The Marathon Training Series: 3 Things to Test Before the Big Day
In order to run your best on race day, a lot of things need to go right. Some of those things are out of your control, like the weather. But most of those things are in your control: How much you’ve trained for the event, what you eat that morning, what shoes you wear, and the like. Although running is a relatively simple sport–it’s just one foot in front of the other!–small mistakes can make a simple thing much more difficult.
In addition to the big things, like miles and miles of training, take care of the small things to run your best marathon this fall. Here are three things to test run–and get right–before the big day.
- Outfit. Twenty-six-point-two miles will seem like an eternity if you start chafing at mile five. The best way to avoid chafing? Source an outfit that fits well and materials that wick away moisture. Whether it's shorts or tights, long sleeves or short sleeves, tank top or jacket, put your race day kit together and run far before the big day. Chafing can happen in unexpected places, and you’ll want to know where to apply tape or anti-chafe cream for race day.
- Shoes & socks. Blisters are perhaps the most common impediment to success at long-distance races. Our feet are most prone to blisters and, once they develop, the pain alone from each footfall can bring you to a halt. Even if you can withstand the discomfort, foot blisters can alter your gait, which can lead to a less efficient stride and slower paces or, worse yet, injury. Whether it’s thick or thin socks, ankle or crew height, zero drop or six millimeters drop shoes, carbon plate or not, put your socks and shoes to the test during a long run before the big day.
- Nutrition. In addition to chafing and blisters, gastrointestinal (GI) issues can quickly lead to underperformance and an early exit from your fall marathon. No matter how much fitness you’ve accrued in training, you won’t get the result you want if GI issues surface. As outlined in the previous article, you’ll want to dial-in your race day nutrition strategy before the big day. Practice consuming calories and fluids during your long runs in training to determine how many calories you need, and what calories you can most easily stomach. And if you need a place to stash your calories during a long run, be sure to check out our most pocketed shorts: Men’s FKT 2.0s, Shredders, Fuel n’ Fly. Women's Summit Chasers, Smashems and Fuel n’ Fly.
Get out for a test run during your next long run so that you can avoid chafing, blisters, and GI issues, and run your best on race day.
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