7 Steps To 26.2 Success
Here are a few things I learned running my very first London Marathon
Tips and tricks to ensure your marathon goes smoothly
AFTER A BRIEF HIATUS, it’s finally time to run marathons again. The London Marathon will always be dear to me – it was my first marathon in 2007 and changed my life forever. I learned that I was stronger than I realised, as for most of the race all I wanted to do was go home, curl up in a ball and be fed soup until the warmth returned to my soul. Instead, I focused on my mantra:
‘Get to the bottom of the road.’ And when the roads were too long, I would think about the next imaginary marker until the finish line was in sight.
Stubbornness kept me going, along with remembering the reason I was running the race and how I’d feel if I let this challenge defeat me, compared with how I’d feel when I proved the naysayers wrong and crossed the finish. But as I toed the line, I realised I hadn’t done enough preparation. Here’s what I got wrong.
• I didn’t train for the distance
I wasn’t following a plan and I wasn’t putting in enough miles to cover the full distance without putting my body under more stress than it was used to. Running is like many other things in life: you get out what you put in.
• I overate during training
I consumed way more food than
necessary after convincing myself that the engine needed carbs. Realistically, I didn’t need two giant bowls of pasta to leisurely run six miles. Instead of shedding pounds during training I actually put weight on, which made the running harder.
• I didn’t have a nutrition plan
There were a few energy drinks and gels that my stomach could deal with, while the rest would cause me gastric distress. But come race day I had no fuelling plan, nor did I carry enough gels to get me through the race.
• I didn’t relax the day before
I spent the previous day on my feet, busying myself instead of relaxing and getting mentally prepared. I should have been checking the best way to get to the start so that I could begin the day without stress.
• I got my gear wrong
I decided to wear as many clothes as possible, so that if anything happened
to me at least I would be warm. First I overheated, then when the heavens opened I got drenched and had to complete the course in soggy clothes. This is not what I would describe as intelligent layering.
• I didn’t find my friends
A few friends came to support me, but because I hadn’t asked where they would be cheering from, I missed some of them. They tell me they were there, screaming my name!
• I didn’t have a post-race plan
After the race, I couldn’t walk for days. All I could think was, ‘I wish I had sliders or slippers when I finished, I wish I’d set a place to meet family and friends after and I wish we’d booked somewhere to eat.’
If this is your first marathon, please don’t think I’m trying to put you off
– I just don’t want you to make the same mistakes. Do tell me, what have you learned on your running journey?