Marathon day is less than a week away.
You look back at your training log and you've done it all.
You have turned in several quality 20-mile training runs.
You've suffered through the tempo runs and lung-searing speed sessions. The
fast half marathon you ran back in the fall boosted your confidence.
For the final week or so, you've tapered. You are anxious,
ready to dance around at the starting line like a thoroughbred in the stall at
the Kentucky Derby.
This is your marathon.
A personal best lies 26.2 miles ahead, at the finish line.
Nothing can go wrong.
Can it?
Well...aside from some annoying chafing or a blister the
size of a half dollar, two things can blow up your race like a drone strike.
One you must control.
The other you can't.
For 10, 12, or 16 weeks, you have trained at a highly
intense level. Maybe you've raced a few 5Ks to test your fitness level.
On race day you're anxious. You are inspired by the large
field and the enthusiastic spectators, who call your name as you pass.
Suddenly, you glance at the first mile marker, a large banner, fluttering in
the wind. You peer at the digital clock and you are pleasantly surprised that
you're 30-seconds faster than your goal time.
You are doomed!
Your euphoria may last through the first 5 miles or so. If
you're real lucky, it will last until the half marathon mark, where you may be
as much as two minutes ahead of your projected marathon time.
By the time you reach 20, 21, or 22 miles, a large baby
grand piano will have landed on your back, a frying pan will have smashed your
face, and your legs will feel like they are filled with lead.
Forget about the "wall," you have committed the
worst mistake a marathon runner can make: you have let the genie out of the
bottle. There's no way you can ever get it back.
More than any other footrace, a marathon requires superior
mental discipline as well as extraordinary patience. Sure you're going to feel
great for the first 5K. And don't go telling people you were on
"record" pace at the half marathon point, because you are running a
MARATHON.
Let's say you want to average an 8:00 per mile pace for your
marathon. Make sure that your first mile is run at an 8:10-8:15 clip. Ease your
way into the race, and instead of hitting the 5-mile point in 40:00, get there
in 40:50.
Miles 5 to 10 should be the fastest miles of the race.
You're now warmed up and ready to go and you should feel fresh. Hit those 5
miles at a 7:45 to 7:50 pace. Maintain from 10-20, and leave a slight cushion
for the final 10K. Unless you're an elite runner, chances are your pace will
slow for the final 6.2. By being careful to not let the genie out of the
bottle, your chances of hitting the wall are diminished.
So what is the second, uncontrollable, factor?
The weather, of course.
For runners participating in the Myrtle Beach Marathon and
Half Marathon on Saturday, the weather gods have smiled upon you.
Temperatures in the ‘30s will greet runners at the starting
line, and a high temperature of 53 degrees is anticipated: nearly perfect
marathon weather.
Don’t let the genie out of the bottle. Take advantage of
Saturday’s ideal marathon weather conditions, enjoy the flat, scenic course and
the enthusiastic crowd, and aim for your personal best at the Myrtle Beach
Marathon.
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