The secret to successful marathon training lies within staying supremely motivated, training smart and safe, and maintaining proper nutrition.
Motivation: Building mental stamina is essential. It’s one thing to be motivated to begin training. It’s another to stay motivated every day. Staying motivated and developing the proper mindset is key to enjoying training and crossing the finish line with a smile on your face.
Marathon training will be challenging, but should be fun and enjoyable. Finishing a marathon is an accomplishment that less than 1% of people in the world can say they have achieved. You are about to be one of them!
The Afternoon Before :Don’t run the day before the race. You won’t lose any conditioning if you take two days off from running leading up to the race.
The Carbo-Loading Dinner: Some marathons have a dinner the night before. Don’t eat much. It takes at least 36 hours for most of the food you eat to be processed and useable in a race. But eating too much, or eating the wrong foods for you, can be a real problem. A lot of food bouncing up and down in your gut when you race is stressful.
Drinking: The day before the race, drink when you are thirsty. Don’t drink a lot of fluid the morning of the race. This can lead to bathroom breaks during the marathon. A common practice is to drink six to 10 ounces of fluid about two hours before the race.
The Night Before: Eating is optional after 6 p.m. Less is better, but don’t go to bed hungry. It’s a good idea to have eight ounces of a good electrolyte beverage about two hours before you go to bed the night before your marathon.
Sleep: You may sleep well, or you may not. Don’t stress yourself about having “a perfect sleep.”
Fluids: After you wake up, drink four to six ounces of water every half-hour. If you have used a sports drink about 30 minutes before your runs, prepare it.
Food: Eat what you have eaten before your long runs. It is OK not to eat at all before most races unless you are diabetic, then go with the plan that you and your doctor (or nutritionist) have worked out.
Start your warm-up about 30 minutes before the start: If possible, just walk backwards on the course for about a half-mile and turn around. This will give you a preview of the most important part of your race: the finish.
The race: Keep your pace and save your energy. Get hydrated during the race, stop and stretch slowly when ,and if will be necessary. Many people get cramps during a marathon, so don’t panic.
The Next Day: Walk for 30 to 60 minutes, very easy. This can be done at one time, or in installments. Keep stretching and keep drinking about four to six ounces of water or sports drink an hour. Wait at least a week before you either schedule your next race.
