Following on from our earlier post here is the second part of The Physio Company’s tips for running the 31st Dublin Marathon, which is just two weeks away.
6. Adjust Your Finishing Time When the Weather Is Bad – Bad weather can have a huge effect and impact on your Marathon. If the weather is bad, it is best to just accept it will affect your time and move on. It is wise to slow your race down, this is better than running out of energy which has been drained by the weather (cold, wet wind etc). This will prevent a wall being hit after the 20+ mile mark when things begin to get really tough. It is still possible to have a good run despite the weather so do no worry about this
7. Be Careful with Energy Replacement Products – If you have not been taking energy gels, or drinking Lucozades, Powerades, Gatorades etc, it is not a good idea to do so during the race. Your stomach can become upset in the latter stages of the race as it not used to these fluids. However it is a good idea to experiment with different energy drinks and products during the training process to see which works best for you and also to allow your stomach to acclimatize to these products.
8. Mentally Divide the Race Into Sections – 26.2 miles is a long journey, but if you try and divide the race into different sections, for example every 5 miles, it becomes less daunting. As you reach one goal you can then focus on the next and literally take it one step at a time. The finishing line may seem a million miles away but by setting mini-goals the end will not seem so far away.
9. Periods of Walking – Walking for brief periods of time gives your legs a change from constant running strides and this can help your muscles avoid tightening up in the latter stages of the race when things begin to become really tough. However it will of course, seriously effect your finish time.
10. Walking Around After the Marathon – This may be the last thing you want to do but it helps you in that it gradually cools you down. This means you will recover faster in the days following the race.
Source: http://www.marathon.ipcor.com/top-ten-marathon-tips.htm
