Marathon, not a sprint
From the golden exploits of Michael Shelley to the distressing image of Scottish runner Callum Hawkins collapsing during the Commonwealth Games, marathons are serious business. Ahead of this weekend’s Gold Coast Marathon, the Bulletin gets valuable race t
DIET
Make sure you put an emphasis on having the right nutrition. It is important to fuel your body with plenty of carbohydrates, especially a couple of days leading into the event. We call it carboloading. Eat lots of pasta, rice, bread and even non-spicy pizza with a thick crust.
HYDRATION
On the morning of the race, it’s important to eat a couple of hours before you run, but don’t forget to drink plenty of fluids, because that is what helps your body absorb the carbohydrates. It is common to hit the wall if you run out of carbohydrates during the event. During the event you need to make sure you either drink sport drinks or use gels and lollies. The big mistake people make is not taking water with that. The sport drink is diluted, so it doesn’t upset the gut. If you take the gels or lollies by themselves, the water gets sucked into the gut, which will cause all kinds of uncomfortable things like vomiting, farting and burping.
PACE YOURSELF
The most common mistake runners will make, especially if this is their first marathon, is going out too hard too early. Don’t get caught up in the excitement. Pace is vitally important. You need to know how fit you are because 42.2km is a long way. Knowing your own body is doing is vital.
ADAPT
You have to weigh up the conditions, if it is hot and humid – like it was during the Commonwealth Games – you need to alter your effort accordingly. Don’t just run to a set time, make sure you weigh up all the conditions and listen to your body. The Scottish runner at the Games was a strong runner, make no mistake about that, but he went out too hard for those conditions. He didn’t adapt to the hot, humid and windless day.
KEY WARNING SIGNS
There are some key indicators you also need to keep in mind while running – muscle cramping, stomach cramping, light-headedness, getting a feeling you need to go to the toilet, blurred vision, getting wobbly. Even an inability to hold pace – that’s a clear sign you need to slow down or get some fluids and carbohydrates into you.
BE PREPARED
If you have got your training, diet and hydration planned, and you keep a steady pace, that will give the best chance of surviving. It is also important to think about the smaller things. It can be a good idea to carry vaseline or have it at a first-aid station. A lot of new runners will carry a fannypack and that is a great idea because there are a lot places that can get chaffing and cause discomfort. Even just wearing the wrong kind of shirt can cause a lot of irritation over the course of a marathon so be prepared. Make sure you have everything you need, including a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen.
RECOVERY
After the event is finished, try to stay on your feet and keep moving, stretch and keep walking. If you stand still all the blood can start to pool, you want it to keep moving around your body. It helps recovery to keep the blood flowing. Walk into the Broadwater and get your hips and legs cold. Have a warm shower and a light massage can help and compression pants like Skins can also help. And of course, drink plenty of fluids and eat plenty of protein to help repair those damaged muscles..