More Rookie Marathon Training Mistakes
I have a lot of people telling me that they've just decided to run a marathon. To this I usually reply, "Great! When is it?" Half of the time the response is, "Next month." Yikes.
- Failing To Research The Course: Whatever marathon you choose to run, make sure you know what you're getting into. Details you should know include the size of the crowd, course route, elevation, how many people generally run and the climate.
- Disrespecting The Race: Once people get into shape during training, they may develop a false sense of accomplishment and feel they're ready for the race. As a result, they start to break their training schedules. This is asking for trouble, experts say. Even the world's top runners can't wake up on a Sunday and run a marathon well if they haven't properly trained.
- Saying Yes To Seconds: Pasta, with its complex carbohydrates, does make a good meal the night before a marathon. But overdoing your portion size is not going to help you the next day. Eating frequent small meals and staying hydrated in the days leading up to the race will help you the most.
- Trying Something New: One of the fun parts of running a marathon is hitting the race expo, where you pick up your registration materials and get to check out all the brands' new running gear. And then there are the free food and sports drink samples. By all means, take a few. Just don't use them, or anything new (especially sneakers!) on race day. Stick with the formula that's successfully brought you to this point.
- Forgetting About The Rush: Running a marathon can be a thrilling experience. You're likely to feel a rush of adrenaline that could have you running 20 to 30 seconds faster than you realized and make the end of the race torturous. When you start out, watch whether you're honoring your mile pace and make the necessary adjustments. Worst case scenario? You'll be filled with energy at mile 20 and can pick up the pace near the finish.
- Lack Of Experience: Running shorter races prior to the big day is a great way to prepare for a marathon. Shorter races can help runners iron out the kinks in their training, racing, nutrition and recovery plans without making as big an investment. Since they can be run fairly frequently, they also give runners a chance to experiment with different plans to see what works best for them.
Miss the first part of the list, then check out my earlier post.
