#Day before marathon how to

Preparing for a race that lasts several hours can be as challenging mentally as it is physically. Avoid Additional Stressors, and Don’t Leave Anything to Chance on Race Day RELATED: Why Exercise Boosts Mood and EnergyĢ.

Enjoy it,” advises Cane, who says he’ll talk timing with runners who go on to a second marathon. “For the first one, don’t be overly consumed by time. The greatest point of risk appears at mile 21, with a steady decline.Ĭane notes that it’s important for beginners to be diligent with training and get as close to a 20-mile race before the marathon as possible, so that you have the best chances of making it to the finish line. Then you start to do what’s called tapering, giving your body time to recover so that 20 miles can realistically grow to 26.2 on race day.”Įven though reaching 20 miles before race day is an ideal training goal for beginners, research has shown, coincidentally, that running 20 miles or less in training creates a strong risk of “hitting the wall” at any time of the marathon. “For a first-timer, 20 miles is a good goal,” says Cane. Training time for a marathon fluctuates, but it can average from several months to a year to prepare, depending on the runner’s level of experience, he says. If you train and get to the start healthy, you’ll finish,” says Cane, who trains between 30 and 50 people of all different levels and backgrounds for the New York City Marathon each year.Īccording to Cane, the reason many runners don’t make it to the start and finish lines of a race is that they let their ambition get the best of them and do too much too fast - either in training or on race day - and then experience injuries. “For first-time marathoners, my goal as a coach is to get them to the starting line.

Set Conservative Goals as a First-Time RacerĪs a first-time marathoner, it can feel exciting to focus on run times, but according to Cane, the focus should be on the basics. RELATED: 5 Weird Things Running Does to Your Body 1.

#Day before marathon how to

From first-timer goals to diet to avoiding distractions, here’s how to cut through the noise and get to - and recover from - 26.2 miles. Should I load up on carbs the night before? How much water should I drink before, during, and after? What does recovery look like? We sat down with Cane to learn his last-minute tips for the big day. And like all good rituals, there can be a lot of debate over which ones to observe. “Marathons, like all sports, are kind of rich in rituals,” says Jonathan Cane, a marathon trainer and the founder of City Coach, a company that trains beginners and athletes in running, swimming, and cycling in New York City. And if you’re a seasoned marathoner, chances are you’re still hearing contradictory info. So you want to run a long race that takes months to prepare for? If you’re a first-time marathoner, chances are you’ve heard conflicting pieces of advice throughout your training.