 This is I guess lean. This is the other direction leaning into the veterans out there lots of you have raced a lot of marathon so Butter my bread. How is everybody doing? Hope you had a great Tuesday. Yeah, it's Tuesday when I'm filming this You're watching this on Wednesday. We're diving right into the studio busy day So I didn't do any outside filming just I had to get a lot done today Therefore we're focused in here six tips for marathon racing what I wish I had known Basically six months ago before the Amsterdam marathon and the New York City marathon as I prepare for yes The Homburg marathon on April 19th, 2020. So what I'm gonna do I'm gonna bookmark this vlog and I'm gonna make mental notes and then also make notes in my Google Google calendar To go back and rewatch this vlog basically like once a week the last three weeks of this training block so that I can Remind myself about these tips that I have learned from once again from Amsterdam and New York City I made a vlog like this maybe nine months ago now What I wish I would have known Before racing my first 50k. All right, so I thought you know what a lot of people enjoyed that vlog It seemed like they learned a lot from that So therefore we're gonna transition now to road Marathon racing today and it's interesting crazy timing today Literally as I was kind of as I was formulating my thoughts an email arrived from New York City So a registration opens up. I believe January 30th for those guaranteed entries. Let me know actually question of the day part one Who is racing their first marathon ever in 2020? All right, that's just option one We'll do another question the day here in a minute and Let's dive in all right again. I hope you had a great day. I had a baby easy run today Just so you know there it is on your screen. It was solid. All right, let's dive in six tips for marathon racing What I wish I had known. All right, here we go. So so critical tip number one Before you hop on an airplane and fly around the world to a marathon before yes before you even hit that registration button study the Course study the course and this goes for yes other distances as well But I can't tell you can't tell you how important this is is to get to know the course that you're gonna be racing on These days on Strava and a lot of other web Well, not a lot of other websites, but other websites Elevation profile maps are becoming more I would say accurate and more readily available where you can see for example Going into the New York City Marathon So I raced Amsterdam first New York City second I felt way more prepared for New York as far as where the turns were in New York Where the elevation gains were mostly because I wanted to make sure I was really dialed into the five bridges that I had to run Over in New York City So I can't stress it enough before you hit register make sure you study the course so that there's no surprises on race day and If you have time and especially if you're a local But if you I don't know if I'm gonna I'm gonna have to see for the Hamburg Marathon But basically if you have time to drive some of the course just to familiarize yourself with the surroundings and again those elevation When you're gaining elevation at certain points in the course I like to know okay I need to just take it a little easy here because I know there's a hundred and fifty Foot rise coming up in about two miles so anyway That's my tip number one know the course as best as you possibly can it helps so much It relieves a lot of I would say it relieves a lot of anxiety as well about okay What is ahead and okay real one last point is there's companies out there that make Stick on tattoos so you can actually get an elevation profile chart I forget I'll try and find it the name of this company But basically so then when you're running and you kind of forget okay When is the next big climb or downhill you can look at your arm you put the tattoo right on your arm And then it washes off like a couple days later and it has the elevation chart You could probably do it with a marker as well just a little bit But anyway, I think that's pretty me tip number two that I wish I would have known a little bit more before racing My first marathon is mentally prepare for the crowds at the beginning New York City was so energetic so incredible so was Amsterdam But New York was a whole another level and I was buried a little bit back at the starting line And I definitely was not prepared to bob my way you could see this footage on your screen right now It was like just it was crazy It was like I was playing football and like trying to dodge people tackling me through the first basically half mile And it threw me off just a little bit I would say it wasn't until about the mile mark before I feel like I calm down after that starting line area now listen So a lot of marathons aren't obviously as big as New York City But just prepare yourself a little bit mentally especially for these big city marathons for the crowds at the beginning It was something that I guess after Amsterdam that was pretty easy to get off the starting line I wasn't prepared as much for New York City So that's my second tip just prepare that you know what I'm probably gonna have to fight the crowds for the first mile or Two three maybe and before it starts to open up a little bit and tip number three that I wish I would have known Pacing groups is so essential find your pacing group ahead of time All right get the discussion going and this is a tip of the day There are most marathons I have seen recently at least the bigger ones have a Facebook group Dedicated to that particular marathon for each year and if you can join that group let them know You know, I'm running this year. I've been accepted to run the to run the race And then you can get the discussion going on those Facebook groups and say hey Is there anyone out there who's gonna be running 815 a mile or is there a you know? whatever pace you're shooting for and then the trick is to meet up on Maybe even the day before but definitely on race morning before the race and say okay. Who's running 815? Okay, we've got our 10 people here. Maybe even 20 people. Let's go. Let's work together I'm telling you so so that's honestly that's one of the reasons I've transitioned from ultra running to marathon racing on the roads There's a little more communal feel when it