The marathon is a fickle beast: at 26.2 miles, the potential for bad luck is huge.
This post originally appeared onStrength Running.
I experienced this first hand in 2014.
There was no opportunity to warm up properly.
The temperature was too hot for ideal marathon racing.
GI problems necessitated two bathroom stops.
The aggressive downhills caused my oldIT band injuryto resurface.
But thats the beauty of the marathon.
Do you want to change your nutrition next time?
Examine everything and nail down what went wrong.
“The next time, change things for the better.
The 26.2 mile distance sometimes takes a little trial and error before you get it right.
Use the bad ones to produce good ones in the future.”
Instead of thinking of your race as a failure, think of it as a learning experience.
Theyre objective, pitting you against the clock.And the clock never lies.
Its time to focus.
Did You Train Appropriately?
This question is the most critical.
Without proper preparation, you cant expect to have a good race.
Injury-free:You cant train for a marathon if you’re nursing an injury.
These aspects of trainingneed to be in placebeforeyour marathon training cycle.
Was Your Race Executed Appropriately?
The most important question to ask yourself is, “Did I run too fast, too early?”
Most marathoners should follow these guidelines:
Start slightly slower than your goal pace to help yourself warm up.
Dont let the race atmosphere suck you into a faster pace!
After 1-3 miles, ease into your goal pace and then attempt to run as consistently as possible.
Avoid picking up the pace at mile 17-20 if you feel good.
Wait until mile 22 or 23 when the marathonreallygets tough.
Remember: no marathon can be won in the first few miles, but it can be lost!
Get your pacing right to ensure you dont hit the wall too early.
Hug the corners whenever possible.
Start in the right corral.Avoid losing time behind slower runners or walkers by starting with the correct pace group.
Fuel right.Carb-loading for the marathon starts two days before the race.Learn more about fueling here.
Any one of these factors can ruin your marathon experience.
Were There Outside Factors Affecting Your Race?
Even if you do everything right, theres still a good chance you could have a bad race.
The weather is the single biggest problem you could face on race day.
Amanda agrees:
“Weather is a huge factorremember Boston 2012?
But warm temperatures arent the only weather factors to consider.
Finally,the course itself can be an obstacle.
Is it a netuphillcourse?
Are there major hills in the worst imaginable locations (like Boston)?
Are there numerous hairpin turns that sap your momentum?
The fastest courses will be flat with as few turns as possible.
After all, you just spent five months preparing for a grueling event and it didnt even go well!
Start channeling your energy into the next event and focusing on getting it right.
“Finally, at the end of the day, have some perspective.
I love this perspective.
To get more advice from Amanda, be sure to check out herrunning blog.
And thank her for contributing to this article!
Choose an easy course without monster hills.
Pick a race that isnt in the heat of summer or dead of winter.
Get his latest coaching advice and free injury prevention coursehere.
Images byCharcompixandshockfactor.de(Shutterstock),Elvert BarnesandBo Jorgensen(Flickr).
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