From the August 2004 issue of Runner's World
You've trained, tapered, and overcome your share of bumps in the road. But there's still a lot you need to do right on marathon day. The experts who share their hard-won wisdom below have run hundreds of marathons between them. They know more about the ins and outs of race day than anyone around. Except you, if you read on.
1) Don't do anything new. Race day is not the time for new shoes, new food or drinks, new clothing, or anything else you haven't done on several training runs. Stick with a routine that works for you. "I learned the hard way that when you try something new on race day, you often end up regretting it," says Russ Pate, who has a Ph.D. in exercise physiology and qualified for three U.S. Marathon Trials in '72, '76, and '80. "I eventually developed a routine that I followed ritualistically before all my races."
2) Eat first thing. Too many marathoners skip breakfast on race day, opting for just a cup of coffee and/or some sports drink. You need more than that. "From the time you go to bed until the start of the race is usually eight to 10 hours," says Ken Sparks, who has a Ph.D. in exercise physiology and ran a personal best 2:28 at age 46. "In that time, your liver glycogen--which is stored carbohydrate--gets depleted. If you don't have a simple, high-carb breakfast, you're going to be in trouble at 20 miles." Bananas, bagels, or energy bars are good picks.
3) Don't overdress. Marathons often start in the cool of early morning, and it's easy to overestimate the amount of clothing you'll need. As a rule of thumb, it will probably feel 10 or more degrees warmer once you get going, and temps will rise as the day goes on. If you wear too much clothing, you're carrying extra weight, and will sweat more than you want, possibly increasing your body temperature and risk of dehydration. "If you overdress, you create a microclimate around the skin that induces sweating," says Mel Williams, Ph.D., an exercise physiologist, author of The Ergogenics Edge, and veteran marathoner who expects to run his 30th-straight Marine Corps Marathon on October 30. "The best clothing allows for some heat loss, but not so much that you become uncomfortably cold."
4) Prevent chafing. "During a marathon, every moving body part that can chafe will chafe," says Williams. And nothing is more irritating and painful than skin rubbed raw. To prevent this, make sure your shoes, socks, and clothing have no raised seams that will rub against the skin. Also, use Vaseline, BodyGlide, or something similar in key locations, including your armpits, nipples, and inner thighs.
5) Wear sunscreen. Marathoners sometimes don't think about the fact that they're in the sun long enough to get sunburned. This is particularly true if you finish in four or five hours, which takes you into the high-sun time of the day, or if you run the Boston Marathon, which starts at noon on a course with little shade. "I used to run with a cap on my head, but then I decided that the cap was holding in too much heat," remembers Williams. "So one year, I ran without the cap. I got sunburned so badly, it turned into one of my most painful races. Now I put a nongreasy sunblock on my head, my shoulders, and my lips."
