Last-Minute Marathon Training Tips
by Coach Jenny Hadfield

This is it marathoners! You've reached the fourth quarter and the most challenging phase of marathon training. This is typically the time of the season where mileage is at its highest, motivation is at its lowest and visions of race day are dancing in our head. It is the perfect time to refine your training and gear up for race day. Whether you've had a perfect training season or have struggled through, now is the time to refresh your motivation, dial in your race day logistics and fine tune your training.

Eye Of The Tiger —

Let's face it. A lot can happen between May and September and 18-20 weeks is a very long time to stay focused, not to mention getting up at the crack of dawn for those long runs every weekend. This is the time to recognize you may be lacking in the motivation department and make a few adjustments to spice things up. Tired of the same long run route? Map out a new course on www.WalkJogRun.com. Have a friend or family member drive you "X" number of miles away from your home and have fun running your way back. Train with a buddy on a bike for company or create a new music playlist. If you're in the Chicago area, join the CARA Ready to Run 20 Miler along the lakefront. Sometimes all you need is a small adjustment to your typical training routine to get you through those last long runs.

Eat The Elephant One Bite At A Time —

First timers, it is normal to fear the unknown (what's beyond 20 miles). The perfect way to tackle anything that is overwhelming is to break it down into smaller, more digestible pieces. The worst thing you can do is to stand at the start of your longest run thinking, "okay 20 miles to go." There is no way to digest that and more often than not it leaves you with a lump in your throat and doubt in your head. Marathoning is a thinking sport. Develop a mental road map to gradually digest the miles. You can break it up into checkpoints and use specific locations along your route, by miles (2–3 at a time), or by time. It's a highly effective strategy to calm your nerves and prepare your mind to do what it think is impossible.

Go With What You Know

The number one rule in Marathoning is don't try anything new race week. Now is the time to dial in your pre-race dinner, breakfast and race day fuel to avoid having any complications on race day. Practice eating your pre-race breakfast two to three hours before your long run over the next few weeks. Figure out what works for you meal wise and how much food you need to get through the race. Dial in your hydration with Gatorade Endurance Formula so your body is used to running with it. Figure out which gel works well with your system and when to use it. What are you going to eat the night before the race? Now is the time to practice that meal. Remember, every week of training is a dress rehearsal and an opportunity to simulate race weekend. The more you know about what works well for you, the better. Because when the race nerves set in about 10 days out, you will begin to question what to eat, what to wear… and having a solid routine will make all the difference.

Pacing Is Key —

The one thing we can control on race day is pace. This is also the one area most marathoners struggle with the most. Think about it, you train with maybe one or two buddies or a group and then all of a sudden on race day you have 40,000+ runners, music, bib numbers, fans, and more. It's no wonder most runners take off too fast! It's super easy to get caught up in all the excitement.

Running a tune up 10K race 4–6 weeks out from the marathon is a great way to estimate marathon pace, practice race day logistics, pacing, and dealing with crowds and nerves. Plug your 10K finish time into the Runner'sWorld.com Projected Finish Time Calculator (in the Tool sections) for an estimate of your marathon finish time. This can be a great tool to dial in your race day pace.

Practice pacing and develop your strategy for race day. There are three general ways to pace in a race, and I call them Positive, Even and Negative Splits. A positive split strategy is when you run the first half of the race faster than the second. It sounds positive, but it actually leaves you crawling to the finish with a really bad finish line photo to boot! An even split is when you run on average the same pace throughout the race. This works well on a flat, fast course like the Chicago Marathon. It's not a bad way to go, but can be trying on the body as you are in the same gear the entire time. The negative split strategy is in my opinion, the most effective strategy because you run the first half slightly slower (2–4 minutes) than the second half of the marathon and invest in your future. Marathoning is all about energy management, and when you invest in the second half, your mind and body can better push in the final stages of the marathon. And there is nothing more mentally motivating than to have the energy to pass people after 20 miles in a race.

Taper Madness —

Once you reach the peak mileage in your training, it will begin to taper gradually for 3–4 weeks. You will have a lot more time on your hands and believe it or not, this can be very unsettling. It's comforting to train and be on a structured regimen, but for a marathoner, it is much more challenging to wean yourself from those high mileage weeks to rest up for race day. Have faith in your preparation and avoid adding to your training program as more is less at this point and you risk leaving your best stuff on the path. Develop a taper program and keep yourself busy. It's a perfect time to visit with the folks you've ignored because of your training or go see a motivating running movie like the Spirit of the Marathon. Invest in some down time, get plenty of sleep and continue to fine-tune your eating and race day logistics. The better prepared you are now, the fewer things you need to worry about race week. Once the gun goes off on race day, the nerves will fade and all your training will pay off as you make your way to the finish line. Take the time to celebrate your season. You've earned it.

Coach Jenny Hadfield is the co-owner of Chicago Endurance Sports, writer for Runner'sWorld.com and Health Magazine, and co-author of Marathoning for Mortals.

Buy the books:

Running for Mortals

Bringing the joy of running to everyone

Jenny Hadfield teams up with husband and coauthor John "The Penguin" Bingham to lay out strategies for novice runners that will help them safely and effortlessly integrate their new sport into their busy schedules.

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Marathoning for Mortals

Run or Walk a Half or Full Marathon

Once considered a superhuman accomplishment, the Marathon and Half Marathon are now within the reach of mortals everywhere. Let Jenny and John show YOU the road to the Finish Line.