Marathoners?

[PrincessDijon]

Hey there PS...it''s been a while since I posted in the HL section but, I am doing a marathon soon and I was wondering if there were any veteran marathoners out there in PS land....

If so, any tips or tricks you can offer to make a "first marathon" less painful? lol

 

[Bia]

Not a marathoner (not even a half marathoner - yet!) but wanted to say good for you and good luck!

I always stand in amazement of people who run marathons. Let us know how it goes

 

[PrincessDijon]

Thanks It''s my first one. I am averaging about 7-14 mi. a day currently...so we''ll see how it goes.

 

[tlh]

IT ATE MY POST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!

Ok. The most important thing is afterwards - keep walking. Get up often and move around. I''m talking like for a couple hours. Trust me, the next couple of days you''ll be sore... so you''ll want to do this... and ICE YOUR LEGS. If you can take an ice bath - do so. Yup, cold water, a bunch of ice... dip in 12-15 minutes. Drink hot tea or hot chocolate to make it less painful. This is REALLY helpful too... I do it on all runs longer than 10 miles.
Also you''ll lose a lot of body heat afterwards.. sometimes they run out of blankets. So bring a sweat shirt to help you stay warm.
If friends or family are going to cheer you on... you''ll need them more miles 18-24 than the last 100 meters. It is amazing the surge you''ll get midrace from a familiar face.
WRITE YOUR NAME ON YOUR SHIRT- OR ELECTRICAL TAPE, ON YOUR SHIRT. TRUST ME. Even a stranger saying GO PRINCESS! or PRINCESS YOU CAN DO IT! LOOKING GREAT PRINCESS! will mean more than I can express...
Don''t drink a lot.
Don''t do anything different.
LUBE UP.
ENJOY YOURSELF. If this is your first, run it for the experience, not for a time.

GOOOOD LUCK TO YOU!

 

[vizsla]

i have done a few 1/2 marathons and i will agree that putting your name on your shirt is awesome motivation! you can make a shirt that says "cheer for me, this is my first marathon" ;P people love that stuff!
i also like when i''m a spectator and see these types of shirts, i love to cheer for specific people, it''s fun!

 

[vc10um]

I''ve done a few half marathons as well, and been a spectator at several marathons. I definitely agree with putting your name on your shirt.

It''s a HUGE motivation to hear your name being cheered out by spectators...and spectators LIVE for those kind of things!

BODY GLIDE. It''s the most amazing thing in the world.

Find a fuel that works for you. If it''s Gu, Shot Bloks, or a PB&J sandwich, it doesn''t matter, as long as it works for you, and you''ve trained with it. This also goes for sports drinks. They''ll be offered along the course. I''d shy away from them unless you already know how your body deals with them.

Do not, under any circumstance, wear any new clothing on race day. Not that cute new top you found at the Expo. Not the new sports bra, or undies, or socks, and ESPECIALLY not shoes.

Be careful in water stations...they can get really slick with all the water and discarded cups.

Enjoy it! Which Marathon are you doing, by the way???

 

[chiapet]

The other PSers have given you awesome advise so I just wanted to wish you luck! Which marathon are you doing? Definitely write your name on your shirt because it helps so much to have people yelling out your name!
Going down the stairs will be tough after the marathon so try going backwards or sideways
Good luck!!! I love running marathons!

 

[Bia]

Use Vaseline or some type of lubricator to prevent chafing!

asked my FFIL who ran the NYC Marathon for years.

 

[KatM]

i hope you check in afterwards to let us know how it goes!

if you haven''t run yet, tlh had some excellent tips. i think the only thing i can add is to make sure not to go out too fast. it should feel too easy at the beginning. it''s a long race, and running even a little bit too hard early can have disastrous consequences. over the shorter distances, it''s possible to gut it out when you''ve gone out too fast, but a longer race can take you out. after you finish the 1st, then you can reevaluate and figure out if you should go faster in your second.

good luck!

 

[tdiddy]

I''ve done 5 full marathons, even more half marathons, and also coach new marathoners year-round for a local running group. The best advice for a new marathoner is to set these 3 goals with the plan to accomplish at least 1:

1. hit or exceed your goal time
2. finish
3. enjoy yourself

If you accomplish 1, 2, or all 3 of those, you had an amazing first marathon


If you are looking for more practical advice:

1. bodyglide your entire foot including your toes - this really cuts down on the blisters
2. eat a heavy carb meal both 1 day and 2 days out from your marathon. I usually eat the larger of the meals 2 days out to avoid major stomach issues. I swear by a mild Chipotle (or similar restaurant) burrito with extra beans/rice, mild salsa, guac/sour cream/cheese, and no meat. The night before I eat a regular sized portion of pasta with mild red sauce, a slice of buttered bread, and a small greens salad around 5 pm. don''t go crazy on carbs outside of this or you''ll feel like a slug.
3. carry a couple of chewable pepcids on you. a lot of people have stomach issues the last 6-8 miles.
4. alternate water at one stop then gatorade at the next. if the gatorade is really concentrated dump half out and add half water. over concentrated gatorade will make anyone feel poorly. if your fingers swell, generally you are underhydrated and need to take in more fluids.
5. eat Gu/gels/blocks every 30-45 min even if you aren''t hungry. Most people wait way to long to eat and end up hitting "the wall" early as a result. set your watch to remind you if you can.
6. dress in layers. you''ll be 20 degrees F warmer then air temperature once you start running. this is a situation where i think it''s better to be under-dressed or to have layers you can peel off and toss.

Good luck!

 

[TravelingGal]

I''ve run two.

I used vaseline, it was fine. I wore a workout tank so under the pits was key. Also don''t forget the sunscreen - the kind that won''t sting your eyes.

Also agree on taking the Gu regulary whether you feel like it or not.

Diluted gatorade is also good advice. I actually used less than half gatorade, half water.

The first marathon I ran was in 90+ degree heat (LA, 2004). Wear a visor. And I would recommend that you don''t let anyone dump water over your head when you are done. All the salt pours into your face and kills your eyes. I nearly killed my brother for that one.

 

[emeraldlover1]

It''s great that you are asking for advice! When I ran my first one I followed a training program I got off of some online running site. It worked! I finished with a better time than I expected.

I agree about not resting after you are done. I walked around the city with my family and got something to eat and then had to catch a flight. I wasn''t sore, didn''t get sick and went to work the following day. I didn''t even think about it. I think partly it was because I trained so well. The last month of really long runs helped me prepare. I also ran two half marathons while I was training and I think that helped improve my time.

Oh and, have fun!!!