop.
- Watch out for
idiots wearing headphones!!! - they won't hear your calls and generally
cause mayhem at the waterstations!
Cooling
If the weather is hot, you might want to slosh water over your
wrists and thighs. Beware, if pouring water over your head, as too much will
run down your back and into your shorts, with risk of chafing.
Latter
Stages
Keep your head up. Protect your back, neck
& confidence, by keeping eye contact with the crowd. Keep your head up
while running. As you get tired, you may find that you are spending most of the
time looking at your feet rather than up at the road ahead. This not only
throws your spine out of alignment - putting you at risk of back, neck pain or
shoulder tension it can also make your spirits flag, as you aren't making eye
contact. Keeping your head up gives you a much more confident stance and sends
a positive message to your subconscious mind.
Resist the urge for a toilet break
Talk to yourself while you run
Give yourself a bit of a pep talk as you go along. Tell yourself how well you're doing. Tell yourself how strong you are - in mind and body. You may want to have a mantra, which you can repeat to yourself with ease as you are running. I have used 'I am running fast and strong' in the past, which has a nice rhythm to it (even if you're doing anything but!)
Give yourself a bit of a pep talk as you go along. Tell yourself how well you're doing. Tell yourself how strong you are - in mind and body. You may want to have a mantra, which you can repeat to yourself with ease as you are running. I have used 'I am running fast and strong' in the past, which has a nice rhythm to it (even if you're doing anything but!)
Have fun! Smile and respond to the crowd. Stay focused on your race target Your target is to get to the end!
Break the distance down into manageable 'chunks' and congratulate yourself when you finish each one.
Wind
Wind
(A): If it's windy, then shelter as much as possible; run
behind someone as much as possible. Maybe take turns at breaking the wind.
Wind (B): If you feel bloated, then FART!! If you keep it in, then it will
tend to act as a sort of liquidizer on your intestine - resulting in the need
for a pit-stop. So....ladies especially don't be afraid to fart - If it's
noisy, blame it on the men around you - "Aren't they terrible!", if
it's quiet, blame it on the men anyway!
The Finish
DO NOT STOP YOUR WATCH AT THE FINISH LINE. You will look silly in the photo. Run through it (with your arms raised in triumph if you like). Stop your watch after you pass the cameras.
The Course ...SPR ...Again!
SPR: Shortest Possible Route - Everywhere you can, run the
SPR. That's the way the course is measured. If everyone else is taking the long
way round bends, don't follow - unless you're sheltering from the wind. Why run,
say, 27 miles - 26.22 is long enough as it is!
All above thanks to John Quigley Webmaster Cork County Board
