Friday, April 22, 2005

Marathon Planning

I was talking to a friend in my company this morning that ran a marathon last year, and is currently training with a running club for a marathon in June. He did a quick analysis of the training plan that I have been following and pronounced me fit for a first marathon. He offered several tips for getting over the finish line:

- Start slow.
- Run the first half slower than the second.
- Drink at least a little at every station.
- After 10K start eating bananas or whatever is offered every repeat every 10K.
- Be careful not to get too close to the sidelines, someone tripped him up on his last HM.
- Don’t be afraid to take walk breaks.
- Bring your own snacks, sometimes they run out, especially important for slower runners!
- Don’t worry about finding a toilet along the way, just whip it out and pee where you please (but not on the running path please :-O
- Forget about speed, just run and have FUN! A PR becomes relevant with Marathon II

Like me, you’ve probably heard a lot of this before, but it still helps hearing it from someone who has been there.

I was looking over the website for the Mannheim Marathon. Every 5K is an aid station with sport drinks, water, bananas, etc. Beginning at the 2.5K there is a water station every 5K. So there will be something to drink every 2.5K. Based on this I think I will leave my CamelBak at home.

Tomorrow we are going to Mannheim so I can check out the area and, as promised, my wife can check out the stores (glad I don’t have a long run scheduled this week ;-)

Tonight I am going to take an easy run on my 14K/8.7M loop, then kill some weeds in the garden. Have a nice weekend!

Marathon countdown: 29 days 9 hours 26 minutes 6 seconds

Comments:
Hey Jack, I'd say that is all very good advice. The only thing I will say that may go against one of the points is it is my experience over 6 marathons that it is VERY difficult to run a negative split in a marathon. MOST people run the second half slower. That said, SOME people do run the second half faster. Those people have my UTMOST respect!

Sending you all my best. :)
 
Less than a month until your marathon ... exciting stuff! I wish I could translate that website!! :)
 
Wow, that's all really good advice. You guys have it made when it comes to not finding a toilet along the way, though. Just whip it out, indeed. :) Mia
 
Sounds like good advice to me. I need to print that out and tape it to the computer monitor so that I can remind myself of it when the training starts.
 
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