You’ve done the training, you’ve tapered properly, you’ve cleaned up your nutrition habits and now you are toeing the line in your new running outfit and shoes ready to set a new PR or qualify for the Boston Marathon. Before you get there, though, it might be a good idea to take a moment to read these race day rules.
5 Race Day Rules to Help You Achieve Your Marathon Goal
Are you eady to achieve that #marathon PR or BQ? Here are 5 Race Day Rules to reach that goal. #running #runningtips #BQClick To TweetWhat? There are rules I need to follow when I race? Well, you can call them guidelines if you prefer, but these are guidelines that you’d be wise to follow because they will help you have a better race.
Race Day Rules: Number One
Stop! Go back to the first paragraph, reread, and remember Rule Number One of race day: Never, and I mean never, do anything new on race day. That means don’t use a gel that you haven’t trained with, don’t use the carb drink they are supplying unless you researched and used it during your training.
Don’t try something new for breakfast, and DON’T wear a pretty new outfit and new shoes. Can you say chafing, blisters, or just plain old discomfort for 26.2 miles? Even if your shoes are a new version of an old pair, wear them on a few short runs before the big day. The same goes for shorts, tops, bras, and socks.
Race Day Rules: Number Two
Hopefully, over the course of your long runs, you have learned what to eat, what your stomach can handle, how to manage fluids, all of which gives you a plan for race day. Rule Number Two: Stick with what works. Eat your gels, drink your fluids just like you planned. Learn from my mistake: When I ran the St. George Marathon, I was feeling so good for the first 15 miles that I was afraid to upset the applecart (I tend to have nausea problems).
I didn’t take any gels, although I did drink fluids (I carried my own). Yes, I felt great until I hit mile 20 when I started to feel weak and depleted, and could barely keep up an 8-minute mile (the first 20 I was averaging 7:15 per mile). It took all I had to finish that last mile. If I had fueled properly and maintained my pace, I had the chance to take another four minutes off my time.
Race Day Rules: Number Three
Retake on the race start: you’ve fueled up for the race with a light breakfast that you know will work because you’ve eaten it before your long runs. You are wearing an almost new, but still very cute, racing outfit and your lightly used shoes are still bright and shiny clean. Your pack or pockets are bulging with the racing fuel of your choice, and you’ve either tried out the race brand of carb/electrolyte replacement or are carrying your own.
The gun goes off and you start racing. Rule Number Three: Slow Down! The urge to start off too fast is almost irresistible. I know, I’ve been there, done that. Remember to run what you trained for. If your goal time is 3:30, about an eight-minute mile, don’t start off running a seven-minute mile! It is not “money in the bank,” you are not suddenly going to develop into a mystical being who will run a 3:03 marathon (yes, that is what a seven-minute pace would equal).
My husband loves to tell the story of the first time he ran Boston. Because he was very fast, his qualifying time put him up near the front with the likes of master marathoners Frank Shorter and Bill Rogers. When the race started, he started running with these champions. When he found himself at mile 10 in an hour, he knew he was cooked. That’s on pace for a 2:37 marathon, much faster than the 2:59 time he qualified with. (When he had to finally slow down at mile 10, he managed to pull himself together and still run 2:58. That’s mental toughness and determination.)
Race Day Rules: Number Four
Unless you’re doing a Galloway Walk/Run plan, Rule Number Four is Don’t Walk (too much). The problem with walking is that by mile 20, it just feels too damn good. The more you walk, the harder it is to get started running again. Plan ahead for your walking strategy. I used to plan to walk through the water stations (when I set my PR, though, I didn’t walk at all). Unless you’re injured, make yourself start running again as soon as you can, even if it is really hard to do so. You will feel better once you get rolling again.
Race Day Rules: Number Five
This final rule covers a lot of things, Rule Number Five: Shit happens. While not a real rule, per se, mentally planning for it will help you run a successful marathon. Over the course of 26.2 miles, there will probably be times where you won’t feel good, you might start to develop a blister, your playlist will go whacky and you’re forced to listen to the sound of your own breathing.
So many things can happen that might derail your race. It will be up to you, the mental toughness that you have been developing over the last 4-6 months, that will keep you going, make you keep pushing, help you carry on. I can’t make you do it. Only you can. Like I said in this post. It will be hard. It will hurt. But, if you’ve followed the training and gotten this far, you can do it.
Note: there may be circumstances, like an injury or other health problem, that you really should quit. I myself have dropped out twice for health reasons, both times my exercise-induced asthma left me unable to breathe-all the fortitude in the world can’t make up for that. Be smart, make the right decision, and live to race again.
