It’s the week before, now what?
Anyone who has run a marathon knows, the last week leading up to it can have you feeling kind of lost. The work has been done, you are in serious taper mode, and you are doing everything possible to avoid a freak accident. This will be my third marathon, so I am by no means an expert on pre-race rituals, but here are some things I have found helpful and try to remember the week leading up to the big race.
Your training is complete. The fitness is there, so that means going fast or trying to get some last minute speed in is NOT going to matter. I use this week to really take my runs slow and just enjoy them. The body needs to stay loose, but you definitely don’t want to tax yourself physically this week. {That was what the other 12-15 weeks were for}
Visualize the Race. This might seem silly, but truthfully, it works. Think about the start, how you are going to feel. The middle miles, passing the halfway mark, and then no-mans land as I call them. 16-20. No one really talks about these miles. You always here don’t go out too fast, the last 6 are all adrenaline, blah, blah. I found these are where you can make or break your race. Stay focused. Think about those miles before the race. Get a game plan together for what you want to do during them. Of course think about finishing and what your fantastic time will be!
Plan out your splits and when you want to run them. I am really trying to stick to this. I had a mishap at the Marine Corps Marathon in 2015 and went out wayyyy too fast. That is marathon suicide. My goal this race is to run even splits, and most importantly negative splits at the end. All my training runs have been geared this way, and I want to have my last miles strong.
Stay mentally strong. Do not doubt yourself. Take a look back at your journal to see how far you have come. I did this recently to see how I went from crutches to about to run a marathon. It reminds you of all the hard work and dedication you put in to get to this point.
Sleep. Sleep. Sleep. I am sleeping at least 8 hours a night. I make sure I am in bed and try to put my phone down. You can easily get sucked down the instagram worm hole until all hours of the night. Don’t be that person. I feel like a grandmother, but it works. I know my body is well rested when I don’t have to set an alarm.
Meal Prep Race Day. Since this is a destination marathon, I need to bring all my food with me or plan on getting it when I am down in Miami. I am calling the hotel to make sure they have a toaster and microwave I can use super early in the morning to prepare my food. I don’t want to get thrown off by not being able to eat what I always do before long runs.
Do not wear heels. So I usually wear heels to work. This may sound silly, but I often roll my weak ankles. Can’t have that this week. So flats it is.
Outfit. Do not run in anything you haven’t run in previously. You have no idea if it will chafe, feel comfortable, or whatever it might be. I am running in items I have previously done long runs in to make sure its good enough for the marathon distance.
Enjoy it!!! It really is something special to train for a marathon. Make sure you take it all in. This is something most people will not do in their lifetime. Be proud of what you have accomplished to get here.
Good luck to everyone else racing this weekend!
-Katie