10 Marathon Tips - Trifuel

Hey! The clock is ticking - fast! Either it's another 24 days or 3 weeks & 3 days, it's still coming. Perhaps it is time to get into the race mood and hype. I am no season marathoner - this is only my second, but I prefer to treat every marathon like it's my first. Just don't want all those months, days, hours, minutes, seconds spent, body hammerings, leg poundings, all those breakfast I missed with wifey and kids, my pay cheque funding my runs, etc go down the drain simply by ignoring simple things.

Definitely we've came across million times of these tips from mags and webs, but there's no harm in reminding. Pscyhologists say a person needs to be reminded at least 200 times for him to remember new tasks. A guy as kaput as me, perhaps would take 2000 times la kot - no offense but with loads of things to catch up, kilos of raisins won't add any of my gigabytes memory.

So, thanks to Alwin who emailed me this precious tips - sorry that you have to ditch ENR but we'll make a blast in Sundown. I wish it could facilitate everyone, whether we'll be doing a 5k, 10k, half or a marathon. Whatever the anxiety we're holding right now, tip no. 10 is the basis for every steps that we take. Cheers =)

10 Marathon Tips - TriFuel

Running a marathon is an exciting and big undertaking. Here are some fantastic tips to help you get the most out of yourself on race day!

1. Taper
A well-structured taper is essential to run a good marathon. It gives your legs a chance to fully rest and soak up the many kilometres that have been put into them in training. It is NOT an excuse to do nothing and carbo-load - please!

There are many factors that will determine a good taper: training load, recent race history, recovery from injury, etc. As a rule of thumb, cut down total weekly volume to 75 percent two weeks before the race, and reduce your volume again to 50 percent in the final week leading up to race day. Retain some speed work and intensity to keep the specific neuromuscular impulses firing - this will help maintain a high stride rate on race day.

2. Visualisation
Spend some time in the weeks or days leading up to the marathon thinking about it. Put yourself at different points and in various situations throughout race day. This will help you to be prepared for everything by the time Race Day comes round.

For example:
Pre-race: How am I getting to the start line? What time do I want to be there? How am I going to carry my gels?

During the race: How am I going to pace myself? How am I going to feel at the halfway point? What is my nutrition plan? What happens if/when I hit the wall? How am I going to respond?

Post-race: How am I getting home? Where can I get a post-race snack? How do I recover properly from a huge effort like a marathon?

3. Gear
Plan your outfit. You should use the most comfortable running gear you have. How are you going to carry your gels? IF it is time to treat yourself to a new pair of running shoes, do not leave this until the last minute because you need break in them well in advance of race day.

4. Nutrition
Read the labels. Know what you will be putting in your body as fuel for your big day. Your breakfast should get you through the first hour of the race. Then try to ingest at least 150 calories per hour every hour. You can get this from sports drinks (such as PowerBar Endurance formula) or gels (such as PowerBar gels). This works out to taking about one gel every 40 minutes. Larger athletes will need more than this. Remember that it is important to wash your gels down with water because it helps with the absorption.

5. Nutrition
If you are a heavy sweater (you sweat through your shoes) it is essential to replace the lost electrolytes as the race wears on. An excess loss of sodium through sweat will affect your muscles’ contractility. Replace these with salt tablets, nuun rehydration tablets or extra-sodium gels. Try sucking on a nuun tablet - I find this works well. When you’ve had enough, and you will know when, simply spit it out.

6. Nutrition
Aim to take in moderate amounts of water at regular intervals at the aid stations. In most cases a few mouthfuls is enough. Do not wait until you are very thirsty and gulp down a whole litre! This will disrupt the concentration gradients in your stomach and may lead to bloating - a very uncomfortable situation when running.

7. Pacing
Start EASY! The adrenaline and atmosphere at the start will have your heart rate 10 beats above normal and raring to go. HOLD BACK. No matter how good you feel, do not sprint off at the start. Take a few kilometres to let your body find its natural rhythm – and then back off a little more. Yes! The energy you put aside in the first half of the race will pay big dividends in the closing stages of the run. Try to get the first 10 km out of the way as effortlessly as possible. Remember to start easy.

8. Pacing
If you are following my advice to START EASY, you should be able to reach the halfway mark without problems. This is the time to make an assessment: if you are feeling fantastic, showing no signs of fatigue and are still raring to go then you could increase your effort a little.

If you are feeling OK- no problems, nutrition on track, legs still in good shape, relatively fresh - maintain the current effort because a marathon has a way of biting back after 30km.

9. Pacing
Running a marathon will never be a simple, painless stroll in the park. At some point, you will have to grit your teeth and man up! Whether this happens with 10km to go or 500m before the finishing line, the important thing to know that from here on in the race is run in your head. Stay strong and focused. Nothing else matters, just hold your form and run tall.

10. Enjoy your race
Enjoy putting your body to the test! Relish the fact that you are able to run a marathon - that in itself is special. Remember everyone who has supported you and be thankful for them. Encourage those having a tough time on the day with a smile or a few kind words. Never give up!