This weekend I learned that it’s not very easy to write a healthy living blog if you’re not feeling healthy. I’m still sick, so much of my weekend was spent indoors ignoring the beautiful weather outside, with the exception of a few much-needed puppy walks.
The last thing I want to do right now is run a marathon, but, as you may or may not know, I have indeed run a few marathons. So today, I’m going to share with you some tips for marathon success. Enjoy!
This rather unattractive picture of me shows most of the medals I’ve won over 8 years of running races, many of them marathons and half marathons. In total, I have run 3 marathons and 12 half marathons, with many 10Ks, 5Ks, etc. mixed in between.
This pic was taken when I moved out of NYC. I was sick then too…I looked about as good that day as I do right now.
While I am by no means a professional runner, I’ve run in enough races to share a few tips for success while training, before, during and after your first long race.
WHEN TRAINING FOR YOUR FIRST MARATHON:
- Don’t Stick to the Training Schedule. What I mean is that you shouldn’t bend over backwards trying to adapt your life to some arbitrary training schedule. Life happens, and we all have lots of responsibilities. It’s okay to tweak the schedule to suit your lifestyle. For my first marathon, The 2007 Disney Marathon, I loosely followed Hal Higdon’s Novice 2 training plan. My least successful marathon (Chicago Marathon 2007 aka the hottest Chicago Marathon EVER) was when I went crazy trying to stick to the schedule.
Go ahead, get a little muddy. Don’t be afraid to color outside of those training schedule lines.
- Run More than 20…if you Want. Most beginners schedules will tell you to run only 20 miles before the actual race (or 10 before the half marathon). In my opinion, you should run whatever will make you feel confident when you reach the starting line on marathon day. For my last marathon, my confidence was a bit shaken because of the shaky Chicago Marathon, so I decided I needed to run a 24 miler for the last long run in training. This extra push helped in a big way as I struggled to power through the finish line of the National Marathon.
Run what makes YOU feel confident for race day.
- Be Healthy. Sounds intuitive right? If you’re going to run a marathon, then you might as well clean up the other parts of your life. You can still be Sometimes Healthy, but just try to get more sleep, drink a little less caffeine and alcohol, drink a little more water, and eat healthy as much as you can. These changes will make a big difference, come marathon day. For the National Marathon, I slept as much as possible (with my crazy NYC job), drank less alcohol and even kept track of my water intake. The results? I beat my PR by 30 minutes.
I know. It’s SO tempting to drink that glass of wine. Drink it, but not every night. You’re running a marathon!
BEFORE THE MARATHON:
- SLEEEEEEP. It’s not just about sleeping the night before the race (you probably won’t sleep that well anyway), but rather, it’s about that week leading up to the race, and in particular two nights before the race. If your race is on a Sunday, try to take the day off Friday. Relax, rejuvenate, recover, etc. If you have an unpredictable or stressful job, make sure to “advertise” that you’re running a marathon the next weekend. This is a polite way to show people to lay off the workload for a couple days. It always worked for me!
Clear your mind. Relax. Think like a dog.
- Eat Boring. If you’re running a marathon in a new city, it will be pretty tempting to sample the local cuisine. If you’ve never been to Chicago before, you must try deep dish pizza immediately, right? Save all the fun food adventures until after the race. The day before the National Marathon, I ate mostly carbs and had my pre-race dinner at Cheesecake Factory. I knew my meal there would be safe and predictable, but also delicious and filling.
Mmmm…Chicken Waffle Cupcakes. Don’t eat these crazy treats for dinner the night before your race! Eat some pasta!
- Chill Out. The night before your first marathon, you’ll definitely be nervous. After all, running 26 miles for the first time is a pretty daunting task. Plan a low-key activity the night before that will get you in the right mind-frame. The night before all of my marathons, I would watch a cheesy sports movie – my go-tos were Cool Runnings and Rudy. The movies relaxed my mind, but also motivated me for the next day.
If Willy Wonka and a tub of ice cream puts your mind at east, go ahead, do it. It’s your night.
