Running Online
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Marathon Countdown and Race Day Strategy
By
Art Liberman
of
State of the Art Marathon Training
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Over the past four
months, let's assume that you've been a very compliant
runner, having followed all of your coach's advice and
instructions. With the marathon only one week away, all
of your hard training has now been completed. Most
runners assume there's nothing to worry about now except
traveling to, and completing the race. However, what you
do and don't do during this time period can have a
tremendous effect on the outcome of your race. This
section will outline many areas of concern and how you
can be as prepared as possible for the big day. For the
purposes of this discussion, I will assume your marathon
is scheduled for Sunday at 8:00 a.m.
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Issues to
Consider the Week Before and Evening Prior to Your
Marathon
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Tapering | |
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See
separate section on Tapering
for more information. |
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There is no workout you can do one
week prior to the marathon which will enhance
your performance. Thus, scale back on the
distance and intensity of your runs, eliminating
long and hard efforts. |
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You
will need to make a decision as to if you wish
to take either/both Friday or Saturday as a
complete leg rest day(s) marathon
weekend. | | |
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Marathon
Nutritional
Issues | |
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The
Week Prior to Your
Marathon | |
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As you scale back on the
distance and intensity of your running during
the last week, realize that you will not be
burning as many calories. Thus, you may gain one
or two pounds if you don't cut back a bit on the
quantity of your servings early in the
week.
- Use care in selecting foods
to eat during this time period, aiming for
quality foods rather than snack/high fat
products.
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Hydrate well the week before
the marathon (water is best) and in particular,
during the carbohydrate loading period (three
days prior to the marathon). Research has shown
that carbohydrates convert to glycogen more
effectively when accompanied with the
consumption of water. This is the time when you
probably will gain a couple of pounds, but don't
worry about it. This will be the fuel you will
use during your marathon!
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If you are traveling out
town, be sure to pack healthy snack foods you
may wish to eat the weekend of the marathon.
Eliminate the need to search for a grocery store
that stocks your favorite foods. See Packing
List for more information.
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If traveling by plane to
your marathon destination, carry bottled water
with you to drink on your flight. Flying at high
altitudes causes dehydration.
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As mentioned above,
carbohydrate loading begins three days before
the marathon. Choose foods for lunch and dinner
that are high in carbohydrates (e.g., pasta,
potatoes, rice, etc.). Don't neglect fruits,
vegetables, and some protein sources however.
Try to really scale back on fats during this
time.
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The
Evening Prior to Your
Marathon | | |
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- Be sure to eat carbohydrate
products that have been "tried and proven"
during your training period. Keep pasta sauces
simple, avoiding high fat varieties (e.g.,
alfredo, pesto, etc.) Avoid eating lots of salad
items and vegetables (roughage) as these may
prove to be troublesome on race day as they may
cause digestive problems. Stick to water during
the evening meal. Because coffee and tea
contains caffeine, these products may make it
difficult for you to fall asleep easily. Keep in
mind that caffeine (along with alcoholic
beverages) are also diuretics, which contributes
to dehydration.
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Physical
Preparation | |
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 Keep stretching
the week prior to the marathon as much
as
possible.
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Listen to your body. As mentioned
above, there are no workouts the week prior to
the marathon which will enhance your
preparedness for the race. A general rule of
thumb is "Less is Best". |
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Consider getting a leg massage no
more than two days before the marathon. If
you've never had a leg massage, don't try it
now! |
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Take care of long toenails, blisters,
and calluses the week or two prior to the
marathon.
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Experimentation | | |
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Don't try anything new the week prior
to, or during the marathon. |
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Also see separate section on Areas
of Experimentation for more
information.
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Rest | |
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Aim
to get lots of sleep the week prior to the
marathon. |
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Try
to go to bed early Friday night and wake up very
early Saturday morning. This will enable you to
get into the rhythm of preparing to wake up
early Sunday morning. The most important night
for sleep is Friday evening as many people find
it difficult resting/sleeping soundly the night
before the marathon. If you don't get a restful
night's sleep Saturday, that's fine as long as
you slept well Friday. |
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After your meal, try not to think
about the marathon anymore. Instead, watch
television, read (about something other than
running), or find something else restful to do
until turning in for the
evening. |
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Prior to retiring, have two alarm
systems set to wake you up (alarm clock, wake-up
call, running watch alarm setting, etc.). The
key here not leaving anything to
chance. |
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Wake up early enough to eat, make
visit(s) to the bathroom, and take care of
anything you feel the need to do so as not to
feel rushed. The idea in the few hours before
the marathon is to relax as much as
possible.
