What’s YOUR Race Day Strategy?
Everyone has their own race day strategy. I have mine and I’m certain they differ from yours. I will highlight some of my suggestions for a successful race day.
However, because different methods work for all of us, please share what you do and what works for you to have a better run on race day. Please leave your comments and share with all of us!
Use your training long runs to figure out what energy foods/gels work best with your stomach and at how often. I quickly learned my stomach cannot handle more than 3 GU gels on any training run (including the marathon). But, I have discovered fig newtons work well for me
Race Day Tips & Strategies
1) Know the Course. Try and drive the course a day or two before race day so you know what to expect. I never did this until a few years ago. I used to think not knowing the course would make the race more interesting. But, now I’d rather know especially if hills are involved. I also like to pick out something such as a big tree or building…..then I call it the “inspirational tree”. So, when I hit that spot on race day…I’ll get inspired. Ok, it’s kinda “out there”, but it gives me something to look forward to.
2) Be Social. Runners are all nervous nellies before a race. The bathroom lines are ridiculously full, some are running, some are stretching, it’s all re-directed nervous energy. Don’t get caught up in what others are doing and feeling you need to do the same. Just be social and chat. I’ve met some very interesting people from all over.
3) To Warm-up or Not? When it comes to the marathon, I use the first few miles as my warm-up. I might do some leg swings and light stretching before the race begins, but that is it. I do remember, however, on one occasion when the weather was very cool, so I did jog a little just to stay warm.
4) Wear extra clothing (only when needed) that you don’t mind tossing away. For the marathons that are held during the cooler months of the year, I wear a long sleeve shirt and old pants that I buy at the Goodwill then throw them off when I get warm. I know I won’t see those clothes again that’s why I don’t wear the good stuff.
5) Pacing Strategy Pacing strategy: There are huge debates among running experts about virtually every aspect of the Marathon. But there is one thing that absolutely EVERYBODY agrees with. You cannot bank time in the first half for an inevitable slowdown in the second half. In other words, if you think that you should run faster than your goal pace during the first half while you are still feeling strong because it will give you some breathing room in the second half, think again. You will pay very dearly for making this mistake. I did this and let me be the first to tell you…..it sucks!
Like me, chances are that if you do this, you will crash in the second half and be reduced to a shuffle, crawl, or worse.
Therefore, the best strategy is to run relatively even pacing. Start out by running the first kilometer (or first 2 kilometers if you want to play it conservatively) at 10 seconds slower than goal pace. Ignore the many fools who tear off like bats out of hell. Believe me, you will catch them later (and that is a great feeling)!
If you have a race time goal, you can begin to drop your pace by 5 seconds in mile 4, and by mile 5, you should be running at goal race pace. Maintain this until the halfway mark. At the halfway mark, do a body check. Ask yourself how you are feeling? If you are feeling good, you can quicken your pace by a few seconds per mile but nothing drastic. If you are still feeling strong, pick up the pace by a few more seconds per mile but still run in control.
From mile 20 to the finish is the character part of the marathon. This is what we have prepared for in our long runs. Here’s where all that hard work will really pay off. It’s the stretch that poorly prepared marathoners fear and well-prepared marathoners such as relish.
Give it whatever you have left. That doesn’t mean you should start sprinting. It means you run what you can. The huge advantage of running a negative or even split is that you will be passing many runners in the late stages of the race who did not run as intelligently as you did and once again, that is a fantastic feeling.
6) Drinking and Eating The secret to a successful is staying properly hydrated and avoiding glycogen depletion.
The question is when and how to consume these all-important commodities? The answer is a lot earlier than you think. Personally, I plan to take gels at beginning at mile 10. I continue geling at 3 mile increments until mile 21 when I actually eat fig newtons (I can’t handle to many gels) at every mile until the finish.
At every water station, drink something (at least a few gulps) and make sure that you are getting a substantial amount of liquid. I strongly recommend walking through those stations to make sure that you get the liquid down. The few seconds you will lose will pay huge dividends as you stay properly hydrated through the late stages of the race. An additional benefit is that the few seconds of walking will relieve some of the eccentric stress on your running muscles and this can also make a difference near the end when your quads are begging for mercy. Besides, this is probably the more preferred method by the volunteers who are left soaked with water as we runners try and grab a drink while still running.
7) Expectations and Results Don’t ruin your marathon experience by making success dependent on a goal set in stone. It’s a long race and anything can happen and it often does, even to the professional runners. It is important to have a goal but it is ludicrous to judge yourself a failure if, on a particular day, you were not at the top of your game and ran a few minutes slower. You are running a marathon, a supreme physical challenge when the vast majority of your contemporaries are sedentary couch-potatoes. Don’t lose sight of the big picture. You have accomplished the incredible regardless of your finishing time.
And finally, as arbitrary as it sounds, your expectations will sometimes have to be modified by the weather. If it pours or is hot or very windy, you are unlikely to reach a goal which assumes optimal conditions. Be flexible enough to adjust if necessary. Above all, savor every moment of this amazing experience.
Now go and conquer the race.
Posted by admin | in Marathon, Run Training, Uncategorized | 2 Comments
Surprised by your ‘gelling plan’. One every 3 miles between 10-21. Did I read that right? That would be five gels in approx. 2 hours??
FWIW, not banking time in the first half is a great point. I have suffered from it’s first cousin- not intentionally banking time, but getting caught up in the excitement, crowd or whatever and UNINTENTIONALLY going out way too fast. I knew the problem. Was warned against it. Paid close attention to my pace and still seemed unable to slooowwww down during those first couple of miles on my first two marathons. Finally got it figured out by my third.
Been enjoying your blog. Enjoy your Tri. Remember, you trained well and are mentally prepared. The rest is just simple mechanics.
thanks Kevin. About the gels, what I did not mention is that I only take a little bit from the pack at a time (not the entire package). So, even though it seems like a lot, I only have a little at at time.