Hello runners! A couple weeks ago, I felt like all I did was run; this week I felt like I barely ran, as the taper brought me down to only 3 days of running and a total of 22 miles for the week, including a Saturday morning easy 9 miler, as we head in to the final week of Philadelphia Marathon training ...and another week of compulsively refreshing my weather app for the latest race day forecast, which seems to change by the moment. For me, cooler temps are totally fine as long as we avoid wind and rain. (According to researchers from the University of Tulsa, the optimum temperature for marathon running for women is 51.8 degrees and 49.4 for men).
Since this #RunWithRadio1045Johnny blog started, I've connected with lots of runners, including several who are running their very first full or half marathon; this week's blog features tips for those of you running your first big race, and some experienced running pals offer their tips as well. Hope this helps you have an amazing race!
- ‘Don’t Do Anything New on Race Day’ - this is probably the Golden Rule of race day. Hopefully, you've used your training to plan your wardrobe, nutrition, pace etc.
- The most important night sleep is the night before the night before the race. I never get a good night sleep the night before a race, as the excitement/anxiety builds...and I fear I'm going to sleep through the alarm! If you get a solid night sleep the night before the night before, you should be good to go.
- Get up early enough to properly hydrate and have a healthy breakfast…and let it digest/eliminate. If your body is not fueled properly, you won't run your best race. And, you definitely won't run your best race if you have to stop mid-race for the porta-potty line.
- Stay hydrated throughout the entire week leading to race. You can't effectively cram hydration, as you will likely pee it all out.
- Pack your clothes and race gear the night before. The last thing you want to worry about on race morning is trying to find your gloves or socks or gels or belt or hat. Know what I'm saying?
- Check your socks and shoes for lint/pebbles before you get to the start line. Several times, I've started to approach the start line only to realize a small piece of lint or a pebble had lodged itself in my sneaker, which makes for a super uncomfortable race until it works itself out.
- Relax and Enjoy! There’s always anxiety that comes with race day, but don't let it ruin your race. Enjoy every mile even if you're not PRing the way you imagined.
- Watch my interview with ultra-marathoner Mark Sullivan, who has ran 178 marathons. He's got some great insight!
In addition to these tips, several running pals have Tweeted you their wisdom (below)! Big thanks to @LaurenRunsHere @peace_love_ruka @kyle_j_kranz @originalhowardp @runnerkeetz @heyrobwilcox @runtripletdad @AWagner630 @Mandy_islandd and @therealHLN! All of these suggestions are great to consider as you approach your big race.
As always, thanks for reading and running! Good luck if you're running the Philadelphia Marathon (8K, half-marathon or full-marathon). Hit me on Twitter (@Radio1045Johnny) with comments or questions!