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DEL.ICIO.USWhat are your pre-race rituals for marathon day?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
You’ve got months of training under your belt. Now it’s time to get to steppin’…er, running.
Sunday’s ING marathon is already shaping up to be an interesting day weather-wise. The forecast predicts rain and temperatures in the 50s.
A colleague told me he ran in rain during last Thanksgiving’s Atlanta Marathon, and it was not fun, he said.
Nevertheless, there’s half a weekend before race day. How are you going to spend it? Do you have any pre-race rituals that put you in a good frame of mind?
Marathon weekend is once again a family event at my place. Folks are in from out-of- town, including my 13-year-old nephew who questioned my sanity last year for wanting to run 26.2 miles. If it indeed rains this year, he will really think I’m nuts. (Also my older nephew and his girlfriend are running the half marathon for the first time.)
Like last year I’m going to have a nice steak dinner on Friday. And on Saturday I plan to mostly relax, load up on carbs and pray that I complete the race in official time without injury.
Here’s a few race day tips from authors Danny and Katherine Dreyer’s book, “Chi Running.”
— Start warming up 20 minutes before the race with a slow easy jog.
— When the race starts, don’t take off too fast. It’s OK to lose a couple of minutes up front.
— Check your pace in the first mile. Don’t get lulled into a comfort zone if you’re faster than your projected time. You’ll pay for it later, so slow down.
— Drink before you’re thirsty. Take in electrolytes before you cramp. Adjust your form before you get tired.
Share your race day tips with us.
(And on Sunday’s late day running blog, post comments on your race experience.)
MORE: PEACHTREE ROAD RACE INFO. State of the Art Marathon Training. USA Fit/Team Spirit. Active Trainer. Atlanta Track Club. Road Rules. ING Georgia Marathon.
Comments
By kristin
March 28, 2008 8:56 AM | Link to this
1 Bodyglide anywhere I may possibly chafe. (inner thighs, sports bra, underarms)Then 1 cup of coffee and English muffin with peanut butter 2 hours before, that way I can “get everything moving” and rehydrate before the beginning of the race.
Oh and reminding myself that in a few hours I’ll be sitting on the couch drinking a beer!
What can I say running is a gritty sport!
By Jan
March 28, 2008 9:11 AM | Link to this
Warming up before a marathon? I don’t think so. Warm up during the first mile. You’ll have 25.2 more to hit race pace.
Warming up prepares the muscles to go from 0-60 immediately. Unless you are planning to sprint out of the chute, you don’t warm up before a marathon.
I take a hot shower that morning which warms up the muscles enough to stretch. Walk briskly to the start line and stretch a bit there. No running.
By Adrianne
March 28, 2008 9:47 AM | Link to this
I know what you mean, Jan. On the other hand, I watched the Kenyan runners jog around Woodruff Park before last year’s race. And of course they were the first to reach the finish line.
By Jan
March 28, 2008 10:00 AM | Link to this
Adrianne, Those Kenyan runners are sprinting out of the chute. You and I are not. We can warm up slowly during the first mile and we will need all of our energy to run 26.2 miles. No need to make it 27.2.
By Rob
March 28, 2008 10:10 AM | Link to this
A 12 pack of beer usually does the trick for me.
By John Tackett
March 28, 2008 10:24 AM | Link to this
I too did the Atlanta Marathon in the rain, and the pictures taken of me on the course show I was not a happy camper.
But as for a pre-race ritual.. I will have a pasta dinner on Friday night, then on Saturday, I plan to swim for about 1000 meters to help me relax. Keeps my legs limber, without the pounding. I may even ride my bike to the race expo.
On Sunday morning, I will MARTA to 5 Points station, and then jog down Marietta to the race start. The jogging before the race gets my blood circulating and the heart beating a bit faster.
Depending on the weather, I may start off with a “paper jacket” and lose it as the run progresses.
Good luck to my fellow bloggers…
By kristin
March 28, 2008 10:28 AM | Link to this
And on the bright side, it looks like heat and water won’t be an issue this year ;)
By Andrew
March 28, 2008 10:54 AM | Link to this
I’m running the 1/2 but did the full last year. My ritual for the full starts a week out. Carbs every day. Bland food most of the week. Lots of water every day. Your most important meal is Fri night (2 nights out, not the night before). Pasta tonight - maybe along with your steak but pasta tonight. And get your best sleep tonight. The night before you need sleep but it’s normal to be on edge so don’t bank on getting a lot. I wake up 2 hours before race and eat whole wheat bread and banana - washed down with PowerAde. All my gear is already out. iPod on and ready to roll (and let’s not get into running w/music discussion - I’m going to do it so sue me.) Rain won’t be good but that’s life. I train in rain since you never know about weather. Ran the 1/2 over Thanksgiving and the water in my shoes added 5 lbs. Not a big deal for 1/2 but for a full…ouch. Maybe a support team could have some dry shoes/socks at mile 15 for you.
By Adrianne
March 28, 2008 11:02 AM | Link to this
Those are great tips, Andrew. Thank you!
By DD
March 28, 2008 12:19 PM | Link to this
Bowl of cereal and skim milk makes a great pre-race breakfast. 1/2 mile very easy pre-race jog works for me. Having your friends and/or family there also provides a good boost. Prayer also works.
By Aaron
March 28, 2008 1:20 PM | Link to this
My routine for the peachtree…
Wake up around 5am, throw on my race clothes and leave the house for the marta. No, I don’t eat anything. Get to the race and find my time group. Grab a cup of coffee from the Waffle House people and just listen to my iPod. 75 minutes later I drink some water and head home.
By John
March 28, 2008 1:35 PM | Link to this
Here’s what I did for every marathon I ran. Long run a week before the race, two days of carbo depletion then slowly add more carbs as I taper my miles back.
I alwasy ate an entire medium Pizza Hut pizza the night before the race (pasta probably would have been a better idea)and one beer..then nothing the morning of the race (a little oatmeal or a few fig newtons would probably have been better though)
Then I’d go to the bathroom about a dozen times but still feel like I need to go again at the start. Once the gun goes off though that all goes away.
If I was running a cold weather race I usually ran about a mile in warm ups, otherwise just a few strides right before the start.
This may be TMI, but for John Tackett who is running his first Boston: watch your step running through the start area. They line everyone up well before the gun and nervous runners don’t seem to have a problem with modesty.
By Run4yourlife
March 28, 2008 1:50 PM | Link to this
I have SEX the day before! And then the Night after.
By Run4yourlife
March 28, 2008 1:50 PM | Link to this
I have SEX the day before! And then the Night after.
By haha
March 28, 2008 5:17 PM | Link to this
why would you have sex the day before? you’re expending energy
By John Tackett
March 28, 2008 6:47 PM | Link to this
John,
Thanks for the tip at Boston. Saw the same thing at the Disney Marathon. They get you there 2 hours before the race, then line you up away from the port-o -lets, so when nature calls, modesty goes away, even for the women runners. Saw many a full moon that morning.
By Patrick Rascoe
March 29, 2008 6:12 AM | Link to this
Most dedicated runners have rituals that they feel must be completed prior to race day, or they may not feel equal to the task. I have completed 11 marathons and one Ironman triathlon, and I MUST eat a piece of chocolate cake the night before the race.
By Zeke
March 29, 2008 9:13 AM | Link to this
wake up tell my daughter to get off me she’s crushing my cigarettes brush my tooth and wait to watch the pit crews if they would just stop showing all those dang cars cause you know there’s a lot of strategerie in racin’