Taking up a challenge like a triathlon or marathon is not a spur of the moment decision, as it takes months of training to get ready for such an event. However, no matter how much work you do in the months leading up to the event, what you do in the last couple of weeks, days and even hours before the start can have a tremendous impact on the outcome of the race. We went to two of the top local marathon runners, Scott Brittain and Beth Schreader, for tips on how to get your buildup to the event just right.
The last weeks
The last couple of weeks before a big event is not the time to try and catch up on lost or neglected training.
“You can’t get any ‘better’ in the last couple of weeks, but you can definitely get ‘worse’ if you don’t approach the lasts couple of weeks correctly,” said Brittain, the course record holder for the Cayman Islands Marathon.
In this period, it is important to start reducing training volume so that your body will be well rested by the time you get to the start line of the marathon. This period is known as the taper.
“The purpose of tapering is so that your body can repair and recover from the weeks of hard training you’ve been doing and also so that you are rested for race day,” said Schreader, defending women’s champion of the Cayman Islands Marathon.
However, many people find tapering a difficult art to master.
“A lot of people, both beginners and veterans, find tapering difficult because it can feel like you aren’t doing enough and are losing fitness,” said Schreader.
As a general rule, Brittain suggests reducing your second last week’s mileage by 25 per cent and the final week’s mileage by 50 per cent.
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The recommended way to do this is not to reduce the number of weekly runs you do but to reduce the distance of each of the weekly runs you do. If your body is used to running five days a week, keep running five days a week, however make each run shorter,” said Brittain.
Tapering is every bit as important as any other element of your training, and getting it right can make a world of difference to your race day performance.
“The key is to trust your training and all the hard work you’ve done,” says Schreader.
The last days
In the last couple of days before the race, it is very important to get enough rest. This does not merely refer to sleeping as much as you can, but also avoiding standing for long periods of time and even limiting the stress you are exposed to, if that is an option.
“Two nights before the race you should try to get as much sleep as possible. Chances are the night before the race you’ll be a bit anxious, nervous or excited and will have trouble getting to bed. Also, the Cayman Marathon starts at 5am so you’ll be up a lot earlier than on a normal day,” said Schreader.
However, in spite of all the rest, it is important to keep moving.
“Don’t rest too much so that you start feeling lethargic. If you are used to running most days, do a couple of shorter, slower runs and incorporate a few race paced efforts of 30-60 seconds to stay ‘dialed in’. You should return from any runs during the last couple of days feeling very fresh,” said Brittain.
It is also very important to keep well hydrated by drinking enough fluids, as well as eating enough to keep your energy stores topped up. However, what and how much you eat the evening before the race is up to you.
It is important to finalise your pre-race eating routine as soon as possible, as everyone is different when it comes to what works for them.
“The night before the race I’ll eat a meal of pasta and tomato sauce and some bread. I’ll eat pretty early, about 12 hours before the race, so that I have time to properly digest before the race starts,” said Schreader.
However, she said that event among top runners there are massive difference when it comes to what works.
“Scott Britain likes to eat until he can’t eat anymore the night before the race. At the 2009 Chicago marathon, I was drinking liquids pre-race and he was eating an orange. That would cause major digestive trauma for me, but for him it works,” said Schreader.
The last hours
It is very important to have your race day routine well planned. The last thing you need on race morning is to rush around trying to find your race number, trying to find a parking spot and arriving at the start line completely stressed out. You need to be relaxed and focussed, so see to it that you have everything laid out well in advance, so that when you wake up on race day, you can relax, knowing the details have been taken care of.
“The day of the race will be a very early morning. You should lay out your clothes, shoes and gear the night before. Make sure you’ve attached the timing chip you receive at packet pick-up to the shoes you’ll be racing in. This should help your morning run smoothly and ensure you don’t forget anything,” said Schreader.
It is also important to know how far in advance of the start you need to eat as well as what you need to eat. Once again, this involves a lot of experimentation, although carbs are a definite winner.
Brittain also said it is important to keep sipping fluids throughout the morning to see to it that your hydration levels are topped up.
“But not too much that it is bouncing around your stomach,” he added.
Of course, all that hydration could have some side effects as well.
“Use the bathrooms as early as possible as these tend to be very crowded just before the start,” added Brittain.
As for a warmup, it is important to keep it light. A marathon is a long race and your body will have plenty of time to get into it.
“A few minutes of jogging and a couple of race paced ‘strides’ for 10-15 seconds is usually sufficient,” said Brittain.
However, the most important piece of advise remains “Don’t try anything new on race day.”
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