Running a Marathon or Half-Marathon is often as much a mental challenge as it is physical. Our mind can play tricks on us so here are a few simple things to remember when running in your next event.
1. Before the Event
- Make sure you have your nutrition sorted. If you are planning on using energy gels in the event, make sure you've been using the exact same gels in your training. Finding out that they don't agree with your stomach mid-marathon is not a situation you want to find yourself in!
- If you can't sleep the night before because you're nervous then don't worry. Focus on having a relaxing week leading up the event with plenty of early nights. One bad night of sleep won't be the end of you if your batteries are fully recharged.
2. During the Event
- Stick to your plan! When the race starts, your adrenaline is going to be pumping and without realising, you might find yourself heading out at a much faster pace than you should. Consciously watch your pace at the start until you find your rhythm, even if it means looking at your watch every ten seconds!
- If you start to feel a mild injury somewhere, do not panic, it may very well be a phantom injury. Before long you might find that the injury disappears... and reappears somewhere else for a while as your mind finds new ways to play tricks on you!
- If you're struggling at the halfway point then know that it's normal so keep calm and try to remain upbeat, that's going to help you much more than stressing about it. Even if it looks like everyone around you is fine and dandy, they are likely feeling the strain too. In fact, if you're feeling absolutely fantastic at the halfway point then it might be a sign that you can open the throttle a little bit more in your quest to achieve your race goals.
3. After the Event
- Remember to walk with a slight limp at work the next day so you can tell everyone what you got up to at the weekend! 😉
