5 Signs youre Marathon-Ready

Your race bag is full of running tricks and gadgets

Although some people like to say that runners dont need gadgets or gizmos to run well, the
truth is a marathon-ready runner knows that actually they need a whole pile of running
tools in their race-day bag. These tools are by no means hi-tech though; that is not the way
of us runners. Our gadgets are basic, but no one should underestimate their importance, no
matter how tatty or unassuming our race-day tools may look.
o, what gadgets do you need to ensure you are marathon-ready! "ou need a big pot of
#aseline to smear onto any areas that might chafe during the $%.$-mile slog & that includes
your nipples 'at least if you are a man and you dont already own nipple guards(. ome
runners like to line their socks with #aseline. "ou will also need a pair of toenail clippers to
make sure your nails are well trimmed. Other running gadgetry you should be thinking of
taking to the race destination include energy gels or drinks that you ha)e already trained
with, or *elly babies for when your energy le)els drop, plus warm clothes and a reco)ery
snack for when you cross the +nish line. ,f you ha)e all of these items on your race-day
checklist then congratulations, you are marathon-ready.
You understand that you will be emotional
-or many runners, running o)er the race +nish line will feel as though you ha)e been run
o)er by a busload of emotion. "ou ha)e *ust run one of the most challenging forms of
running races in the world and ha)e had to pour e)ery ounce of mental and physical
strength into forcing e)ery foot in front of the other to co)er the $%.$ mile distance. "ou will
ha)e e.perienced highs and lows, seen others fall and fail. "ou will ha)e been struggling
and had strangers pat you on the back and cheer you on. /ow that you ha)e crossed that
+nish line the entire marathon e.perience, from the moment you +rst found out you were
accepted to this moment now, will 0ood up inside of you and you will be a big ball of
bumbling emotions. 1ost people are teary eyed as they walk around the +nishers area and
if you)e come to terms with the fact that you will probably feel o)erwhelmed, then its a
sign you know your stu2 and you are ready to take on the marathon challenge.
Your running pace is perfected
To pro)e you are ready to run a marathon you ha)e to +rst be able to recite the pace you
want to maintain during your race. Then, you ha)e to come to terms with the fact that in a
lot of instances, for one reason or another, runners often cannot match the pace they ha)e
set for themsel)es. 3easons for why people cannot match the pace they hoped for )ary and
although using pace to help moti)ate and monitor your run has its uses, if you are not
matching your pace during the race do not struggle in order to meet it. ,nstead, be 0e.ible.
-or e.ample, if there is a windy section of the course dont put all your energy into battling
the wind so that you meet your target time for that section of the race. 4o with the weather
and course and adapt your pace to suit it instead. ,f you understand that pace is not the be
all and end all of marathon running then you are marathon-ready because this knowledge
will help you to stay mentally positi)e during the race, which is an absolute necessity if you
want to complete the marathon distance.
You have a strategy for when you hit the wall
5itting the wall is something e)ery runner fears because it means that your pace can
decrease by about a third. "ou may also e.perience some pain and feel e.tremely tired as a
result. "et hitting the wall is something that might happen to you. A sign that you are
marathon-ready is that you ha)e thought about hitting the wall and come up with a
strategy that might help you run right through it. "ou might choose to get angry in order to
+re yourself into a mental state that can help you get through this tough period in your
race. Or you may planned to focus on a nearby marker and stagger the remainder of your
race with these mini landmarks. 6hate)er you decide, try to think about the type of runner
you are and if you hit the wall try to stay mentally strong as this can help some runners
make it to the +nish line.
Carbo-loading youve got it covered
One sign that shows youre marathon-ready is that you know e)erything you need to about
fuelling your body correctly for the race. -or e.ample, you know the e.act amount of
carbohydrates you need to consume 'around 7-89 kgs of carbohydrate:kg of your body
weight( and when you need to be increasing the amount of carbohydrates you need to
consume 'around ; days prior to your race(. A sign that you are truly ready for the
marathon is that you ha)e already planned e.actly what you are going to eat in order to
carbo-load. -or e.ample, you might ha)e stocked up on the ingredients for your fa)orite
pasta dish, or bought a bucket-load of peanut butter and bread. 6hate)er you ha)e chosen
make sure that for the period you carbo-load you ha)e enough carbohydrate hea)y food to
hand when you need it.