Survivingthe
MARATHONFREAK-OUT
AGuidetoRunningYourBestMarathon
GREGMcMILLAN,M.S.
SurvivingtheMarathonFreakOut
©GregMcMillan,McMillanRunningLLCwww.McMillanRunning.com 2
GettheLatestandGreatest!Withthepurchaseofthisbook,younowhaveanotherperson(me)onyoursupportteamasyouhead intoyourmarathon. I’mverymuch looking forward toworkingwithyouforthebestmarathonofyourlife.In order tohelp you get themost out of thisGuide, stepone is to “register” yourbook,whichsoundsmoreglamorousthanitis.Justsendanemailtocoachgreg@mcmillanrunning.comtoletmeknowyouhavethebook.IcanthenkeepyouupdatedasIaddtothebookandhavemoretipsandadvicetoshare.Simpleasthat.
SurvivingtheMarathonFreakOut
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TableofContentsMyPromise…3CongratulateYourself…5TheMarathonFreakOut…6PeakingfortheMarathon…8McMillanMarathonPeakingPlans…14MarathonPeakingWorkouts…22Greg’sPre-RaceRules…28RaceDay!..33Post-RaceCelebrations…40CoachGreg’sPre-RacePepTalk…42HighFiveandFistBump…45FrequentlyAskedQuestions…47AbouttheAuthor…55
SurvivingtheMarathonFreakOut
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MyPromise
Don’tworry.It’sgoingtobeokay.Ipromise.Iknowyou’vebeentrainingforthebig
day(a.k.a.marathonday) forawhilenowso it’snormal togetanxiousas theday
approaches.I’vebeentheretoo.Asarunner,I’vedealtwiththerigorsofmarathon
trainingandthenervousnessastheracenears,nonemoresothanbeforemyfirst
marathon,theNewYorkCityMarathonorbeforeIwontheNationalMastersTrail
MarathonChampionshipsafewyearsago.
Asacoach,I’vetrainedthousandsofrunnersjustlikeyouformarathonsaroundthe
globe,ineveryweatherconditionandoveralltypesofcrazyterrain.Trustme.We
got this.Letmewalkyouthroughmysurvivalguide to these lastcoupleofweeks
beforeyourracesoyougointothebigdaywithmoreconfidence,leavingnostone
unturnedandreadyforapeakperformanceinwhatIguaranteewillbeoneofthe
greatestaccomplishmentsofyourlife.
What you are about to read iswhat I usewithmy athletes nomatter their goal:
gettingtothefinishlineinonepiece,settinganewPersonalBest,qualifyingforthe
BostonMarathonorevenpreparingfortheOlympicGames.I’vehelpedrunnersdo
allof theseandmypeakingplanswillhelpyouget to thestart line fit, restedand
ready. As you’ll quickly see, race day is simply a celebration of all the hardwork
you’vecompletedandachancetoletyourperformanceshine!
(Andsoonenough,you’llbeplanningyournextmarathon.)
SurvivingtheMarathonFreakOut
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“Idareyoutotrainforamarathonandnothaveitchangeyourlife.”–SusanSidoriak
SurvivingtheMarathonFreakOut
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FirstThingsFirst!
First,patyourselfontheback.Training foramarathon isnoteasyandoftendoes
not go smoothly but getting to the starting line shows your dedication and
determination. The race is the icing on the cake. As race week approaches,
nervousnesscanseemoverwhelming. Taketimetoremembertothankthosewho
have supported you in yourmarathonquest. Youknowwho they are and they’ll
appreciatethatyourecognizeallthey’vedonetohelpyou.
Also,takesometimetocongratulateYOU.Ibetyoulearnedalotaboutyourselfover
thelastfewweeks.Youlaced‘emupandwentforrunswhenyoureallydidn’twant
to.Youmadebetterfoodchoices(attimesreluctantly).Youstretched(occasionally)
andtriedeverytrickinthebooktokeepyourmuscleshappy(eventhedreadedice
bath).Youbravedgoodweatherandbadweather.Yousqueezedrunsinwhenyou
hadto.Youexperimented(successfullyandunsuccessfully)withdifferentfoodsto
keepyourdigestivesystemhappyandtofindyourperfectmarathondietplan.You
talkedmoreaboutchaffing,runningshoes,pace,distance,GPS,fartleksandenergy
gelsthanyoueverthoughtpossible.Intheend,youlearnedthatwhenyousetyour
mindtosomething,youcandoit.Andhere’salittlesneakpeak:Themarathonwill
benodifferent.Youcandoit.
