October is marathon month. The nerves are building as the countdown is now on for the big day. Your weekly mileage is starting to wind down as your body recovers from the months of hard training and gets sharper for the race-day ready. But with this extra time on your hands it is very easy to start over thinking. Doubts might start to creep in.
Can I really do it? Why did I sign up for a marathon?
We can spend the next few weeks thinking up worst-case scenarios but there are much better ways to pass this time that will set you up for a successful marathon day.
1) Take a look back
Over the last few months you have learned so much as you followed your training plan. You have overcome hurdles and setbacks. You have had good runs and bad runs. Most importantly, what seemed impossible a few months ago is now your “normal”. You have worked out how your body works best when running long distance. But beyond the practical, you might also have found new running routes, met other runners and had fun along the way. Write it all down – from the practical food and running technique tips that work for you to the memories of summer days when you felt great running. It is amazing how much you will forget later this month once you are out of the routine of these long weekend runs. Get your notes on paper now while they are fresh in memory and on race weekend they will help calm the nerves and remind you of how far you have come.
2) Know your route
Some runners will take on a “virtual” marathon while others will be pinning on a race number and running the marathon with a crowd. Whatever path you will follow, take a little time this week to work out where you are going. Don’t wait until race weekend to work out the logistics. Download the route map, identify the hills, the toilets, the water stations and any landmarks that will break up the run into manageable sections. Work out what time of day you will have to arrive at the start at and plan your journey getting there. If you are running a virtual marathon plan your route in advance, run some of it in training and I would encourage you to choose a looped route so you have less concerns about finding your drinks, snacks, supporters or toilets. Speaking of supporters, work out who might be there to cheer you on, give them plenty notice and tell them where best to meet you along the route.
3) Plan for all eventualities
Most runners I know are not very good at sitting still. We like to be on the move. So this month can be a little unsettling as we start to imagine niggles or heaviness in the legs without the long runs at the weekend to settle us. We wonder if we will still be able to run long after such a break. What are you worried most about? Rather than let it spin in your head, come up with a strategy of what you will do if that does happen on race day. Once we have a plan in place the worry can stay on paper rather than waste your valuable energy. I encourage all those I coach for the marathon to write a list of all their worries and how they will resolve them should they occur on race day. Rest assured that very few of these scenarios will ever occur, but knowing we can handle them helps eases our mind and allows us to enjoy this part of training more.
4) Stick to the pace
What pace will you run the marathon at? Be realistic rather than optimistic with this one. If this is your first marathon I encourage you to focus on finishing rather than have a time target. The biggest mistake in pacing for most runners will be starting too fast. With all the excitement and energy it is easy to take off too quickly and regret it later. For this reason I would suggest creating a pacing strategy that holds you back at the start. In your short runs over the next few weeks practice running at the pace you plan on running the first 5km of the marathon at. Be disciplined, train yourself not to go faster than your marathon pace in those training runs and it will be easier to stick to this early pace on race day. Its much better to have the energy to call upon in the last 5km of the marathon than waste it at the start.
5) Get inspired
Did you watch the London Marathon on TV over the weekend? If you did you don’t need any reminder that watching races, movies or even reading books that share the emotion of the marathon can really help you get excited and remind you of how amazing a marathon is. Watch clips from old races, download running movies or even look back at old race photos. It has been so long since many of us have been anywhere near a race line that the buzz of the big day can be forgotten. It’s time to get excited about what lies ahead. You deserve to enjoy the whole experience. You are in such a lucky position to have a marathon ahead of you. Many would love to be in your shoes.
6) Keep the momentum
What you choose to do with your time over the next few weeks can make a big difference to the outcome of your marathon. You probably will have restless legs later this month and feel like you need to be running more. You will move between feeling anxious and excited. We are all the same. But you want to arrive at the start line calm, relaxed and excited with a strategy in place. This will save your energy for when you really need it. So decide to give this month the same level of dedication as you did in the summer and you won’t regret it. The training might not be about running miles but these written tasks are just as important as they will help you face marathon day with confidence knowing you have done all you can for what lies ahead. Go on. Start now with the first task. You wont regret it.
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Sign up for one of The Irish Times' Get Running programmes (it is free!).
First, pick the eight-week programme that suits you.
- Beginner Course: A course to take you from inactivity to running for 30 minutes.
- Stay On Track: For those who can squeeze in a run a few times a week.
- 10km Course: Designed for those who want to move up to the 10km mark.
Best of luck!
