Nearly 30,000 marathon runners will be lacing up their shoes for this Sunday’s New York City Marathon. Globally, more than a million athletes annually experience the nonstop physical and mental rush those 26.2 marathon miles can bring. To get to both the starting and finish line requires several month worth of training which include early morning runs, dialing-in nutrition, and rehabbing sore and fatigued muscles.
But as most marathoners say, once you catch the “running bug,” there’s no going back. But no matter if you’re a seasoned runner entering your 20th marathon or a rookie preparing for your very first 26.2 miler, constantly looking for ways to improve running performance and shave off time from your finish is a process that goes right up until race day.
So, once all your training mileage is logged in, what else is left for you to squeeze a few more seconds off your time. Seven running veterans provide their top race week tips on what they do to hit a PR and run their best race possible.
Zach Panning – Brooks Running athlete who recently set the Hanson’s Men’s Marathon record in the Brooks Hyperion Elite 3 at the Chicago Marathon on Oct. 9 with a time of 2:09:28. Panning finished 11th overall and was the second American finisher at the event.
It is not a bad idea to have a fresh pair of shoes for race day, but make sure to do a run or two in them before the big day. I always try to train in the shoes I plan on racing in and then open up a new pair before my last workout leading up to race day.
For me to be able to run efficiently for 26 miles, the Brooks Hyperion Elite 3 are my go-to racing shoe because of its lightweight bouncy cushion that feels as good at the finish line as it does at the start! It’s that kind of bounce that helped me clock a 2:09:28 at the Chicago Marathon this fall.
“Most importantly, trust your training! You worked incredibly hard leading up to the race. Race day is your opportunity to put your hard work on display! Run with pride and know that it is not going to feel great from start to finish, but because of the work you have put in you can push through those hard moments and do something special.”
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Arrive at the Start Line as Rested, Fueled, and Stress-Free as Possible
“The taper is all about allowing your body to recover from the cumulative fatigue you have piled up over the course of marathon training. The final days leading up to race day are not about grinding out big last-minute workouts. Instead, as you recover and load up on carbs, spend time preparing for the logistics of race day. Your best chance to run your fastest marathon is to arrive at the start line as rested, fueled, and stress-free as possible so that you can show off all of the hard work you’ve put in!
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HIIT It Up to Help Increase Endurance and Speed
Kristen Babovec, Ed.D.: six-time marathon finisher, wife, mom
“One of the most effective practices that I incorporate to shave time off when running marathons and half marathons is High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). One nice thing about HIIT workouts is that you can vary what form of training you use, such as body weight workouts, strength training exercises, stationary bikes, treadmills, etc.
The important thing is that you are working out with short bursts of high-intensity exercise followed by low-intensity recovery time and alternating between the two, thus the term “interval.” The level of intensity depends on the person and may have to be experimented with to find the “just right” level of intensity and recovery time and effort. The work-to-rest ratio can also vary, but I like to do a five-minute warmup on the treadmill then bump up my speed to my high-intensity speed for 60 seconds, then back down to my low-intensity speed for 60 seconds, and continue these intervals for a total of 30 minutes.
I spend another five minutes walking at a low-intensity speed. One of the reasons that I prefer the treadmill, as opposed to road running, for HIIT workouts is that you have more control over the consistency of your speed. Bonus, as soon as you go out for a road run, not only will it feel easier, you will see the difference in your pace/speed and will shave off time in your marathon and/or half-marathon races.”
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Photo by Ernesto Velázquez on Unsplash
Pace Yourself Early—Or You Will Pay in the End
Anthony McCauley: seven-time marathoner and Ironman athlete
“Run the first one to three miles feeling it out and do not go out too fast as you will pay in the end. I now have a better understanding of running progressively as much as possible. For example, in a marathon I will run Miles 1 to 3 feeling out my body and the race. Then, Miles 4 to 10 I get into a groove at hopefully my ‘marathon pace’ and I will hold that until about mile 22 or so.
If I planned correctly and my nutrition was on point, at Mile 22 I should have gas to pick it up for at least the last mile or two.
I train my long runs as progression runs slowly increasing the time of progression as I build up the mileage and this seems to help me train to pick up the pace toward the end of the race.”
“Morning of the marathon I really try my best to stay as calm as possible and have all of my typical morning run routines. For race day, what has helped me is tremendously is a good, easy 15-minute warm-up as close to the start time as possible and keep it easy; it is just to get the muscles firing.”
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Try Hot Yoga for Increased Flexibility to Lengthen Your Strides
DD Marcoux: Boston Marathon runner
“Faster pacing was a real challenge for me. Adding hot yoga to my marathon training was a game-changer. The increased flexibility and better muscle tone allowed me to lengthen my strides and avoid injury. I was already investing a lot of time in deep stretching before and after runs, but the heat in the yoga studio enabled me to get deeper into each stretch. I saw results pretty quickly. Stretching works wonders, but for me the hot yoga was key.”
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Embrace the Strain—It’s Worth it at the End
Andrea Rego: 15-time marathoner
“Remember that you run the first 13 miles with your head, Miles 14 to 20 with your legs, and Mile 20 on in with your heart. Be patient, and go only if you know—you really know—you can hold to the end. Know that you will go through periods where you feel bad, but know that as long as you are hydrated and have taken in calories that the bad period will only be a phase. Know that just because you hurt doesn’t mean you must stop. Embrace the pain, ignore it best you can, and believe in yourself. The last part will bring you home.”
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Fuel Up Properly and Pump Up Mentally
Linda Solomon: 24-time marathoner, entrepreneur, and mom
“The day before a marathon I like to have a heavy pancake breakfast followed by a chicken and pasta or potato dinner. (I do avoid red sauce due to GI issues, so try and avoid foods that may negatively affect you).
Also, the morning of I like to have a bagel with peanut butter. After that comes the mental game: So much of marathon racing is mental. Anxiety can play a big role in your performance, so be sure you find ways to calm your nerves. Self-talk works best for me; I know I can run a 20-mile long run casually, so I try and treat race day the same way.”
