I ran my first full marathon on March 1st and it was awesome. Yeah... awesome. That's what I'm supposed to say, right? That it was awe inspiring, was the highlight of my life's accomplishments, and made my heart swell with pride... umm, no. Well, not until about a week or three later, lol.
As of today, three months after the run
(race for some, it was a run for me), I AM absolutely proud of myself, am awed that I accomplished such a huge feat on my personal Honey-Do list, and am in utter shock that I want to run another one, lol. My crazy, runner friends warned me that this would happen; that once I finish one, I'd want more. Kinda like chips or tattoos, lol. And I fear they are right. But before I do that, I wanted to get some stuff off my chest.
During my 16 week training program, I learned a lot. Some good, some misleading, and some detrimental to my stride and mental focus. If only I had had known some of this stuff earlier than later, I would have had my "Ah-ha" moment sooner than 3 weeks before the race! So I want to share with all you rookie marathoners out there getting ready to take the leap and make the commitment...
Here are some tips for a first time marathoner to help cross that first finish line.
Tip #1: Get some running friends! Already have some? Great! Now, fill them in on your plan to run your first full. They will fuel you with positive energy, support, and the camaraderie & knowledge only runner friends can. Whether you run with them or not, doesn't matter. Just be sure to be in contact with them and ask lots of questions. I am very lucky to have surrounded myself with a wonderful circle of
friends that are extremely positive, fit, and running fools. It
helps!!
Tip #2: Be mindful of what you're reading online. There's a lot of great information out there to help you train and be all that you can be, but be sure it's right for YOU! I made a huge mistake by getting "Google Burnout", lol. I researched so many websites and kept notes on how to train, what to eat, form & stride. I was overwhelmed. You name it, I read it. I wanted to be prepared!! What I didn't take into consideration is that these articles are usually written by marathoners. Not newbies like you and me, but seasoned runners. Their info is great, but not for us!
(not yet anyway!) So, be sure that when you Google, Bing, and read your Runner's World
(which I know you will), you try to look for articles from first time or novice marathon runners. The info from them is super important!
Tip #3: This was most important to me - watch your calories & DO NOT CARBO LOAD. Here's a little story for you... I was about 3 weeks out from race day,
and I sat down in my friend Whitney's office and told her I felt defeated. I
had been trying so hard and doing everything right, yet I felt
so slow & 'heavy', not enjoying my long runs as I had earlier in my
training. She's a fitness director at a military base and has quite a
few full & half marathons under her belt, so she knows her shit and
her word is gold to me. She had me go over everything I was doing - training days & distances, what I was eating, what I was wearing,
etc. Turns out I was eating all wrong. I was taking in too many calories and was eating a shit ton of
(healthy) carbs the day before my long runs
(insert loud annoying 'wrong' buzzer sound here). Unless you're a super-fit, low body fat, running machine, you do not need to up your calories as much as you'd think, nor do you need to "load" on carbohydrates. A typical body doesn't react or process carbs the same as a seasoned distance runner's body. At 43 with a thyroid condition, and 5'0" & 152lb, I was gaining weight and unknowingly sabotaging myself. I immediately adjusted my caloric intake, started eating less & lighter, and started feeling better & running strong again. It should have been common sense, but I had brainwashed myself after all of my online research. Google, my frenemy! BTW, a good
(generic) rule of thumb for nutritional break down during endurance training is 50% carbs/25% fat/25% protein.
Tip #4: Have your gait checked by a Physical Therapist and buy the right shoes! During that conversation with my Whitney, I told her about some pain under my right foot and a growing concern of tendinitis. She asked about my shoes and if I'd ever had my gait checked. Why yes, I have! By a local running store. Turns out he knows his product, but knows nothing about testing someones gait. You need to be barefoot when you're checked. It's the only way to see your true gait & foot placement. I was wearing a neutral strike shoe... so naturally he said my gait was neutral. The following day I visited my ortho doc, and yes, I was showing signs of tendinitis and got a hearty "Boy, you're overpronated". Oh crap. Yep, I'd been running in the wrong shoes for a while. You see, the pronation of your foot shows how your foot land and 'rolls' with each strike, and is the key to finding the right running shoe and preventing injury. After replacing the 'wrong' pair of shoes
(and keeping my second pair, that were fine), I was running pain free even on my 20 mile training day. YIPPEE!!!!
http://www.runnersworld.com/running-shoes/pronation-explained?page=single
Tip #5: Wear the correct bra for your size ( . Y . )! Unless you're a dude. You guys can skip this tip :) I'm a short, medium build chick, with huge boobs. I wear a 34H/36G bra. Really?? Sheesh! I want to be a runner, not a stripper!! Anyway, I cannot tell you how difficult it was to find a bra that works for breasts this big. When I run, I want as close to zero bounce as I can get and it took a long time to find. I seriously can't remember how many sports bras I have tried and sent back; poor support, no support, wrong size verses what the tag said, poor coverage - you name it, I tried it. I even double bagged them for a while, wearing two sports bras over each other... UG. The only brand I've found that works is made by Enell. It's more like a vest torture chamber, but it works. It has a front closure of about 20 clasps, and works by compression with a teensy bit of encapsulation... but not much. The first couple of times you wear it you'll swear to the moon & sky that you're in the grips of a boa constrictor, but it 'softens' up. I don't want to use the word loosens, because it doesn't loosen or lose shape, but it does 'change' once you've worn & washed it a few times, so I promise that it does get easier, lol. I won't go into any more detail other than - if you've got gianormous boobs and enjoy high-intensity sports, this is the bra for you -->
http://www.enell.com/. FYI, it's cheaper on Amazon :)
Tip #6: Cross-train Cross-train CROSS-TRAIN. I am an idiot. I hardly cross-trained at all. I was religious abut weight training 3 days a week prior to my race training, but stopped because I was afraid I would waste too much energy on something that wasn't running. Idiot. I'm lucky I ran at the pace I did without cross-training. Don't be an idiot like me. Period.
http://www.marathontraining.com/marathon/m_crosst.html
Tip #7: Body Glide and moleskin are your friends. Use them. I have scars on my ribcage from distance runs in the wrong bra... even some while wearing the right bra. Chaffing happens and you can't skip your training runs because of it, and strapping that evil bra back on over red welts is not a pleasant feeling. Have I told you how much I love moleskin? Stick the adhesive side to your bra, wherever it's rubbing, and you're good to go :)
http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/footandankleinjuries/tp/Blister-Prevention-And-Treatment-Products.htm
Tip #8: Be proud of yourself as soon as you start that damn race, during it, and most of all when you cross the finish line. Because you fricking did it!!!! Who cares how long it took you or what your pace was! I learned the hard way that your first marathon is for knowledge and fun, and that first shiny necklace at the finish line, lol. You can worry about your time after that one's under your belt.
I could go on and on, but I only wanted to share the biggies with you that helped save my ass... and skin, and feet, and mind. I'm happy and proud to say I finished in 5:45:43. It took me a while to be proud of my time... but it's MY time.
I ran that race and got the bling. I learned and now understand what I need to do to keep me running healthy, happy and strong. And I finished a fricking marathon. And for that I'm super duper proud :)
Peas and pavement love!