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Packing | |
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For
out of town events in particular, don't wait
until the night before you travel to collect and
pack needed items. Rather, make a list of things
you wish to take (also see
Packing List) and begin getting them
together in the days prior to
departure. |
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Whether you're traveling out of town
to a marathon or not, get everything you need to
take to the event together for your workout bag
and ready the night before the race. Also, pin
your race number to the front of your singlet or
t-shirt. It's a good idea to take an extra roll
of toilet paper with you to the race site in
case there's none remaining when you visit the
bathroom or port-o-let. You'll have enough on
your mind race morning, let alone worrying about
items you need to wear or take to the starting
line. |
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Check the weather forecast in the day
or two prior to the marathon. Plan for all
possible types of weather conditions and pack
accordingly. It's better to have everything you
need rather than having to scurry around a new
city looking for clothing and/or accessories at
the last minute. |
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See
nutrition section above for food and beverage
items to pack. |
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If
you're traveling to an out of town race by air,
your running shoes and apparel for the marathon
should be packed in carry-on luggage so that in
the event your baggage is lost or delayed by the
airline, you will at least have the "essential"
items needed for the
race.
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Sightseeing | |
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If
your marathon takes you to a new or exciting
city, quell the urge to do a lot of sightseeing
by foot the day before the race. Instead, save
your legs for the race. |
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A
great time for sightseeing on foot is in the
afternoon after the race or the following day.
An easy stroll is an excellent therapeutic
measure for tired/fatigued
legs.
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Psychological Issues and
Concerns | |
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As
you taper, concentrate on reading books,
magazine articles that will provide you with
motivation and inspiration. |
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Take care of any anxieties and
concerns in the weeks prior to the marathon.
Preparation is the best strategy to reduce or
eliminate stress and anxiety, all the more
reason to have completed those key long runs
during your training. |
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Remember that is normal to be tense
or nervous prior to a marathon. Even the most
seasoned runners experience these
feelings. |
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Stay away from participants who are
excessively stressed out or are negative. Don't
let these individuals affect your state of
mind. |
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Touring the Course - For first time
marathoners, I recommend NOT viewing the course
prior to the race. Doing so may add to your
nervousness (particularly if the course is
difficult). Instead, look at a course map and/or
elevation profile diagram to become familiar
with the characteristics of the course. It can
be a positive psychological experience to think
of the marathon as an "exploratory sightseeing
excursion" which can add some interest,
excitement, and positive anticipation regarding
the last miles of the race that are oftentimes
mentally tough. |
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Please refer to separate section on
Psychological
Aspects for more
information.
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Race Strategy and Goal
Setting | |
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The
evening prior to the marathon is NOT the time to
plan or think about your race strategy. Issues
such as pacing, stopping at aid station,
rendezvousing with friends, etc. should be
planned in the days or couple of weeks prior to
the race - not when you're trying to relax or
fall asleep the evening before the
marathon. |
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In
the weeks prior to the marathon, think about
three goals you'd be interested in accomplishing
for your marathon: An easily obtainable goal, a
realistic yet moderately challenging goal, and
an ultimate goal. Determine a strategy to
achieve the ultimate goal, but build in
flexibility in your plan to shoot for less
ambitious goals if things don't pan out the way
you had planned. Above all, be realistic. For
example, if you don't possess the genetic
make-up to run a sub 38 minute 10-K, there's
very little chance you could break three hours
in the marathon. |
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Issues to Consider the Morning of Your
Marathon (Before the
Race)
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Stay off your feet as much
as possible prior to the
race. | |
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Continue to drink fluids up
to 15 minutes before the start of the
race. | |
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Eat
your final snack no more than 30 minutes before
the start of the
race. |
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Issues to Consider During Your
Marathon
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The
Start - Line up
according to your expected pace (faster runners
to the front). While runners are generally very
honest people, this oftentimes does not hold
true when they are asked to line up for the
start of the race. Unfortunately, too many
slower runners line up in front of the faster
runners. In addition to this not being fair, in
a large race the slower runners can actually
create problems (as people tend to be pushed
down or slip and fall). Please be courteous!
Also, don't get too caught up in the hoopla by
being overly exuberant by yelling and cheering
as the gun is about to go off. Save that energy
later when you'll need it. Instead, focus on
positive thinking. Visualize all of your friends
who will be pulling for you and all the hard
training that went into the preparation for this
big race. Take a deep breath and KNOW that you
are going to not only finish the race but
achieve your goal(s). |
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Pacing - Running the correct pace for your
ability level is crucial in the marathon,
especially for the first time marathoner. It is
so easy to start the race running much faster
than you should. Your pace during the first mile
oftentimes feels effortless due to the
adrenaline rush and excitement of the event. If
you go out too fast, you'll pay dearly for the
mistake in the later miles. A much better
strategy is to start out slower than what you
hope to average and then run the middle miles at
your chosen (hopefully realistic) pace. It's a
better strategy to pick up the pace during the
final miles when you know you can finish rather
than starting aggressively. In the world of
marathoning, there's no such theory as "putting
the fast miles in the bank early in the race"
and then holding on in the end. If you go that
route, you will most assuredly visit the dreaded
wall. Some texts have "race predictor charts"
which will enable you to extrapolate your
shorter race times (e.g., 10-K, half-marathon)
to realistic predicted marathon times. Check out
this great website, Running
Free, for their "Race Time Predictor Chart".
Use charts such as these as a guide in
determining what pace you should theoretically
be able to maintain for your marathon. These
charts are useless if you haven't completed some
long training runs. Also take into consideration
weather conditions and course difficulty in
predicting your possible marathon times. Strong
winds, high temperatures, and hills can add
several minutes to your finish time. During the
marathon, monitor how you are feeling
constantly, and adjust your pace accordingly
based on your perceived energy level. Your past
long training runs will enable you to do
this. | | |
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 Aid Stations - Do not pass up any fluid station.