comes to race day because you're there's more people and There's specific paces that people are trying to run. It's just really it's different I don't know I would just really encourage you to find your pacing groups and maybe on the more global running on Facebook Maybe we should start some topics that are centered around at least the bigger marathons Boston, New York Tokyo That's coming up March 1st for pacing groups that people that want to run together at whatever the pace may be I think that might that might be something I start so keep an eye out on to more global running for that and tip number four that I wish I would have known before race day is Make sure you hydrate but don't over hydrate especially during the race Hyponotrinia, I can never say that there it is on your screen hyponotrinia is the Just say the medical Condition where you actually drink too much water during the race and your sodium levels can drop And it actually can be a little day. It can actually be dangerous And so I think in New York City. I may be honestly, I think I hit the aid stations too often now Obviously, it's hot out if it's humid out You got to be you know watch yourself. So it's it's a balancing act and your body should Through training your body you should learn your body's needs when it comes to hydration, but I must say I was not I probably wasn't taking in enough No, unfortunately, I believe all they had was Gatorade at the aid stations in addition to water I think it was Gatorade. Maybe it was Powerade. I'm not sure so I didn't drink as much Electro-light-based drink because I wasn't I didn't have a bottles at the tables So anyway, just putting it out there you want to hydrate during the race But you don't want to over hydrate plus you might have to take some bathroom stops along the way You don't want to do that if you're trying to run fast. So hyponotrinia. Just beware Yeah, and the best thing is to practice during training. All right, and speaking of practicing during training tip number five Here we go Practice with your gels practice. I cannot stress this enough. I I Am this is almost Priority number one during this training block leading into the Hamburg Marathon. I wish I would have practiced way more Now it's a financial investment. All right Sometimes gels especially the ones that I use like they can be a little expensive So if you're practicing and I'm just gonna say my goal and I was I'm gonna put it in out there for you, too Three times. All right practice on three different runs during your training block leading up to your marathon You know on your long runs with your gels a couple different reasons number one Just getting that motion and that you know figuring out the rhythm of ripping open the gel and putting it back While you're running if you want to run faster, you know You've got to keep your pace going even when you're taking your gels So it's that it's that whole motion and even just getting your yes the swallowing motion. So you don't choke and then your GI Making sure your your stomach is handling the gels well as you're running So I did not do a good job Before Amsterdam or before New York practicing with my gels my goal this time around is at least three times at faster Well faster paces. Yeah, not race pace But faster paces with my gels and tip number six what I wish I would have known before race day It's crazy. The race truly does start at mile 20 you hear that over and over again in interviews in You know in podcasts in articles where you hear it all the time about the wall, right? I'm telling you it's true I you know you kind of get a little bit of a big head as an ultra runner It's like oh, I can race I can do 26 miles like come on I've raised 30 miles and 50 miles before like I can do 26 miles It's so crazy when you're running at higher speeds your body Starts to struggle around mile 20 now I will say in New York City it didn't really hit me until about mile 23 So I think if your fitness is at a high level and you're really dialed in You could push off the wall until mile 23. I really do and In Amsterdam I just blew up way too early because I went out too fast, but in New York I felt pretty solid until about mile 23. So um, I guess my and my so my takeout your takeout message is practicing that mental focus and resilience The last six miles of your long runs leading up to your marathon race those last six So if you're doing a 20 mile long run at mile 14 when your watch hits mile 14 You are just boom a light bulb goes off in your head. You're okay focus and resilience Focus and resilience from here to the end of your long run Practice that during your training at least two times preferably three or four times So that when you get to the wall in your race, whatever marathon you're racing in 2020 you're prepared to push through and not to fall apart which Happens to the best of us as I found out in Amsterdam and yes, even to a certain extent in New York City, there's my six tips what I wish I would have known before racing my first marathon I hope they help whoever out there, especially for the rookie marathon racers Who are who are watching and question of the day what is and this is I guess lean This is the other direction leaning into the veterans out there lots of you have raced a lot of marathons So question of the day, what is your one tip that you wish you would have known before racing your first? Marathon oh, I cannot wait to read your comments for this what I cannot wait because again I'm gonna bookmark this blog and then go back and watch this in Basically the first week of April second week and then the last April 19th is my next marathon All right everyone that is it for today. Thank you for watching. Oh, so fun Studio is coming along. Did you notice did anybody notice a little more extra lighting? Pizzazz here in the studio. We've got some spotlights on the shoes now Just subtle subtle spotlights just to give a little extra pop. Oh loving it. All right everyone. Thanks for being here Thanks for watching. We're gonna toss it back on the right to the Amsterdam marathon vlog That'll be on the right for you my first marathon ever and then on the left We'll toss it back to the five tips. I wish I had known before racing my first ultra marathon or 50k All right, everyone. Thanks for being here. Thanks for watching. See beauty work hard and love each other. See you tomorrow