10 Tips for a successful NYC Marathon!
The ING NYC Marathon is just 2 weeks away! You’ve put in hundreds of miles, months of training, maybe a few massages, and far too many ice baths to remember… but the end is finally near! In less than two weeks you’ll toe the line on the Verrazano with 40,000 runners from near and far to begin your journey through NYC’s 5 boroughs.
Now’s the time to make those final preparations for your race. What you do in these last 2 weeks can be the difference between your best race and a not so great experience. We asked 5 coaches from the Empire Tri Club & New York Running Company for their advice about what you should do during these last 2 weeks to have your best race. (With over a decade of experience and 50 marathons under their belt, might we add). Here’s what we learned:
1. TAPER! Reduce your running volume, and increase recovery time between workouts. Don’t try to get that last 20 miler in!
2. Prep early! Make sure you have everything you need for race day well in advance. You don’t want to realize the night before your marathon that you left your favorite race shirt at the gym, or you ran out of energy gels that you planned to use for your race.
3. Cross Train – It’s OK to include low impact cross training activities such as yoga & swimming into your training – especially since you are tapering down your run mileage. However, this is NOT the time to try something totally new like a kickboxing or HIIT class! Save it for after the marathon so you don’t wind up sore or injured.
4. Sleep! It’s important that you get a good night sleep starting several days before the marathon. It will be hard to get a good night sleep the night before your race- especially since race nerves may kick in and you’ll be waking up very early. Bank an extra few hours on Thursday & Friday.
5. Nothing new on race day!! Stick to what you know and what you’ve practiced! This holds true for your clothing, nutrition, pre-race meal, etc.
6. Visualize your race – your successes as well as how you plan to deal with situations that could arise such as losing a gel or “hitting the wall”. Visualize how you will cope so you have a plan of action should you need one!
7. Map out how you’re getting to the race start & make note of any road closures, subway or bus changes! Plan ahead so you don’t stress on race day and leave plenty of extra time!
8. Dress in layers! You never know what race day weather conditions will be!
9. Pace yourself! The key to a successful marathon is to maintain a comfortable pace in the beginning. It’s easy to get wrapped up in the excitement and energy from the crowds and go out too fast, which you’ll pay for later on in the race.
10. Set your clocks back! Remember, daylight savings ends on Sunday, November 4th, so be sure to set your clocks back 1 hour before you go to bed on Saturday night!
Be sure to check out our calendar for more clinics and events. Visit our Facebook event page for more tips, spectator info, volunteer opportunities and a post-race celebration. Have a great race!
