Marathon and Half-Marathon: The Beginner's Guide [NOOK Book]

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Chapter 9

Final Preparations

This is it. . .the day you have been preparing for. Chances are you are in the best physical condition ever. First-time marathoners often feel a significant level of anxiety in the week leading up to their half- or full-marathon. Try to relax. Some nervousness is normal but you want to do as much as you can to calm yourself. Anxiety takes energy and the last thing we want if for you to be fatigued on your big day.

Before a marathon, many athletes like to scope out the course and get a feel for the environment that he or she will be running in. You can drive, or if you’re doing a half-marathon, you could cycle or even run part of the course. If you’re a first-timer, you might want to only run part of the course. You don’t want to tire yourself out for race day. Many people find that getting a mental picture of the course helps them to understand the terrain and visualize what race day will be like. It’s also good to know what kind of surface you’ll be running on, whether it’s pavement or gravel. The more you know about what your race will look like the more relaxed and ready you will be the morning of your event.

Plan for your race day

You have worked long and hard to prepare for your half- or full-marathon. You don’t want to leave anything up to chance at this point in the game. A little bit of planning for race day will make all the difference in how you enjoy the experience. Here are some simple guidelines for event preparation:

• Rest up the last few days before the event. Squeezing in more training at the last minute will not get you any fitter. Plan to get an optimal amount of sleep during the last 72 hours.
• Check the weather forecast the day before and plan accordingly. You need to consider what you will wear during the run as well as what you will wear after it.
• Pack your bag and pin your number on your shirt the night before. Items to consider (depending on the time of year): a complete change of clothes, extra shoes, a hat, gloves, toilet paper (you’d be surprised how often it’s needed), petroleum jelly, a towel, a rain jacket and a bottle of water.
• Be sure to drink plenty of water—two to three glasses, one to two hours before the start. (Also, don’t forget to drink water at the aid stations along the running route.)
• When driving to the race, give yourself plenty of time to park, visit the restroom and warm up.
• Warm up properly. Although there is no guarantee this will prevent injuries, a combination of light jogging and easy stretching prior to the start will increase your heart rate and help loosen joints and muscles, preparing your body for the activity ahead.
• Try to keep as warm and dry as possible before the start of the race.
• Avoid anything that’s new. That goes for shoes, socks, sports bra and never experiment with new food and drinks the day prior to or morning of your event.

Sidebar: Once the gun goes off:

- Don’t start out too fast. The first few miles should feel easy.
- Do the talk test, if you’re having difficulty speaking 4-5 consecutive sentences, you’re going to fast and you need to back off. You should not be winded or breathing hard at all in the first 10 – 15 miles of your marathon.
- Walking through the aid stations makes it easier to consume your water or food supplements and it gives you a chance to rest your legs.
- Don’t try to fit in a last minute run in the days leading up to the race. If you’ve followed the program to the best of your ability, you shouldn’t have a problem with your fitness on race day.
- On race day, try to take in as much of the event as you can. You will be nervous but if you smile and look around it will help you to relax and enjoy the moment. After all, it’s your big day and you want to drink it all in!

Anticipating your finishing time

A runner who has been training regularly 3 – 4 times a week often predict his or her marathon time by multiplying a recent half-marathon time in minutes by 2 and then add an additional 10 minutes. Beginners should add an additional 10 minutes to be safe. If a well-trained person is training for a half-marathon then he or she usually multiplies a recent 10K time in minutes by two and then adds an additional 5-7minutes. Beginners should add an additional 5 minutes to be safe.