Then you took on the training after reading THIS.
But now, it's time to run the race...
- You've trained hard. Trust that you are ready. Don't fear 26.2.
- Try everything out ahead of time. Something that is a very small issue can amplify 100x of the duration of the run.
- Look at the course map and elevation map and know what to expect. A hill is easier to take if you know when it starts and ends. Know where your course might part and merge from those running other distances.
- It's a long way to run. Don't go out the gate without a plan. Plan your nutrition, plan your pace, set goals, plan walk breaks if you feel you need them.
- Know that there's a 99% chance that something won't go as planned. Stay calm, take it in stride, and move past it.
- A positive attitude will get you through the last 6.2. I am convinced that saying "I can't" will make your legs feel at least 20 lbs heavier. Keep your eye on the finish and remember that even if you aren't meeting your time goal, you are going 26.2 amazing miles. Enjoy the experience and remind yourself of your accomplishment.
- Celebrate the finish line. No matter what your time. No matter what went wrong. No matter how bad you ache. You ran 26.2 miles. That is a long way to go... probably across your town and a couple more! Whether the race was great or crappy - you earned the right to join the 1% of the population that are marathoners!
What to expect:
- Nerves. No matter how prepared you are.
- Confidence. That today is your day.
- Moments of feeling amazing.
- Moments where you are certain a leg might fall off or that your intestines are trying out for Olympic gymnastics.
- Trying to weave around those in front of you.
- Times you are sure there are a million people passing you.
- Times of feeling alone.
- Being overwhelmed by the sights and sounds that surround you.
- Enjoyment from watching other runners - funny shirts, silly outfits, amazing accomplishments, overheard conversations, crazy music blaring too loud on earphones.- Annoyance by the most ridiculous minor things. Everything seems amplified when you are enduring 26.2 miles.
- Ups and downs. "I can" and "I can't"s.
- Times when you look at your Garmin, quite literally, every 0.01 mile.
- A finish line. There will be a point where you think they might have moved it to a different country, but you will eventually get there.
10 comments:
I've loved this marathon series. I think I'm broken.... I've decided on San Fran 2012 as my first full, and these posts have all just hardened my resolve. I'm SUPER excited now :D
What a perfect post to read the day after my marathon. You nailed it and yes, it is an emotional experience but the emotions post-run were what I didn't expect. The intense happiness, the disappointment, the up's and down's so hearing this positive note brought myself back to focus. I am ready to tackle number 2 next!
I stumbled across you via SR' twitter. I'm running my first marathon in November and I'm am absolutely petrified. This post just gave three minutes of calm. Thank you :)
LOVED this!! Thank you so much for writing it! :) I'm running my first full on October 16th! :)
Great post. I will be running my 2nd marathon OCT 16, 2011.
Loving this series! My first full is less than 3 weeks away and I'm starting to freak out a bit! :)
That is great! Just so you know, when you run Detroit, for a little while, the finish line really is in "another country", since you cross into Canada at mile 3ish and come back through the tunnel at mile 8. They don't move it back at mile 22, although it feels like they did. Also, getting passed by the oldest person in the marathon at mile 20 is a humbling experience, let me tell you! That made me pick up my step when a dude on a bike with a megahorn started yelling, make way for the oldest competitor!
BWT, I really hope your friend you coached to her BQ got her application in. They didn't post an official field size, and last time I checked, it didn't seem that far over the number they planned. There is some hope out in f/b world that they may take everyone, since they would be cutting just a small amount of people. The race was insanely huge during the 100th running, so people are holding out hope that everyone gets in.
My friend trying to BQ isn't someone I coach, just a good friend! She knows what she's doing. But she won't try applying this year, it'll be next year.
I'm running my FIRST marathon this Sunday in Quad Cities. A friend of mine tweeted this article at me. Thank for you the inspiration. It's true, stuff will go wrong, but it doesn't matter...as long as you cross that finish line you are a MARATHONER!
I'm glad I came across these posts, thanks for sharing!
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