And remember the Marathon Golden Rule (according to my research and interviews):
When it comes to race day, don’t try anything new. Stick with what is tested in your training. This goes for running style, food, snacks, energy drinks. Stick to what you know.
Training Schedule
In the final couple of weeks before the big day, the training becomes surprisingly manageable. Long runs are banished in favor of shorter and more sporadic workouts. It's important to keep up the Cross Training however, which could consist of hiking, biking, swimming, basically anything not running. Here is a plan based on marathon guru Jeff Galloway's book: Marathon You Can Do It!
2 Weeks Until Marathon
Day 1 X Train
Day 2 Run 40-45 Min.
Day 3 Run 20-25 Min.
Day 4 X Train
Day 5 Run 40-45 Min.
Day 6 OFF
Day 7 5K
Day 5 Run 40-45 Min.
Day 6 OFF
Day 7 5K
1 Week Until Marathon
Day 8 Run 40 Min.
Day 9 OFF
Day 10 Run 30 Min.
Day 11 OFF
Day 12 Run 30 Min.
Day 13 OFF
Day 14 MARATHON!!!!
• Run Walk= Promoting Recovery
When I went to Mills’ run club, he really talked me into a consistent run/walk plan for the race. Galloway suggests this too in his book. The idea is, by staying with a consistent ratio of 3 minutes running, followed by one minute of walking, you can run longer distances with ease and fight off fatigue. By incorporating planned walk breaks, before you need them, you are alternating the muscles used for running and giving them a rest.
You can also adjust the ratio throughout depending on how you feel:
Feeling tired– switch to a 2:1 run/walk ratio.
Got more energy in the second half– start doing a 4:1 run/walk
The trick is, practice during training and see what works for you.
And contrary to popular belief, taking short walk breaks won’t slow you down all that much and will keep your energy levels consistent throughout the marathon.
• Negative Split
Mills said something to strive for in finishing a marathon… rather than time… is something called a negative split.
This is when you finish the second half of the race in less time than the first half– even if it’s by a second.
He says a negative split indicates you ran a good pace and kept your endurance up through the finish. So strive for the negative.
• Mental Prep
Preparing yourself mentally is another important thing to do before a big race. Mills says to think positively and soak up the energy of the people around you.
Also, a trick when you near mile 20 or so, don’t start thinking about the finish. Instead, imagine one of your regular weekly 6-7 mile runs, and put yourself at that location. That way, you aren’t FINISHING A MARATHON… you are just coming home from the park, or just finishing the loop near the grocery store. Put yourself there to overcome mental and physical fatigue.
• Helpful Hints
Mills reminds runners to raise your hands up at the finish (and try to look happy!), don’t look down at your watch. When the picture snaps on the finish line, you don’t want to be looking down.
Write your name on a piece of duct tape and attach one to the front and back of your shirt– that way spectators can yell your name as you go by to cheer you on!
After the Race
• drink and eat carbs
• walk around eating and drinking for about a mile
• take a cold shower to help with muscle pain
• do a 30-60 minute walk later that day
Eat up
Running a marathon will burn up a significant amount of calories, so make sure to put some complex carbohydrates into your body along with protein to maintain your blood sugar level (BSL). Some say it is actually more important to carb up a few days before the race, and then just eat light and healthy the day before.
Pasta dishes would seem the traditional choice for dinner, with light sauces and protein mixed in for added nutrients. Galloway also suggests getting plenty of carbs like baked potatoes, dressed up with your fav toppings.
Galloway's foods to avoid just before a race:
• Salt: too much before a race can dehydrate your body.
• Fat: the more you consume the day before, the more sluggish it will make your digestion the day of the race.
• Fiber: an overdose of fiber he says can cause you to “unload” during the race and thus dehydrate you.
• Alcohol
• Large meals- instead opt for grazing
Here are some savory marathon recipes:
Straight from the horse's mouth
Day 8 Run 40 Min.
Day 9 OFF
Day 10 Run 30 Min.
Day 11 OFF
Day 12 Run 30 Min.
Day 13 OFF
Day 14 MARATHON!!!!
Here's what your training time would look like in the last two weeks. Notice how it tapers down just before the marathon (represented in the unusually large bar).
It's more impressive I think to see it on a nifty bar graph:
Dress to Impress
While running clothes can be an important part of functionality, let’s face it, I really want to look good on mile 26.2– even if I am sweating and exhausted. First, it’s important to test out your clothes during training runs and make sure you feel comfortable with what you are wearing. Second, I recommend training with a waist pack, which will carry all your food and extras (I know it’s a glorified fanny pack), to get comfortable with the extra weight. Third, check the weather of the race destination to see what the temp and conditions are so you can adjust.
These tips come from Jeff Galloway's Marathon You Can Do It!, in addition to my own personal experience.
If temp is 60+ wear a tank top and shorts
If temp is 50-59 t-shirt and shorts
Below 49 start layering a long sleeve t-shirt, shorts or tights, mittens and perhaps a hat
And remember, when you get the coveted medal at the end, don’t you want your outfit to be cute in the picture? Even if you are looking like death.
Here is a sample checklist of things to wear and bring on race day:
On your body:
Shoes
Non-cotton socks
t-shirt/tank
shorts/ tights
MP3 player
Optional:
Sunglasses
hat
Warm up pants/jacket
In your pack:
water (32-64 ounces)
Band-aids
Vaseline
Energy bars (one for before and middle of race)
Sun block
Gu packets/ Shot blocks
Lip balm with SPF
Check out the video for a comprehensive race day look.
