So, your training is complete and you’re ready for race day! You’ll surely be getting nervous and thinking through all of the things you need to do. These marathon race day tips can help ease your anxiety just a little. 🙂
Eat a good dinner
Dinner the night before is your chance to load up on carbs, but you need to do it right. Most runners love a good pasta dish the night before, but avoid heavy cream sauces and lots of fat. You’ll also want to avoid foods with a lot of fiber. Od course, you know what works for you so avoid anything that is likely to upset your stomach or have you waking up feeling bloated or in need of the bathroom.
Set out your clothes the night before
You may have seen people post “flat runner” pictures on social media and it’s more than just a fun picture for the internet. Setting out your outfit also ensures that you’ll have everything you need ready to go in the morning when you’ll be nervous and on a timeline.
One important word of caution: Don’t post your race bib online before a race. There are schemers out there who search for and copy race bibs to enter races for free, and if someone copies your bib YOU can be disqualified. Save that picture for later when the race is over.
Eat breakfast
Make sure to stick with your training nutrition plan here, nothing new on race day. Try and get your meal in about 3 hours prior to the race start. Unfortunately that does likely mean a super early wake up but your body will thank you.
Avoid lots of fat and fiber and stick to bland, easy to digest carbs and proteins. Check out my Marathon Fueling guide for more information. I also like to opt for a light snack about 30 minutes prior and bring a few energy chews or a gel with me to the start line.
Stay hydrated
Hydrating in the days leading up to your race is important. You can’t expect your body to perform if you’ve been depriving it of water. On the day of the race, it’s a delicate balance between hydrating and not having to pee at mile 1. 🙂 Since you’ll be up and fueling three hours prior, it’s a good time to get in plenty of water. Each person is different of course, but I try and stop drinking 30 minutes or so before the start.
Stick to your fueling plan
If you’ve been training right, you know by now what works for you to fuel during your long runs. If you’re traveling make sure to bring any nutrition you need with you. Don’t rely on being able to buy it locally or to have what you need on the course. If you planned ahead and trained with what you know will be available this is less risky, but I prefer to count on myself vs hoping that what I need will be available when I need it. Remember also, that you likely didn’t run the full 26.2 during training, so plan for bringing extra fuel to keep you going.
Don’t do anything new
I can’t emphasize this one enough. Race day is the time for tried and true routines. Don’t be tempted to wear new clothes or shoes you pick up at the pre-race expo. Use fuel and hydration that you know well, and have used during training. Anything new now can add unwanted problems to your race. This isn’t a 5k. Even the tiniest of untested seams on a new tank top can leave you in pain at the finish line. My motto: If it can chafe, it will chafe.
Focus on logistics
Make sure you know where to park, where the starting line is, where to catch the shuttle, etc. Don’t leave anything to chance and plan to arrive early. It’s heartbreaking to see runners still trying to figure out parking when the starting gun goes off. Remember that many times roads will close and traffic will be a problem, so plan ahead!
Don’t worry about others
It’s easy to let self doubt creep in before the race. You might be looking around and thinking “why didn’t I use that hydration pack?” or “Why haven’t I tried those gels?” or any number of “why’s”. Resist the temptation to compare yourself to anyone else. You’ve trained for this, you know what you can do and you are ready!
Have fun
Don’t forget to have FUN! Take in your surroundings and enjoy the course. Hopefully you’ll have some nice scenery or on course entertainment to get you through. Take in the crowds and the energy around you and remember what brought you here in the first place. You are a ROCKSTAR!
Replenish
You’ve done it! You’ve finished a marathon! It’s an amazing feat and you deserve to rest and celebrate. Before you get too carried away with the celebration though, make sure to get in some good stretching and replenish your electrolytes. You’ve lost a lot of sweat and you’ll feel a whole lot better in the hours and days following your race if you hydrate and get in the electrolytes. Pamper yourself. You deserve it.
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