Race Day Tips for Rookies
Last Updated: Thursday, September 20, 2007 | 14:35 PM ET
By John Stanton Sr.
Running the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon for the first time? Here's all you need to know to have a safe and successful day.
1. Your Goal:
Your goal is simply to finish. Your first race is for the experience, not for the competition. Run it knowing your time will be a personal record.
2. Eating and Drinking:
On race day, don’t eat or drink anything out of the ordinary. This is not the time to experiment, no matter what you may have heard about athletic super-foods. Nor do you have to be concerned with the carbohydrate loading you may have heard is favoured by marathon runners. In fact, for your last meal - taken at least three hours before the race start, you might want to eat less than normal, since nervousness could upset your digestive system.
In warm weather, drink 500 ml of water one hour before the start, and continue drinking every 10 minutes during the race (you should practise the same on hot-weather training runs). Adjust your expectations and drink fluids at regular intervals in relationship to the water loss from your perspiration and breathing.
3. Strategy:
Planning your race strategy will build your confidence. Break the course into small sections, making sure you know where key landmarks are located. It’s particularly important that you know the last half-kilometre of the course. On race day, it’s a good idea to warm up by running this final section to set a few landmarks in your mind.
4. Getting Ready:
When you arrive at the race, don’t be intimidated by what you see other runners doing. Many of them are preparing for a hard effort, whereas you want to make sure you save your energy for a more comfortable race. Do some walking, stretching and light jogging to loosen up.
5. Lining Up and Starting:
Go to the back of your starting corral where you won’t get caught in the starting sprint. Join the pace group running at the speed you feel comfortable with. Begin slowly, and don’t worry about all the runners who take off ahead of you. It’s far better to start slowly and catch up later than to begin too fast and be passed by hundreds of runners after a kilometre or two. Once you get room to run freely, move into your normal, relaxed training pace. Maintain that pace (it should be one that allows you to talk comfortably) at least until you reach the halfway mark. Then if you feel strong and want to pick it up, go ahead, but make sure to do it gradually. If you reach a point of struggle, slow down to gather your strength.
6. Walking:
Run 10 minutes and walk one minute. Nowhere on the entry form does it say that you can’t walk. So if you feel the need to, take walking breaks, particularly on the hills. But never stop moving forward unless you are hurt. Disguise your walking breaks by calling them water breaks. Since drinking water is so important during a race, many runners stop and drink when they get to the water tables. You can do the same – getting water plus the rest you need – and no one will be the wiser.
7. Finishing:
Keep your pace constant and steady. Don’t sprint hard at the finish line. That's not only unwise, but also dangerous. Concentrate on finishing with a good, relaxed, strong form.
8. Recovery:
After you finish, be sure to walk around to cool down. Drink plenty of fluids, especially if it’s a hot day. Change into dry clothes as soon as possible, and when you get home, stretch your muscles thoroughly after taking a cool shower. Don’t do any running the next day, although it’s OK to swim or bike. You might find it hard to contain your newfound racing enthusiasm, but running on leg muscles that might be sore would only tempt injury.
Post-race:
So you've completed your first marathon. Now where do you go with your training?
After working meticulously for 18 weeks to a year for a marathon, you may ask: "Now what?" To avoid suffering from post-race syndrome following your big day, set some new goals for yourself. First and foremost, do not lose the new level of fitness you have attained through your training cycle.
This is the time to think of maintaining the level of performance your body has reached as an athlete. The key to keeping your level of fitness is a maintenance program while you contemplate a new goal.
The marathon runner can keep his or her long run in the range of 16 km (10 miles). In addition to keeping you in shape, 16 km every other weekend can be a great way to abbreviate your training for the next marathon. By maintaining your long run in the 16-km range, you can prepare for the next marathon in as little as 12 weeks. Or you can prepare for a half marathon in six weeks.
Give yourself adequate recovery from your race – three weeks for a half marathon and four weeks for a marathon – before you race any distance or do any high-quality running. You can run, but think of your runs as “massage-type” running to loosen the legs.