Ok.Let’sgetdowntobusiness.
SurvivingtheMarathonFreakOut
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Help!I’mFreakingOut!
ThetwoweekspriortothemarathoniswhatIcallthe ‘greatmarathonfreakout’.
Questions abound. Self-doubt creeps in. Fear is ever-present. The marathon
becomesmonumental.Don’tworry.Everyonefeelsthisway.
Weputsomuchintotrainingandwantdesperatelyfortheracetogowell.Usethis
peakingtimetoreflectonallyoursuccessesduringtraining.Thinkgoodthoughts.
Run strong in the remaining workouts and focus on relaxing the body/mind.
Negativethoughtswillcreepinbutjustpushthemasideandfocusonthepositive.
Don’toverrestorovereatbutjustrelaxandsmile.
In this guide, I’m going to show you how to do all of these so you “peak” for
marathonday.Peakingmeansbringingyourmindandyourbodytoapointwhere
youcangettheabsolutemostfromyourselfonraceday.You’llfollowmytriedand
true peaking training plans and I’llwalk you throughwhat you should do before,
duringandaftertherace.Theresult?You’llgiveyourselfthebestshotatsuccesson
raceday.Youwillhavecontrolledallthatyoucancontrolandthen,it’sjustamatter
ofdoingyourabsolutebestontheday.
I’velivedthroughthismarathonfreakoutwiththousandsofrunners,overthelast
20years,manyjustlikeyou.Thefreakoutstrikessomerunnersmoreseverelythan
othersbutnomatterhowmuchyouarefreakingout,theseguidelinesoffercomfort
andconfidence.
SurvivingtheMarathonFreakOut
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“Don’tworry.Everythingisgoingtobeamazing.”-Unknown
SurvivingtheMarathonFreakOut
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HowtoPeakfortheMarathon
Ifiguredthispeakingthingout.Ittookawhilebecause,likemanycoaches,Ifellinto
thestandard"tapering"modelwe'veallbeentaught.Problemwas, taperingdidn't
workconsistently.Theresultswerejustashit-or-missasnottaperingatall.
So,Ithrew"tapering"outofmyvocabulary.Ireplaceditwith"peaking."Semantics?
Maybe.Butbystudyingpeakperformanceresearch-bothphysiologicalaswellas
psychological-asopposedtojustthetaperingresearch,I'vebeenabletodialinhow
to trulypeakonmarathonday. Itworks forallathletesnomatterwhereyou find
yourselfinthepackcomeraceday.
Here are my guidelines for your peaking phase - the last 14 days before your
marathon–andtheseideasformthebasisofmypeakingtrainingplansinthisbook
as well as my guidance for what you should do before, during and after the
marathon:
#1:Don'tchangeyourweeklyrunningroutine
Ourbodiesandminds likeroutine. Ifyourunthreedaysperweek,thenrunthree
daysperweekduringyourpeakingphase. Ifyourun five, thenrun five.Your legs
will feelheavyand“flat” ifyousuddenlyrun less frequentlythannormal.Here’sa
quickstorytoprovethepoint:
A few years ago, I coached a new runner program here in San Diego. Amasters
female runner (who ran 4 days per week) was prepped and ready for a great
marathon. On race day, however, she ran horribly andwas nowhere close to her
goaltime.Whenwemetupafewdaysaftertherace,Iaskedherwhatwentwrong.
“Idon’tknowGreg.ThetrainingwasgreatandIfeelyourworkoutsreallyprepared
mefortherace,”shesaidshrugginghershoulders.Afteralittlemoreinvestigation,
Ifoundtheproblem.Iaskedheraboutraceweek,atimewhenthingscangowrong
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ifyouaren’tcareful. “Raceweekwasgreat.BecauseIwantedtoreallyrestupfor
themarathon, I tookWednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday off. I wanted to
saveallmyenergyforthemarathononSunday,”sherevealed.Bingo!Thereitwas.
Herbodywasusedtorunningfourtimesperweekandsuddenlysherestedforfour
straight days. Every runner knows how awful you feel if youmiss a few days of
running.Youfeellikeyou’veneverrunbeforeinyourlife! And,that’sexactlyhow
shefelt.Shewascompletelyflatonraceday.Shelearnedthisrulethehardwayand
itwasagreatreminderformeandnowyou.Sticktoyourrunningrhythmduring
thepeakingphase.
