“Passion, it’s the best running partner to have”
Top 3 tips for marathon success
(1) Carbohydrate breakfast
On the day of the big race, make sure you have a good carbohydrate breakfast. It’ll digest fast and you’ll have immediate energy storage. By this time, you already know what is working for your body, so stick to it! If you happen to be eating steak and eggs for breakfast on a daily basis and for some reason it totally works for you, then steak and eggs it be! Likely this isn’t the case, so we’re going to continue to suggest a tried and true (for you) simple carbohydrate breakfast.
(2) We love routines
Our favourite advice, ever: just be you. After your breakfast, stick with your routine. Don’t wear new clothes, don’t drink new fluids, don’t try new foods, don’t go on a crazy morning trek, and especially don’t wear new shoes. A routine that your body is used to is best for race day.
(3) Wear layers
Dress in light layers for you run. I’d love to say “check the weather forecast” but they’re seldom bang on, do it anyways. The morning will be a little cooler (it always is at 6am), but if it’s forecast to be a sunny morning, as you get into you “groove,” you’ll start sweating and getting hotter. Also be prepared for damp weather if it’s supposed to rain. We can’t say enough good stuff about moisture wicking, technical clothes! If it is going to rain on the day of and you need your ipod to be your run buddy, protect it by popping it into a ziplock or waterproof bag, tucked into somewhere safe and dry. (And as a side note, if you happen to kill your phone due to water logging from the rain, we know how to fix that too!)
Top Marathon tips from pros
Sukhi Muker (age 41)
Ironman and seasoned endurance athlete (when someone has run 100 mile races…you ask this man for tips), Dr. Sukhi Muker (http://www.drsukhi.com/): “as a result of racing dozens of times, race your own race (pace/nutrition) don’t worry about what everyone else is doing, especially when that start gun goes off. 90% of people start too fast. Have a race plan and stick to it!”
Denise Mackenzie (age 27)
Athletic therapist and Kinesiologist: “You’ve been doing the prep work for months and know what distance you can run. Worst case scenario, you KNOW you can run 16k and walk 5k. When I did my first race, I was a little nervous, but I’m stubborn and I knew I would finish. Be confident that you can, and you will too!”
Nic Prolux (age 24)
“I plan on starting out fast….then maybe going fast in the middle part. Oh, then definitely finishing fast.” Don’t steal his strategy, this man has a plan, and we will make him stick to it…
Jeff Hau (age 26)
Kinesiologist 1 marathon and 4 half marathon races, feels that wearing a heart rate monitor has been his secret to keeping a consistent pace and ensuring that he’s not pushing too hard. Know what your target heart rate zones are and work within your zones.
Don Louie (age 52)
Retired engineer and experienced marathoner / half marathoner: “On race day the runner is hyped. For a first marathon, think finishing strong not finishing fast. After training, 32 km is not too hard. “The Wall” is somewhere in the 20+ mile area. The last 10 km can be very tough. Most people do not train by running the full race distance. When venturing into an untested running distance, a preplanned, steady pace gets you crossing the finish line. This strategy worked for me.:
Joshua Young (age 32)
Actor, director and 5 time marathon runner: “If the present moment feels too hard, put your focus on how great it will feel to cross that finish line. If you are feeling fine but the finish line seems to far away, focus on the moment and your breathing and forget outcome. ”
Our advice? HAVE FUN. Put on your favourite awesome attitude underpants and hat, know we’re rooting for you and will cheer the heck out of you no matter where you are, no matter what your time, and will think you’re completely amazing.
If you have any questions or comments, or advice for other new runners, please share them! Of if you just want to know how to save your phone from water damage if running in a deluge, send us an email to info@lephysique.com.