While running clothes can be an important part of functionality, let’s face it, I really want to look good on mile 26.2– even if I am sweating and exhausted. First, it’s important to test out your clothes during training runs and make sure you feel comfortable with what you are wearing. Second, I recommend training with a waist pack, which will carry all your food and extras (I know it’s a glorified fanny pack), to get comfortable with the extra weight. Third, check the weather of the race destination to see what the temp and conditions are so you can adjust.
These tips come from Jeff Galloway's Marathon You Can Do It!, in addition to my own personal experience.
If temp is 60+ wear a tank top and shorts
If temp is 50-59 t-shirt and shorts
Below 49 start layering a long sleeve t-shirt, shorts or tights, mittens and perhaps a hat
And remember, when you get the coveted medal at the end, don’t you want your outfit to be cute in the picture? Even if you are looking like death.
Here is a sample checklist of things to wear and bring on race day:
On your body:
Shoes
Non-cotton socks
t-shirt/tank
shorts/ tights
MP3 player
Optional:
Sunglasses
hat
Warm up pants/jacket
In your pack:
water (32-64 ounces)
Band-aids
Vaseline
Energy bars (one for before and middle of race)
Sun block
Gu packets/ Shot blocks
Lip balm with SPF
Check out the video for a comprehensive race day look.
Tips from a Pro
I spoke with Club 26.2's Coach Robert Mills, who has run 50 marathons among other races. He and his wife Euri run the club which is a comprehensive run/walk distance training program for all levels. Mills was kind enough to let me tag along on a 7 mile run with his Marina del Rey group, and he gave me some helpful hints along the way.
• Run Walk= Promoting Recovery
When I went to Mills’ run club, he really talked me into a consistent run/walk plan for the race. Galloway suggests this too in his book. The idea is, by staying with a consistent ratio of 3 minutes running, followed by one minute of walking, you can run longer distances with ease and fight off fatigue. By incorporating planned walk breaks, before you need them, you are alternating the muscles used for running and giving them a rest.
You can also adjust the ratio throughout depending on how you feel:
Feeling tired– switch to a 2:1 run/walk ratio.
Got more energy in the second half– start doing a 4:1 run/walk
The trick is, practice during training and see what works for you.
And contrary to popular belief, taking short walk breaks won’t slow you down all that much and will keep your energy levels consistent throughout the marathon.
• Negative Split
Mills said something to strive for in finishing a marathon… rather than time… is something called a negative split.
This is when you finish the second half of the race in less time than the first half– even if it’s by a second.
He says a negative split indicates you ran a good pace and kept your endurance up through the finish. So strive for the negative.
• Mental Prep
Preparing yourself mentally is another important thing to do before a big race. Mills says to think positively and soak up the energy of the people around you.
Also, a trick when you near mile 20 or so, don’t start thinking about the finish. Instead, imagine one of your regular weekly 6-7 mile runs, and put yourself at that location. That way, you aren’t FINISHING A MARATHON… you are just coming home from the park, or just finishing the loop near the grocery store. Put yourself there to overcome mental and physical fatigue.
• Helpful Hints
Mills reminds runners to raise your hands up at the finish (and try to look happy!), don’t look down at your watch. When the picture snaps on the finish line, you don’t want to be looking down.
Write your name on a piece of duct tape and attach one to the front and back of your shirt– that way spectators can yell your name as you go by to cheer you on!
• Shut eye
Mills says the most important night of sleep is actually two days before the race. He says since pre-race jitters are expected, it is important to get a great night's sleep two days prior.
After the Race
• drink and eat carbs
• walk around eating and drinking for about a mile
• take a cold shower to help with muscle pain
• do a 30-60 minute walk later that day
Eat up
Running a marathon will burn up a significant amount of calories, so make sure to put some complex carbohydrates into your body along with protein to maintain your blood sugar level (BSL). Some say it is actually more important to carb up a few days before the race, and then just eat light and healthy the day before.
Breakfast is essential. Galloway suggests cereal (like Grape nuts), bagels, oatmeal and things of that nature to start your BSL off right. But on race day, he says stick to simple carbs like energy bars just before the start.
Pasta dishes would seem the traditional choice for dinner, with light sauces and protein mixed in for added nutrients. Galloway also suggests getting plenty of carbs like baked potatoes, dressed up with your fav toppings.
Galloway's foods to avoid just before a race:
• Salt: too much before a race can dehydrate your body.
• Fat: the more you consume the day before, the more sluggish it will make your digestion the day of the race.
• Fiber: an overdose of fiber he says can cause you to “unload” during the race and thus dehydrate you.
• Alcohol
• Large meals- instead opt for grazing
Here are some savory marathon recipes:
And since I love banana's for their potassium, energy weilding powers and just all around goodness... (not to mention they are given out on many race courses) here are some recipes that use my favorite ingredient/runner fuel:
Straight from the horse's mouth
You can look at all the websites, blogs and books you want... but when it comes down to the race, there is no better way to learn what works and what doesn't than from your peers. So I went out to the Nike Running Club , in Beverly Hills, and Club 26.2, which meet in Marina del Rey– to find out what runners were doing to prepare.
(TIP: I suggest anyone with questions or problems training– join a run club. I learned more in a couple afternoons than I have over the past 4 months of training.)
What I got were very honest answers from people who have either just got into running or have already made it a part of their lifestyle. Either way their tips on training, eating and motivation are helpful to first timers.
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