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Everything you Need to Know to Complete your Marathon/Half Marathon
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| The Week Before: | |
| Nutrition and
Hydration |
Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Eat proper foods including complex carbs along with lean meats and vegetables.
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| Check your
Equipment |
Don’t try anything new on race day. If you’re traveling by plane – put all of your gear in your carry on luggage. Try out all clothing BEFORE the race (think chaffing here). Make sure you have all of the nutritional supplements you’ll need for race day.
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| Follow Through with
Tapering |
Use the taper days to cut back on the miles before event day. Spend this time relaxing and preparing yourself mentally and physically.
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| Know the Course | Become familiar with the course, it increases your comfort, especially later in the race. Get on the website, drive it! Know what the rest stations serve and where. Know where the hills are and prepare. Know where to tell your family and friends to be to cheer you on (coming out of tunnel is a great spot).
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| Make a Race Plan | Stick with it! Start slow and build. Plan to run a negative split. A good rule of thumb – pace, pace, build, race.
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| Make a list or Pack
your Bag |
If you’re traveling, pack ahead of time. Make sure to bring your race day shoes, your event shirt and race shorts/skirt. Ear plugs are a good idea in case it’s noisy in the hotel. If you are going to have a specific bag for the start and/or finish lines, pack that as well. Any supplements that will not spoil can get thrown in too. Now is the time to personalize your singlet. Buy cloth pens and decorate it to thank your big sponsors or add your name – people will cheer you along by name on the course.
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| Two Days Before the Race: | |
| Race day Nutrition | Have a plan – decide when you will take the gel, beans, water etc. Know what foods work for you and which don’t.
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| Reexamine your Race
Expectations |
Don’t create unrealistic expectations for this race. Give yourself a time range to shoot for. Use your training and shortened races as a gage.
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| Practice
Visualization |
Visualize how you want your race day to look and spend a lot of time thinking about it. Do not think any negative thoughts about your goals; think only about what you will need to do to accomplish them.
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| Visit the Expo | Pick up race packet. HAVE PROPER IDENTIFICATION with you. Shop the vendors – but do not use or wear anything you have not tested on a long Saturday walk/run.
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| Get Good Sleep | Try to get a good night’s sleep two days before the race. Sleep generally has a lag time of about 36 hours. That way if you sleep poorly on race night (and you might!) you’ll have reserves in the bank. |
| The Night Before: | |
| Nutrition | Eat a Pasta Dinner to carb up and get energized with the whole TNT team. Remember: Hydrate, Hydrate, hydrate!
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| Lay out your race
gear |
Set up as many things as you can before race day so you have less to worry about and more time to enjoy the experience. Lay out your clothes by layer the night before. Pin your bib on the front of your event jersey. Pack a sweatshirt and pants that you don’t mind losing to wear before the start. Set up your race supplies – sport beans, gu, Gatorade, etc. whatever you have been training with.
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| Race Morning: | |
| Be Consistent | Don’t try anything new on race day!!!
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| Stay positive and IN
THE MOMENT |
Don’t think about not being able to finish. Remember your visualization exercises. Try one now. Enjoy the scenery, enjoy the thousands of racers. We all have some measure of nervousness before a race. It all goes away once the gun goes off.
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| Breakdown the race | Break the race down into segments. Halfway, 20 miles, last 10k, etc. Think in positive terms. ONLY 3 miles to go.
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| Focus and Stick to
your plan |
DON’T GO OUT TOO FAST!. Don’t get caught up in the race day excitement. Remember your plan, stick to it.
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| Use your Experience | Confidence comes from doing your homework. Shorter races and good training build confidence. Your long runs/walks and weekly runs/walks have made you ready!! Mistakes are often the best teachers. Every training and race is different. Use the knowledge you gain from them to your advantage on race day.
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| Family, Friends &
Fun |
Make this a fun day – use your family and friends as motivation and a resource for getting to the finish. Remember to make take in the experience and everything that it has to offer.
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| Create Good
Karma |
Keep in mind – we reap what we sew. Help each other make it to the finish. Lend a hand or a smile or a gu to a racer in need.
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| Motivation | Think about why you’ve embarked on this adventure – remember the reason. Use positive self-talk.
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| Patience< strong> | Patience is a big key to success. Don’t hurry the experience along. Wait, wait, wait! Passing runners late in the race helps you mentally.
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| Know your Personal
Best |
Personal best is NOT what shows up on the clock. You’ll know when you’ve had a great race. Just completing your event may be your crowning achievement.
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| Thank the
Volunteers |
No event can take place without volunteers. Remember this as you see them on the course. Treat these individuals like royalty. You’ll appreciate it when it’s your turn to volunteer for an event.
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| Weather | You’ve trained in all kinds of conditions, which provides for better race preparation. Worry about what you can control.
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| Embrace the Bad
Patches |
The body has great recuperative powers. When you start feeling bad in your event, remember that in another mile of so you’ll feel better again.
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| The last six miles | Visual, bargain, lie to yourself. Do whatever it takes to get in those last 6 miles. Break it down into smaller chunks. Dig deep, focus, remember the reason.
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| Injuries< strong> | If you encounter a physical injury on the race course don’t try to work through it. Take a short walk break and if you’re able, continue to race. There will be medical tents on the course.
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| Enjoy the Recovery< span style=”font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: black;”> | Your event is done, now is the time to pamper yourself, you deserve it.
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–
Sherry R. Perkins
Director & Personal Trainer
www.empowered-health-and-fitness. com
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