Those are my race day tips for running a successful marathon. I know it’s not a complete list, because in the interest of brevity I skipped some basics like hydrate, wear your number on the front, wear sunscreen, etc., that apply to every level of marathon running.
Ready to race your best marathon? Check out Coach Laura’s tips for how to pace your fastest marathon. And Coach Lisa has some advice to help you recover after that marathon.
Did I miss something important? What tips would you add to the list?
And Now It’s Time for the Runners’ Roundup!
Weekly Linkups
My weekly linkups! Please stop by and check out all of the great recipes, workouts, and information that all these awesome bloggers share every week!
Meatless Monday with Sarah and Deborah
Inspire Me Monday with Janet
Tuesday Topics with Kim and Zenaida
The Runners’ Roundup with Deborah, Lisa, Jenn, Laura, and Me!
The Weekly Run Down with Deborah and Kim
Fit Five Friday with Darlene, Michelle, Renee, Jenn, and Zenaida
Ultimate Coffee Date with Deborah and Coco
sticking with a race day plan can be hard for me. I can get caught up in the moment. It is the way to go though!
It’s so easy to get caught up in the moment but the plan is so important!
That story about your husband at the Boston marathon!
It’s so easy to get caught up in the frenzy of a race and go out too fast.
It happens to me nearly every time. Rule no. 3 must be the hardest one to stick to, even for experienced runners.
I think almost everyone starts too fast even experienced racers. The excitement! The smart ones slow down quickly, though.
Great reminders! I’ve definitely gone out too fast in races and ended up slowing down alot at the end. I have a hard time with stopping to walk. Once I start taking walk breaks it can be so hard to get going again.
Those walk breaks start to feel so good!
The hardest thing for me is going out too fast! It’s hard to not get caught up in the excitement of the crowd. I’m still learning, lol
I think everyone does it, even when we know better. It’s hard not to get caught up in the moment. The key is to catch it and slow down!
Thanks. Unfortunately I think I broke all five rules on my only marathon. Fortunately it all worked out well. Lucky I guess. New skirt, new fuel, first half too fast, too much walking.
I guess if it works for you!
These are great rules to keep in mind! I agree with the rule about walking. After you get past mile 20, walking feels so good that it’s hard to get yourself to run again! Thanks for the tips!
Walking feels so good in the latter miles! And it’s so hard to start running again.
Interestingly, I won’t do anything new for a road race. But a trail race? Anything goes haha!
Trail races are different, aren’t they? I may have broken a rule or two in my last trail race. But going out too fast wasn’t one of them!
I so agree with these. I think the only reason I broke the fueling one is it was Halloween weekend and I was so tired of gels / chews by about mile 16. Trusted that no one spectating would be trying to poison us runners so took the Starburst and Swedish Fish that were on offer.
My brother was at mile 21 or so and I handed him the gels. He laughed because I just would not litter and there were no trash cans on the route.
Lol, sometimes it’s hard to get them down. As long as you made it!
These are great tips! Some of them we’ve heard before but are worth repeating (how many people break rule #1?) but I particularly like rule #4. Yes, unless you’re specifically doing a planned run/walk marathon, walking is to be avoided! I’ve found two things- the first is, once you stop and walk, that’s it. You want to walk again and again. And it takes a looooooong time to get to the finish line that way. Second, it’s so, so hard to get going again after you walk. It’s usually just easier to keep running than to get yourself back to running. Slow down if you have to, but try not to walk! Thanks for the “guidelines!”
Walking feels so good later in the race! And it is so hard to start running again. Even a plan, like walking through the aid stations, is tough because you just don’t want to run.
I always (almost always, that is) walk through the water stations because I cannot drink and move without making a mess. My body (and mind) are used to that routine, so it works for me. The danger, like you stated, is when those walking breaks start happening more frequently, or lasting longer than the usual 5-6 seconds. My calf muscles sometimes start cramping if I walk too much, then the walking becomes a necessity and not just a quick water break. Not a fun scenario!
This was so useful! I’m training for my first marathon on 2nd October so this was a great summary of what I should bear in mind! I once wore something new on race day – leggings that I spent the whole 10K race pulling up as they kept riding down. Imagine if that had been a 42K race, LOL!
Oh, reading about your leggings reminded me of a woman I saw at my last race. She was wearing very cute leggings but she passed me early in the race. However, I caught up with her later and told her that I loved her tights. She told me they had been riding down the whole race and she had to keep tugging them back up. That’s probably why I caught up (and eventually passed her 🙂 ).
Not walking is key! I run through aid stations even and just quickly grab the cup because walking can throw off pacing so much.