Reply #9: Ran my first marathon last April [View All]

[AllegroRondo]

congrats on your first attempt!

what helped me -

1) tell friends and family what you are planning. This makes it MUCH harder to back out. Their support will make those 20 mile training runs bearable.

2) stick to the training program! I ran 3 times a week, short runs on Tues/Thurs and a long run on Saturday. Cross training (biking for me) on Wed. If you miss a day, get right back on it.

3) pacing is everything. The day of the run, you will feel GREAT starting out, and tempted to go faster. DONT DO IT. Stick to the pace you set out for. If there is a pace team (New Balance usually sponsors one for big marathons) stick with them.

4) the week before the run - drink LOTS of water, and start loading up on carbs.

5) the morning of the run - eat a light breakfast, keep hydrated, and go to the bathroom before the run starts.

6) carry hard candy (I like jolly ranchers) with you. the sugar is a big help.

7) if you have time, drive the course before hand. Get an idea of where the hills are, where the water stations will be, etc. It really helped me to break up the course into smaller chunks. Instead of thinking "25 miles to go" I was thinking "Only 2 miles to the University" then "only 3 miles to the park", "only 1 mile to the next water point" and so on.

Good luck!