The week of a marathon is EXCITING. And nerve-wracking and maybe a little stressful. Whether this is your tenth marathon or your first, there is a lot to remember the week of your race.
I made a Marathon Race Week Guide for my athletes and I thought I would share part of it as a blog post with all of you. If you want the full guide complete with a packing list just email me and I can send it to you.
Here are a few of my key reminders!
3-4 days out:
- Hydrate!
- Add electrolytes
- More carbs, snack a bit extra
- Make sure running clothes are clean (if not, do your laundry)
- Stop checking the weather
- Pack your suitcase (if traveling for the race)
- Sleeeeeeep
2-3 days out:
- Keep hydrating
- Electrolytes
- Up your carbs
- Make your expo plan
- Go to the expo / pick up your bib
- Make sure you have your fuel ready to go
- Sleep well
1-2 days out:
- Don’t try anything new!
- Go on a short shakeout run
- Lay out your race day outfit
- Try not to walk around much (save your legs)
- Do some light yoga or stretching
- Legs up the wall for 10 minutes a few times throughout the day
- Plan with your spectators on where you’ll see them
- Pin your bib to your shirt (so you don’t forget pins)
- Eat a carb heavy dinner, stay away from fiber/lots of veggies
- Check the weather to make sure you have any rain gear if necessary (zip lock bag, hat, jacket, etc)
- Trust your training. Think about all the hard work you’ve put in.
- Visualize the race. Think about the happiness and picture yourself running well — all the way through to the finish line.
- Try to sleep 8 hours (but right before the race this rarely happens — it’s okay)
Morning of:
- Wake about 3 hours before race time depending on how long it will take you to get to the start
- Eat your pre-run breakfast 1.5-2 hours out from the race
- Hydrate, use the bathroom
- Only have coffee if you always do this!
- Go on an 8-10 minute jog as a warm-up before you get in your corral
There is nothing quite like the magic of a marathon. Enjoy it. Know it will be difficult at times, but there’s usually a good mile on the other side of a not-so-good one. I’m excited for you!
p.s. If you’re running Chicago Marathon, I have a full blog post on my experience here.
