Training

Marathon Quest: Race preparation

October 4, 2011
By Lucas McAneney and Matt Loiselle

Everyone has a different way of preparing for a big race. Whether it’s your first or 10th marathon, you’ve probably dedicated a lot of time and hard work training for it.

It’s easy to get stressed and overexcited during the last days leading up to the marathon. A bit of excitement is good — you’ll need that adrenaline boost in the later stages of the race. But if you get too nervous and anxious before the race, you’re likely to waist energy before you even start, forget something for the race, start off too fast, or have trouble sleeping the night before. I find it especially important to be confident in your fitness and your training leading up to the race.

Here’s what I do in preparation for a big day:

• Starting with the day before the race, I’ll go out for an early morning jog of about 20-30 minutes to help me relax and shake out any pre-race jitters.

• Next, I’m going to make my way over to the race exhibit and pick up my race packet and gather any last minute information I need. The last thing I want is to be running around looking for my bib and race chip the morning of a big event.

• I eat foods that my body is familiar with high in complex carbohydrates.

• I’ll have a water bottle with me all day, ensuring that I’m properly hydrated. Chugging a bottle of water an hour before the race is too late, the body needs time to absorb and filter the water.

• I like to set out everything I need for race day the night before, so that everything is ready for me in the morning. I have my race shoes ready with the chip already in it; my singlet is set out with my bib on it, as well all my other clothing, warmup gear and nutrition. It’s all ready to go in the morning.

• I like to get at least seven to eight hours of sleep the night before a race, so for a 7:30 a.m. race, I’ll set my alarm for 4:45 a.m. and go to bed around 9-9:30 p.m.

• When I get up in the morning, I grab about a 12 oz cup of coffee and about a 400-500 calorie breakfast. My favourite is a package of oatmeal with a tablespoon of peanut butter, half a cup of plain yogurt and a banana, all mixed together. I’ll follow that with a glass of water, and allow enough time for my food to digest.

• I like to get to the race about 60 to 90 minutes before, so I can set my stuff down, find a bathroom that I can use before the start, and go for a short warmup jog.

• Before the marathon I want to be reserving my stored energy, so I would only jog about 5-10 minutes, followed by some dynamic stretching and a few strides, starting from about 40 minutes before the start of the race.

• Finally I take a few minutes to relax and remember that I love running and that I’ve trained hard and am ready to do my best. I will remind myself of my race plan and remember to be patient and not to start out too quickly —42.2K (or 21.1K) is a long way.

And some more race-prep advice from Matt Loiselle, two-time Canadian half-marathon champion:

For the most part, race preparation should be similar no matter what the distance. While the length of the warm-up prior to the race should vary depending on the race distance (shorter warm-up for marathon, longer warm-up for half-marathon), the mental preparation and routine should stay the same.

Ultimately, proper race preparation is an individual thing. You should do what works best for you. Some people like to listen to music while they warm up and stretch before a race, others like to talk and joke around and relax. No matter what the distance, find the pre-race routine that works best for you and allows you to race with the best mentality. Think back to your best race, and what you did beforehand.  Even if it is a little superstitious, if it helps your mind, it will help your body.

Lucas McAneney of Athletics Toronto won the 2011 Canadian marathon championship in Ottawa in 2:19. Matt Loiselle is also a member of Athletics Toronto and a two-time Canadian half-marathon champion. He has a personal coaching service for runners of all levels. More information available at www.thegoodtimesrunning.com