You've made it. It's nearly race day.
All your hard work is about to pay off as you have the glorious moment of
crossing that finish line. Just
make sure you don't fudge it up.
Here are 10 things to keep in mind so that you don't stumble at the last hurdle
and finish your marathon strong.
But first we're hoping to reach 500,000 subscribers by Christmas.
Please do hit that subscribe button and help us out.
You know you want to, go on! Now, let's get to it.
We say it all the time, but it's so important. Nothing new on race day.
Trust me.
I have made that mistake before. You don't want to end up missing your marathon
goal because you had to queue for the toilets at mile 15,
after trying a new gel.
Now is not the time to try a brand new diet.
There are lots of tempting options out there,
but it takes time for your body to adjust.
And it's so important to maintain the routine that you've started in your
training. Make sure your meals in the week leading up to race day
feature more of a focus on carbs to fill up those glycogen stores and
eat the breakfast that you practice with in training on race day morning.
New running socks or shoes can make you feel like a boss.
And everyone wants to look and feel their best on race day,
but it won't feel so great when you're on mile four and you've got a bulging blister,
and you've still got 20 miles left. And you won't thank yourself the day after.
Also don't go getting overexcited at the expo. Yes,
there are lots of cool new things that you haven't heard of yet. Yes,
it's shiny and the atmosphere is full of anticipation. Yes,
it's tempting to test out loads of new things, but no.
Don't do it. You might want to see how long you can run at
Kipchoge's marathon pace for, and yes,
there might be a giant treadmill at that speed,
but that doesn't mean you should and take my word for it. It's very hard.
It can be tempting to go out for a final long run before marathon day.
You're in a routine and it just feels natural, right? Wrong.
You need to let your legs have time to rest and recover so that you're fresh on race day.
This includes walking.
Don't get over excited and agree to go on a giant hike or city sightseeing tour
in the week leading up to your marathon. Time on your feet is time on your feet.
In fact, consider your level of activity the week before. Steer clear of extreme sports
and try to prevent anything that will overexert you.
The marathon takes priority this week. And that means resting up.
Swot up ahead of race day. Read all the info on the website,
work out what you need to bring, where the bag drop is,
where the aid stations are and what they have available and the best place that
your spectators can support you.
Also check whether there are certain kit that's approved and other things that
you aren't allowed on the course.
There's nothing worse than selecting a power anthem for your mile 20 dip
and then discovering that headphone use could get you disqualified from the race.
Plus, you've been preparing for this day for months
now. You might as well know everything you need to know to make your race the
best day ever.
Check the weather ahead of your race so that you can make sure you know what kit
will suit the conditions best.
Rain or shine, the marathon is going to happen. So give yourself a head
start by being prepared, whatever.
Don't worry about
overpacking - there should be a bag drop to leave anything surplus that you don't
need at the start line. If it's a bit of a chilly day or chilly morning,
you might want a jumper for afterwards. And if it's rainy,
your feet will thank you for a dry pair of socks and shoes.
Plan ahead and look after yourself. If it's hot,
consider having a chilled bottle in your bag for the finish.
You will appreciate it more than you can ever imagine.
It always takes longer to get to the start line than you think it will.
It's likely there'll be road closures and allocated meeting points.
If you've listened to us already, then you've done your research, no sweat.
But do get up early just in case and leave ample time to arrive.
It's much better to arrive at the start line too soon and have enough time for a
nervous wee than find yourself running late, running through the city,
adding an extra mile or two onto that already extremely long run that's coming up.
There's nothing more exciting than being in a sea of people at the start of a
marathon. The atmosphere is something else.
It can be tempting to get swept up in the frivolities,
but it's important to start slow and ease in.
Don't forget that you are running a long distance race.
In this case, it really is a marathon and not a sprint. See what I did there?
I did actually.
At 10 miles in. You are really in your stride. You've soaked up the atmosphere,
you've found your rhythm. You're on fire. You could go on
forever. Warning. It's a trap. Do not pick up the pace. I repeat,
do not pick up the pace. Right now, you feel amazing,
but you still have a really, really long way to go.
If you let your speed increase now, you will be paying for it later.
Sometimes being so focused on your race day goal can be a good thing,
but other times it isn't. Having a bit of flexibility on race
day could be exactly what you need because things don't always go to plan, and
you know what, that's okay.
Yeah. Consider having a plan B. Plan A
could be your goal time and plan B can be the plan for if everything doesn't
quite go right.
It might be that plan B is to finish it or to hit a landmark by a certain
point.
Knowing that you have a plan B can be something that you're hold in your back
pocket to keep you going
if everything seems lost and your motivation is dwindling. You could even consider
having a plan C.
You might have finished your race,
but don't go funking up someone else's by stopping directly on the finish line.
Imagine going for a PB and then missing it because you can't get round
all the finishers piling up on the line. Not cool.
Finally have fun. This is your day.
You've put in so much hard work and training and should be oh
so proud that you've come this far. This is the best bit. The home stretch,
the victory lap, the final countdown. The moment you've been waiting for.
So have the best time. You have got this, just don't fluff it up.
Got any tips that we've missed? Let us know how you get on in the races
in the comments below, and we'll see you next time on The Running Channel.