10 Tips for Running Your First Marathon
Are you thinking of running your first full marathon? Does 26.2 miles have you terrified. Thoughts of how will you ever finish keep racing through your head. Have no fear by following my first marathon tips you can finish! Every first time marathoner has fears about going the distance. Those fears run the gamut from what if the weather is bad to how will I run that far?
Marathon Tips
Part of marathon training is believing in yourself and your training. Planning your first marathon can be overwhelming. Following some simple first marathon tips can help you go the distance. Here are ten tips for running your first marathon.
Find that Perfect Race
Find that perfect race. The race could be in a unique location, or even a scenic course. It could be as simple as running a local race, so you don’t have to travel. For my first marathon, I chose the Marquette Marathon.
The Marquette Marathon is held in Marquette, Michigan. A portion of the race runs along Lake Superior. The course has some amazing scenery, which helped the miles fly by.
The Upper Peninsula of Michigan is one of my favorite places to travel to. It is remote, rugged, beautiful and surrounded by the Great Lakes. I have always loved being up there and that is why I chose that marathon. A great resource for finding races is Running the USA. It is an excellent resources for finding races throughout the USA.
Training Plans
The next thing I like to focus on is finding a good training plan. Do you need a longer plan to increase your mileage slower or are you looking for a shorter one. Find one that works for you. Hal Higdon has free training plans on his website. I have used the plans for multiple races that I have run and they work very well. Since it’s your first marathon, one of my tips would be to start with his Novice 1 training plan.
Once you find a training plan. Read through it prior to the start of training. Go through each week and look at your calendar. It’s good to pre-plan when you will run your long runs especially if you have a busy schedule. Check out my post on running training plans for some tips to get started.
Running Journal
Keep a running journal. Journal each run. How did it feel? Did you hit your tempo pace. If you completed you cross training or strength workouts write down how you did. I try to keep my journal positive. That run might have not been your best, but jot down what you did well. Finishing a long run is a major victory!
By keeping a journal you can look back at how each run went. Was your pace was on point for your tempo run? Think about what you did pre-run and during the run and jot that down. Maybe you ate oatmeal for breakfast and got nine hours of sleep the night before and you nailed your hill workout. Keeping track of those things can help you figure out what to do or not do.
Set Some Goals
Set goals for your race. This is your first marathon, so maybe you just want to finish the race. That was my goal my first race. I was so happy to just finish!
Maybe you want to set a specific time goal. I would suggest to set 3 goals and make sure that you can live with all of them. Use your training plan to maximize your goals.
Pacing
Follow the training plan runs. If today is your long run, stick to running at conversation pace. Don’t run every run fast or you can risk injury. If your running alone, and you feel like your going too fast and it’s hard to talk, slow it down a little. Use your watch features for the interval runs. I can set intervals and paces I want to hit with my Coros Apex.
The Unexpected
Plan for the unexpected. Bad weather happens and race day is no different. All the marathons I have run had poor weather conditions, but I still met my goals. The New York City Virtual Marathon was cold and very windy. Run in all types of conditions to get used to running in challenging conditions.
You will have many highs, but also expect some lows. For example, I like to have a plan for what I do if I start to have negative thoughts. I have power words and mantras I use. I have a plan for nutrition. For example; If I start to feel weak and shaky and gels aren’t cutting it, it’s time for a banana.
Rest Days
Stick to the rest days. It’s hard to take a day off, but your body needs it. This will help you avoid injury. Enjoy the day off you earned it.
Make sure you are getting enough sleep at night. As your mileage ramps up, don’t be surprised if you need more sleep. This is a great time to take that Sunday afternoon nap.
Calling All Running Friends
Get your friends involved. Do you have a friend you could talk into running the race with you? Running a race with a friend can keep you motivated till the end. If you don’t have anyone who wants to take the leap and race with you, try finding friends to run your long runs with. Running is always better with friends and the long run is perfect for that. It’s hard to talk if your running to fast, so running with someone will keep your pace in check. Sometimes is hard to hit that tempo pace, find someone to run it with.
Some marathons even have training runs set up each week during training. Sign up for the runs. It’s the perfect way to meet other runners. Sometimes the training runs follow the course. This will give you extra practice on the actual course. Training runs also may have pacers. The pacers will run at conversation pace another great way to keep your pace in check.
Nothing New
Don’t do anything new during the race. This is not the time to try a new gel. The last thing you want is to spend the race in a porta potty. On race day, only consume what you used during your training.
Also, do not try any new apparel out. That race shirt you got in your race packet, race day is not the day to try it out. The last thing you want during a race is to have an uncomfortable shirt on that causes chaffing.
Enjoy the Ride
One of the most important first marathon tips I can give you is to just have fun! Enjoy the experience of training. Celebrate every week you finish of the plan. You worked hard to get this far.
Check out the race expo. It’s full of positive energy to get you charged for race day. You earned it so enjoy it, splurge on a race shirt or hat. After the race you’ll have something to show off.
When it comes to race day, relax and enjoy the ride. Smile and thank the volunteers. Invite your friends and family to come to the race. Enjoy their support! Take it all in the cheering spectators, the scenery and that charge to finish line!
