Top 10 Marathon Tips

Whether you are preparing to run your first or thirtieth marathon, by implementing the following intelligible procedures in the staging area prior to the race and while running the event, you will be ahead of the pack and able to culminate your efforts into a successful marathon experience.

Image via Wikipedia

Image via Wikipedia

1. The morning of the marathon, do not alter anything from your routine training regiment: food, beverage, clothing, shoes, socks, etc.  Today is not the day to experiment.
2. Arrive at the staging area of the start line at least one hour prior to the event.  This will afford you time to relax, get your bearings and settle into getting ready. 
3. Find an area where you can stretch and jog a bit to lengthen and warm up your muscles and relieve some of your anxiety.
4. Start out running slower than your normal speed.  Do not allow your abundance of adrenaline to have you speed out of the gate, as this will use up precious energy, which you will need later in the race.
5. Whenever possible, run in the shade—this will conserve valuable vitality.
6.  Pass the first water stop without stopping.  Now is the time to focus on getting into a rhythm.  Your body will not need water within the first ten to fifteen minutes of the race.
7. Walk while you are drinking water or sports drinks.  It only adds a few seconds to your time and will keep you from choking on the fluid.
8. Although you may feel you have the reserves to go faster in the beginning, remain true to your own personal running pace.  Do not get caught up in the excitement of keeping up with or passing the person in front of you.  Remember, you have a long way to go.
9. Enjoy your surroundings.  Allow yourself the luxury to take in the amazing elements of the marathon route.  This will help to keep the creative side of your brain engaged thus inhibiting the logical part, which may formulate discouraging messages later on that you are crazy for ever having thought this was a good idea.
10. Remember: the thrill of traversing the finish line will last a lifetime; your aches and pains are only temporary.

Less than one tenth of the world’s population completes a marathon.  Take solace in
the knowledge that you are setting out to accomplish a huge goal—to call yourself a marathon finisher.  Be willing to be flexible with your own expectations of how you will perform.  There is nothing wrong with reassessing and altering your speed along the course.  It is irrelevant how long it takes you to cross the finish line—just so long as you do.  Make this the best marathon of your running career.