I asked the WhyMarathon ambassadors to fill in the following blank: What I wish I knew before my first marathon __________. Here’s what they came up with!
-Park your car close to the finish. Smile at the finish line with arms raised. That stuff on a stick isn't Gu; it's vaseline. The pain will go away but the memory lasts forever. Save your bib.
-Chat with people who have run a marathon, whether it’s a local running group or a group of runners on-line or WhyMarathon.com, and learn from them. Learn how to fuel. Ice bath afterwards. Have an amazing support team.
-Seamless sports bras. Stick with the training. Smile for every photog on the course. Have someone at the finish line to hug if you are crying or to hold you up if you can't stand.
-When you get to the race, get in line for the port-o-potty. When you come out, get right back in line to go a second time.
-Wear whatever you will wear during the race for at least one long run before then to make sure nothing is chafing or bugging you; do NOT wear anything new on race day; Body Glide is your friend.
-If you're traveling to a marathon, take your own food so you eat what you would normally eat prior to a long run.
-Layer with clothes (or even a trashbag) you don't care about so you can throw them aside along the race course!
-Do not consume products for fuel that are offered on the course unless you are familar with them. If you dont drink Gatorade, don’t get all crazy adventure girl and down it at mile 10. Your long training runs are for experimenting with fuel, clothing, hydration, etc.
-The marathon starts at mile 20. Those last 6 are where the real guts come out. Have people come out and cheer in the last quarter, not in the first. Look around and have fun, as there will never be another first.
-Trust that the timers will time you correctly. There's no need to stop your watch as you're crossing the finish line, creating a really dorky looking finish photo of yourself staring at and stopping your watch.
-Start out conservatively; it's so easy to get caught up in the energy of the crowd, but 26.2 miles is a loooong way to run if you don't pace yourself correctly!
-Break up the marathon into segments. I mentally think I only have to get to mile 6, then 10, then 13, then 18, 21, 23, 25, 26, 26.2! This mental mind game really seems to work for me and keeps me from freaking out over the mileage that I need to run to cross the finish line!
