Not going to pretend I know what I’m talking about here, but these are the things I found really helped me during my first marathon. For more sound advice, I’d speak to our coaches or someone who knows more than me!
- Stick to a training plan and trust it
- I went AWOL from club sessions and stuck to a plan which really benefited me (and my wife)
- Don’t have a new born baby whilst training
- Its tiring
- Easy runs make the difference
- Time on feet, time on achy legs. It makes you stronger.
- Improved my running form, relaxed my shoulders and stopped my T-rex hands/arms
- Long runs mean the most
- Built up the endurance
- Builds up mental resilience
- Stretch!
- Do yoga or a follow a YouTube video. I had runner knee for a part of my training and this instantly offered relief
- Don’t’ miss them out or strength & conditioning sessions. Is the easy one to leave out
- Have a few targets for the race
- Mine was:
- Finish it
- Sub 4hr
- Sub 3hr 30min
- Mine was:
- Stick to a race plan
- Stick to your pace best you can, but don’t worry if it fall off. Finishing it is more important
- Take gels and water on like you did in training, try not to do anything different
- Expect it to hurt
- Because it will
- A randomer shouting your name does actually help
- Friends & family cheering you on help more
- Enjoy it
- Because you’ve worked hard for it
So if you haven’t done a marathon, give it a go! I don’t think you’ll regret it. We are all different and we all find things which work for us individually, but some of these point might benefit you.
Tom