While it's okay to drink just water in the early
miles, runners MUST consume sports beverages no
later than 90 minutes of running (and earlier if
possible). Find out what works best for you in
long practice runs. Water is usually offered at
the first tables at an aid station with
sports beverages served near the
end of the station. If you're not sure what's in
the cup (water or sports drink), politely ask.
Squeeze the top of the cup into a "v" shape to
create a smooth delivery of fluid directly into
your mouth if you choose to run and drink through
the aid stations. If necessary, walk through the
aid stations to be sure that you are able to
consume the entire contents of the cup. If you
decide to stop and drink, please get out of the
way of
runners.
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Supplementing - Many runners now are taking
advantage of the gel products out on the market.
These products will provide a fairly quick source
of carbohydrates (energy). Be sure you chase these
products down with water to avoid stomach cramps
and to insure absorption. Some runners will stop
and eat a power bar, orange slices, jelly beans,
etc. to also provide needed energy. These products
are seldom offered at "official" marathon aid
stations. A final thought... Please dispose of gel
and energy wrappers properly by throwing them away
in trash receptacles, handing them to volunteers
working at the aid stations, or placing them in
your fanny pack. Let's all work together to keep
the race course and environment
clean! |
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Stay Loose and
Relaxed - Be sure to
shake out your arms and shoulders throughout the
race to avoid upper body muscle
tightness. |
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To Socialize or
Not? - Oftentimes
during the marathon, you will encounter other
runners who will be running your pace and may wish
to engage you in conversation. It is a personal
decision as to if you wish to stick with them and
chat along the way. The positive aspect of
socializing is that many great friendships have
been started this way, and that talking to others
is a great way to take your mind off the physical
discomfort you may face later in the marathon. If
both runners are experiencing great difficulty
later in the event, pacts are often made to
provide the necessary motivation for each runner
to finish. The other view is that talking may rob
you of valuable energy you'll need later. The last
miles of the marathon can be quite draining
mentally. For that reason itself, you may choose
to run the last miles without much conversation.
Also, running with someone may slow you down.
You'll undoubtedly finish the marathon, but
sticking with someone slower may compromise your
chances of achieving a goal you set for
yourself. |
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Psychological
Issues - If you've
trained properly and barring any unforeseen
problems, nothing should stop you from achieving
your goal of finishing the marathon. Nothing, that
is, except a lack of confidence and/or a negative
attitude at the starting line or during the race.
As mentioned previously, finishing a marathon is
seldom easy (for most participants). If it was an
easy thing to do, then there would be nothing
special about the 26.2 mile distance. However, a
positive mental attitude will go a long way in
helping you finish. Other helpful mental tips
include: Take time to enjoy the spectators,
participants, and the scenery of the course; Stop
negative thoughts dead in their tracks and change
them to positive affirmations; Think about how
proud family members and friends will be of you
and your accomplishment; If you encounter a
difficult hill in the race, look at it in a
positive light - See the hill as an opportunity to
exercise different muscles, giving tired muscles a
breather. These and other types of positive mental
experiences will include concepts such as imagery,
mental rehearsal/visualization, and self-talk.
Please refer to the separate section on Psychological
Aspects for more information. |
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Injury - If you feel an increase in pain as
you continue to run, seriously consider dropping
out of the marathon. No race is worth the risk of
hurting yourself by continuing to run and causing
a minor injury to turn into a major
setback. |
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Issues to
Consider Immediately
Following Your
Marathon
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Determine if you have a need to visit
the medical tent. Excessive pain to muscles and
joints should be checked out by the medical
personnel on hand. Also take care of blisters at
this time so that they can be treated
properly. |
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After
crossing the line, get something to drink.
Suppress the urge to consume alcoholic beverages
until later in the evening after you've had a nice
meal. |
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Within a few minutes of finishing, grab
something to eat. |
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Stretch thoroughly within 20 minutes of
finishing. |
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Do
not even consider lying down...KEEP
WALKING |
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Sign
up for a post-race massage (if
available) |
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Soak
your legs in some cool water. |
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Later
in the day (3 -4 hours after the race), spend a
few minutes in a warm whirlpool. |
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After
you return home or to the hotel, have a nice
lunch. This should be a well-balanced meal that
includes the majority of its total calories in
carbohydrates. Don't overlook consuming at least
20 percent of the total calories from protein
sources. |
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Do
not take a nap or lay down for long periods of
time (that is unless you wish to be very sore or
nauseous!); Instead, stay on your feet by taking a
walk or perhaps going for an easy few mile bike
ride. Above all keep moving to minimize leg muscle
soreness. |
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Later
that afternoon or evening, go out and celebrate.
If you trained properly and followed all of the
pre-race and marathon strategy suggestions, you
should be able to do just about anything you wish
(including dancing)! Above all, have a great
time! | | |
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Leave for
the race site with plenty of time to spare,
arriving early enough to check you bag (if
applicable) and take care of any last minute
details.