On Marathon Day:
- Fuel Yourself. During training, you’ll have perfected your pre-race meal. Be sure that you eat this same meal (even a little extra, if you want) before the race. If you’re traveling, bring the food with you, or find a grocery store. Being hungry during a 26.2 mile run is the worst feeling in the world. During the National Marathon, I didn’t eat enough for breakfast, and by the time I reached the GU energy station, I had to suck down three extra GUs to make up for my small breakfast. You should also bring a couple of extra GUs or sugar-based food with you, in case of emergency. Gummy Bears and Jelly Beans are perfect to pop in your mouth if you need a quick sugar boost.
Oatmeal is a nice filling choice…just don’t make birthday cake oatmeal. Might be a little too sweet 😉
- Run at YOUR Pace. This is important. If you trained with a friend and plan to run the race with him or her, of course you should try. However, if your friend’s pace pushes you out of your comfort zone, then relax, say good-bye and run at your own pace. At the 2007 Chicago Marathon, the temperature was 85 degrees at 8 am in October. Some runners didn’t even show up to the starting line due to the heat wave, and many runners slowed down considerably. I had trained with a friend and tried to keep up with her for the first 10K. This ended up being a huge mistake, as the heat hit me, and by the half marathon, I had to slow down to a walk-run, something I had never done in a race before.
Only you can run in those shoes. Only you can know the pace that’s right for you.
- Take it All In. You never want to forget the way you felt during your first marathon, so take some time to “smell the roses.” If you’re running a race in a cool location, take a few minutes to turn off your music, listen to the crowds around you and observe the new scenery. During the Disney Marathon, many people actually stopped to take pictures with Mickey and Minnie. That’s not really my thing (I’m not THAT cheesy), but I did turn off my music, slow down a little and give a big wave as I entered the Magic Kingdom.
Don’t be jealous of my super-fly 90s headphones. I’m sure you can find them on ebay somewhere…
- Keep your Mind in Check. 26 miles is a long time to be alone with your thoughts. That’s why people will often tell you that a marathon is mostly mental. It’s very easy to get ahead of yourself, and sometimes that can get you into trouble. Always keep the finish line in the back of your mind, but during the race, focus on the short-term. My strategy was making it a “water station” race. I would just zone in on running strong the two miles in between water stations, and my reward would be reaching the next water station and re-hydrating. Also, don’t be afraid of “the wall” that you may have heard runners feel between miles 20 through 26.2. Just stick with your mental strategy the whole race, and you’ll be fine.
When you start to feel fatigued, just visualize yourself crossing that finish line.
It will all be worth it when you cross that finish line!
I hope this post gave you some useful tips for running that first marathon. I can promise you that when you cross the finish line, all of the long runs, early nights to bed and times you wanted to quit will all be worth it. Running a marathon will make you feel like you can do anything! (except maybe an Ironman. That sounds crazy to me…)
Writing about running really makes me WANT to run. Here’s to hoping I get rid of this cold quickly!
YOUR TURN:
Ever run a marathon or distance race? Share your secret tips for success below!!
I love this post! I’ve been considering doing my first half marathon, but haven’t been able to muster up the guts to fully commit to it! These tips are wonderful and I’ll be using this as a reference for when I finally decide to take the plunge! Thanks chica! <3
Definitely take the plunge! You’ll see once you get started that there was nothing to be intimidated about. And you’ll always be able to find the time, as long as your remember it’s okay to deviate from that training schedule once in a while 🙂 Good luck!
Love the Disney Marathon! That’s the one I want to do, if I get to doing one that is 🙂
Hope you feel better soon!
I definitely recommend it. I couldn’t have picked a better race for the first one. Everyone is in such a good mood, and just so positive and spirited. I’m sure the kids would love it too 🙂
I will run my first marathon in September, so I appreciate all tips. Thanks for sharing!
Good luck! Let me know if you have any questions 🙂
good advice! haven’t run one but would like to one day! running my first half in a few weeks. i’m new to blogging but have followed food and fitness blogs like yours for a long time! nice to say hello
Good luck in the half! And thanks so much for reading 🙂 I look forward to reading your blog as well.
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