A little preparation now will keep you from screwing everything up on marathon weekend.
If you’re running a marathon – or any race, really – it’s always a good idea to plan the weekend in advance. You wouldn’t want to let months of training go down the drain because of a couple stupid marathon weekend mistakes.
Food is going to be really important. This one is coming from (a rather unpleasant) personal experience. Back in 2012, the first year I ran Big Sur Marathon in California, I lost a few minutes in a portaloo at kilometre 20 thanks to a giant burger that I ate the day before. Don’t do that. Instead, pick a restaurant that has healthy food and make a reservation early.
More importantly, be on guard against all the bad food temptations that will exist when you’re travelling. You’ll be tired, out of your element and especially vulnerable to the delicious-looking bag of greasy potato chips that you see at the airport kiosk. Don’t give in.
Try to stay off your feet as much as you can. Sure, there’s plenty of awesome stuff to do in the area, but if you’re tired and exhausted on Sunday morning before you start running, it’s going to be a really long day. Plenty of fun activities exist that don’t involve a lot of walking, including lounging by the hotel pool with a good book!
Get the details nailed down early. When are you picking up your bib? Are there any last-minute items you need to buy at the expo? What time do you need to wake up in order to get to the start on time? If you leave this planning to the last minute, it can stress you out and keep you from being able to focus on mentally preparing for a good race.
