10 Things I Wish I Knew Before My First Marathon
“The miracle isn’t that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start.”
As with most things in life, the unknowns of running can incite a myriad of different emotions. Excitement, nervousness, regret, elation, and everything in between. And whether a runner is toeing the line for the first time or the 100th time, those feelings never really go away; in fact, sometimes they get stronger when you know what you are getting yourself into! However, as I work with many runners who are gearing up to run their first race (some running a 5k, some running a half, some running a full or ultra marathon), the number one question I get is: what advice do you have for me for race day?
While everyone’s race day experience is very different, there are so many things that I learned through experience that I wish someone who had run a full marathon before had told me. This is by no means a step by step, mandatory checklist that all runners should do before their race, but it is a guide of some tidbits that I find helpful not only for myself, but to other runners who are setting their sights on their first real race.
First and foremost, let’s talk logistics! With the spike in popularity in marathon running, there are lots of different opinions about the best way to go about a race weekend, but these are some tried-and-true tactics that have worked for me through experience:
1. Don’t walk too much
Step one, do not walk too much before the race! Limit your time on your feet. When traveling to run a marathon or any race in a new city, it is so tempting to explore and take in all the shakeouts/popups/everything the city has set up for race weekend, but these little stops add up and before you know it, your body will be tired from so much movement! Limit your stops pre-race and save the sightseeing for after.
2. Limit your time in the expo
The expo is a necessary but also dangerous step on the pre-race itinerary. Most expos are in convention centers with unforgiving hard cement floors which can wreak havoc on your feet. They are also overwhelming, crowded, and expensive. Go in with a game plan; get the swag, do a quick loop because they are fun and exciting, but then honestly, GTFO. And by no means should you try ANY of the samples they will be giving out! Now is not the time to try anything new or out of your typical routine.
3. Test your race gear
Test out all of your race gear prior to running your race. Most runners know that race day is not the time to break in new shoes, but this also applies to anything you’ll have on your person: sports bras, socks, shorts, running belts, headphones, etc. The last thing you want on race day is an annoying fit or tag or bunchy fabric annoying you the entire time!
4. Don’t rely on those bagels
Do not rely on the bagels and water at the start line, bring your own! Even if your pre-race fuel is a bagel, stick with the exact foods you know and trust.
5. Occupy your time
Bring a magazine or something you can throw away to distract you at the start line. The trek to the start line and the wait before the race is a hotbed of nervous energy, and can be incredibly overstimulating. Bring something you can read or occupy your time with (crossword puzzles are a great idea) that will be a good temporary distraction and keep you calm, instead of expending too much energy before the race being nervous/excited/anxious or talking to other runners.
6. Know your fueling plan
Have a strong fueling plan! Go into this feeling prepared and test your fueling plan before race day on your long runs. This includes having a carb (banana, Fuel for Fire, etc) 30 minutes before you start and a gel or pack of gummies right before you start.
7. Write your name on your bib
Write your name on your bib and your goal paces on your arm, if applicable. The name on the bib is a game changer—spectators are so good about calling out runners’ names and it feels so much more exciting and personal! You will feel like a rock star. Don’t rely on pace bracelets if you’re trying to stick with a certain pace for a time goal. While you have the Sharpie out to write your name on your bib, write down important pace goals (goal time for hitting the 5k, 10k, half, 20 miles, etc) that you can refer to if your watch stops working or the GPS is off.
Now that we have the boring, but important, logistics out of the way, there are some far deeper lessons that I wish I had known at the start of my marathon career.
8. Know your “A” goal, “B” goal, and “C” goal
ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS have multiple goals and a back up plan! Most people go into races with one set time goal and tend to forget that the main goal should, in reality, be to finish happy and healthy and celebrate the extremely hard thing that was just accomplished! Going into a race with just one time goal can lead to severe disappointment if things go wrong (weather, body, mindset, etc.) and then you’re stuck with a feeling of despair and a lack of a backup plan. I tell my runners (and myself) to go in with an A goal, a B goal, and a C goal. A goal should be the big reach goal that you have been training for and what you can accomplish in absolutely perfect conditions. B goal is the second time goal that you can shoot for if the wheels start to come off and the A goal slips beyond reach. And the C goal should be the most important one: take in the race, finish happy and healthy, and celebrate running XX number of miles. That’s really what it’s all about in the end!
9. Come up with a Mantra
Having a favorite phrase that you can repeat to yourself during dark times in the race will be so incredibly helpful in keeping your mind right and your head in the game. My favorite two mantras are “forward is a pace,” and “if this was easy, everyone would do it.” When the pain cave sets in and when spectators are sparse, it’s very easy to let your mind wander to negative places, and it’s so important to keep hyping yourself up.
10. Be grateful for this moment
You will never have this moment back. Whether this is your first race or your one millionth race, this is such a unique opportunity, and the ability to move our bodies like this is truly such a privilege. For first time marathoners, soak up every second. You will never have a first race again!
Races are such a unique experience, and you will learn what works for you with experience. Please take all of my opinions with a grain of salt; what works for me may not work for you! But that being said, please don’t fall victim to the plethora of running influencers out there offering bullsh*t pro tips about racing. Most of them are gifted bibs in exchange for posts, and they have a very specific, catered experience (sometimes they even have their own porta potties) which does not always apply to the gen-pop. And that is totally ok! Just know that no matter what happens on your first race day, the main objective is to move your body in a positive way and accomplish a big goal for yourself. Run hard, run safe, and remember: this specific experience won’t happen again. Take it all in!
Xo