cewait
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 3, 2000
Guys
.
Just keep this thought in mind as you pass the line on Saturday and/or Sunday. You are responsible for your own run. It may be a little counterintuitive but try to make mile 1 your SLOWEST mile. Physiologically, the body will want to stay with the very first pace it settles into on race day. You can push it quicker, but only a beak dowan will slow you up. Think of you last couple average paces for your long runs and try to hit that pace at mile 1 or even just a little slower. That assures that you are not programming a personal best in the first part of the race.
Nice deep and easy breathes in the corral. Look around at your new friends. You will see many distant stares, hear idle chat and see a lot of fidgeting. Find you inner piece and enjoy the prerace visit with Sean, Drew and Alison. Laugh at the bad jokes and rock to the music. Reflect during the National Anthem. And enjoy the fireworks. If you are in the last couple corrals, you will possibly be under the bridge and have a show just over your heads.
Remember, if you are in the three last corrals, you have time for one more potty break as soon as the leaders kick off. Once you cross the line, keep thinking about keeping a relentless pursuit of forward momentum. Everything you do should be in an effort to move one foot in front of another. Try running through the first potty urge or so to see if it is nerves/mental or actual. Remember, you can do it in a car 30 miles from the next rest stop, you should be able to make another couple miles in the race.
Watch your splits. Again, try to keep mile 1 at training pace or just under then let the day start to come to you. If you are pushing past above 16 mm, try to avoid taking photo ops, unless it is one you just got to have. Keep rolling through the little mental games that got you through your long runs. These will relax you early and be very helpful as you pass through the dreaded tough spots.
Yes, you will have a tough spot in the race. It may be just a twinge, but more than likely you will have something hit that screams STOP! Put your mental toolbox in high gear. Think, I will run until the next mile marker, water stop, overpass, streetlight or even next crack in the road. Latch into the runner in front of you and let them drag you for a while, try to pass a runner, or just relax everything as you run. You will find your solution to the immediate issue and make some distance before the next one hits. Talk to your neighbor. Make a joke. If you are running with a friend, have everyone bring a set of jokes and tell a joke each mile marker. Play to the crowd. You will come upon small groups of folks who are just looking for a purple jersey or their runner. Pump them up. If you can make them yell for you, you will find the strength to pick it up, again.
All this to say good luck. You will find that even if you are the very last runner, you will still have folks yelling for you as you pass. I seriously think that everyone will make the finish. If you dont, make sure that you gave you best and then you know you did everything that you could have done. Not everyone will finish their race and many will stumble and have issues that slow them up. No matter how good and poor the day goes, remember you are doing something that only 1% of the population will every try and of the 99%, many who will never leave the couch.
Thank your friends and family as you leave for the start. They all sacrifice as much as you. Remember those who have a hard time with marathon distances. Smile as you remember those who tried to discourage you and laugh as you think that those are the same folks who do not have the courage to start.
Good luck. You are ALL athletes
Just keep this thought in mind as you pass the line on Saturday and/or Sunday. You are responsible for your own run. It may be a little counterintuitive but try to make mile 1 your SLOWEST mile. Physiologically, the body will want to stay with the very first pace it settles into on race day. You can push it quicker, but only a beak dowan will slow you up. Think of you last couple average paces for your long runs and try to hit that pace at mile 1 or even just a little slower. That assures that you are not programming a personal best in the first part of the race.
Nice deep and easy breathes in the corral. Look around at your new friends. You will see many distant stares, hear idle chat and see a lot of fidgeting. Find you inner piece and enjoy the prerace visit with Sean, Drew and Alison. Laugh at the bad jokes and rock to the music. Reflect during the National Anthem. And enjoy the fireworks. If you are in the last couple corrals, you will possibly be under the bridge and have a show just over your heads.
Remember, if you are in the three last corrals, you have time for one more potty break as soon as the leaders kick off. Once you cross the line, keep thinking about keeping a relentless pursuit of forward momentum. Everything you do should be in an effort to move one foot in front of another. Try running through the first potty urge or so to see if it is nerves/mental or actual. Remember, you can do it in a car 30 miles from the next rest stop, you should be able to make another couple miles in the race.
Watch your splits. Again, try to keep mile 1 at training pace or just under then let the day start to come to you. If you are pushing past above 16 mm, try to avoid taking photo ops, unless it is one you just got to have. Keep rolling through the little mental games that got you through your long runs. These will relax you early and be very helpful as you pass through the dreaded tough spots.
Yes, you will have a tough spot in the race. It may be just a twinge, but more than likely you will have something hit that screams STOP! Put your mental toolbox in high gear. Think, I will run until the next mile marker, water stop, overpass, streetlight or even next crack in the road. Latch into the runner in front of you and let them drag you for a while, try to pass a runner, or just relax everything as you run. You will find your solution to the immediate issue and make some distance before the next one hits. Talk to your neighbor. Make a joke. If you are running with a friend, have everyone bring a set of jokes and tell a joke each mile marker. Play to the crowd. You will come upon small groups of folks who are just looking for a purple jersey or their runner. Pump them up. If you can make them yell for you, you will find the strength to pick it up, again.
All this to say good luck. You will find that even if you are the very last runner, you will still have folks yelling for you as you pass. I seriously think that everyone will make the finish. If you dont, make sure that you gave you best and then you know you did everything that you could have done. Not everyone will finish their race and many will stumble and have issues that slow them up. No matter how good and poor the day goes, remember you are doing something that only 1% of the population will every try and of the 99%, many who will never leave the couch.
Thank your friends and family as you leave for the start. They all sacrifice as much as you. Remember those who have a hard time with marathon distances. Smile as you remember those who tried to discourage you and laugh as you think that those are the same folks who do not have the courage to start.
Good luck. You are ALL athletes
