They say your marathon begins as soon as you start your 18-week build up to race day, and I agree. But event day truly begins the day prior. So, early to bed the day before the day before. It will serve you well on race day.
I also recommend carbo-loading the day before the day before, and not the evening prior to race day. Certainly, an additional hi-carb meal consumed before six o’clock on the night before your event is fine, but it should not be large. The last thing you want on race morning is a digestive problem.
Don’t worry about running out of energy on race day because you didn’t stuff yourself the night before. Recent studies indicate that as long as the endurance athlete is practicing an effective training taper the week prior to a major long event and has not been exercising extensively, a hi-carb meal on any day four to five days in advance of the big event will be sufficient to overload the body’s sugar stores.
So relax, increase your carbohydrate intake the week prior, and eat a little lighter the night before. You’ll be glad you did. Let the masses nervously wait in the porta-potty lines on race day. It will be one less problem you have to deal with in the hour before the race begins, and you will be able to stay focused on the workload ahead.
(Next week we will discuss effective mental prep for the last few days before the big event).
Race Day Tip
Fast Eddy and I have figured out the secret to the porta-potty lines. It’s a marathon runner’s thing. Over the years, we have noticed that about a minute before the start, the long lines disappear and there is no wait. So, we avoid the crowds, stay off our feet, and sometimes show up just moments before the start.
Since all the major events use electronic chip timing,, there is no sense in getting packed in everywhere like sardines. We wait until just before the start, then hit the porta-potties and walk slowly over to the start relieved, relaxed, and ready.
In world class events like Chicago, there is no hurry to start since it may take over five minutes for everyone to cross the starting line, and for the first couple of miles there is literally no room to run anyway.
At the 2007 Arizona Rock and Roll Marathon in Phoenix, we almost waited too long. It was one of the coldest days on record for that day in Phoenix. Race time temperatures were below thirty degrees.
Eddy and I quietly sat in our heated rental car a few blocks away from the start, relaxing and chatting, out of the cold and wind. Around race time, we did our relaxing stroll to the nearest porta-potties around the corner from the start line, and as usual, there was no wait.
When we arrived at the start area, to our surprise, the workers were taking down the barricades and dismantling the starting line! The official clock indicated the race had started over eight minutes prior to our lazy arrival!
Needless to say, we were relieved when we crossed the start line and heard our chips beep, confirming that we were still being timed and not disqualified for laziness!
Starting so late also meant another unanticipated bonus. We could run at our own pace in a straight line for the critical first few warm up miles with no wasted energy. Had we started with the pack, we would have had the normal speed up, slow down, move left, move right, energy wasting, nerve racking, stop and go start of a crowded event.
As we progressed, we also had the joy of catching up to, passing, and chatting with hundreds of people all morning. Way better than starting out too fast and being passed by the pack in the later miles.
We learned a lot that day.