Thatsaid,thereisoneexceptiontothisrule:Runnerswhofeeltheyareontheedge
ofovertrainingorarenursingasoremuscleornigglinginjurymaytakeanextraday
off eachweekduring thepeakingphase.But, don't take it thedaybefore the last
longrunortheraceifyoudon'tnormallyrestthedaybeforeyourlongruns.This
risksfeelingflatonracemorning.
#2:Reduceweeklytrainingvolume,butnottoomuch
Over the last 10-14 days before your race, you should progressively reduce the
volume of your running. Twoweeks out from the race, I like to reduce the daily
volumeby10-20minutesorso.Formostrunners,that’snobigdeal.But,whatifyou
onlyrun30minutesperdaynormally?Stillfollowtheplan.Reduceyourrunto10-
20minutes(30minutesminus10-20minutes).Itwillfeellikeyouspentmoretime
gettingreadyfortherunthangoingfortherunbutyourbodywillbenefitevenfrom
veryshortruns.
The week of the race, reduce your normal daily volume approximately 20-30
minutes. (Again, thismaymean lowmileagerunnersmayonlyrun10-20minutes
butthat’sokay.)This,alongwiththenormalreductioninyourlongrunlengthasthe
racenears,willdropyouroverallrunningvolumeinlinewithwhatweknowfrom
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research(and,moreimportantly,frompracticalexperience)tothelevelthatallows
the body to get prepared for a peak performance (~20-40% total reduction in
trainingvolumedependingontheathlete).
The extent of your volume reduction during the peaking phase depends on your
normaltrainingvolumeandhowtiredyoufeelfromthetraining.Lowermileageand
restedathleteswillreducevolumelessthanhighmileagerunnerswhoarefatigued
fromtraining.
Thatsaid,don'tmakethecommonmistakeofdroppingyourvolumetoomuch.This
takesyourbodyoutofitsroutineandcanleaveyoustaleonraceday.Myopinionis
thatmorerunnersfailbecauseoftaperingtoomuch(see#1above)ratherthannot
enough.
#3:Keeptheenginerevved
Whilewemaywanttoreducethevolumeofrunning,wedonotwanttoreducethe
intensityofourworkouts.Infact,wemaywanttheintensitytoincrease.Youwant
to keep your engine revved, the pumps primed. Never race your workouts, but
during thepeakingphase, don't backoff fromall faster running either. I've found
thatsomefastrunning inthepeakingphasehelpsbringthebodyandthemindto
tiptop condition on race day. (See my Peaking Plans in the next section for the
workoutsIrecommend.)
Whiletheseworkoutsaren’t“pushittothemax”workouts,theyshouldhelpbuild
yourrunningeconomy(thinkofitasbettergasmileage)anddialinyourgoalpace.
Done correctly, the peakingworkouts stress the body less but leave youwith an
enginethatisprimedandreadytodeliveronraceday.
#4:Planyourstrategyandstickwithit
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Mostmarathonershavethesameracestrategy-startconservative,buildintorace
pace,runasefficientlyaspossibleandgetasdeepintheraceaspossiblebeforeyou
have to pull out your super powers to get you to the finish line. Yoursmay vary,
depending on your strength and preferences, but no matter what your strategy,
stickwithit.
Formostrunners,theirpre-racestrategyisthebeststrategy.Beopentochangeif
theconditionsrequire,butforthemostpart,youknowwhatyouneedtodoso,just
getoutofyourownwayandlettheraceunfoldasplanned.
Ofcourse,thebiggesterrorisfeelinggreatinthefirstfewmiles(whichshouldfeel
easy anyway) anddeciding, “I think I’ll put some time in thebank in case I slow
downlater.”Bignono.Yourfasterpacemayfeeleasybutyouareburningessential
storedcarbohydratesandstressingyourmuscletissuestoomuch,toosoon.Laterin
therace,you’llpayforitandcaneasilyloseseveralminutespermilecomparedto
thefewsecondspermileyou“banked”earlyintherace.
(Laterinthebook,Iprovidemypacechartforrunningyourbestevenornegative
splitrace.)
#5:Reflectontrainingtobuildconfidence
I likeathletestoreflectontrainingintwoways.First, thinkbackonaparticularly
tough workout, one where you didn't feel great but you gutted it out. You were
tough. This shows that you can do it. You are tough. You can handle the ups and
downsofrunningandgettothefinishline.Thiswillberequiredinyourmarathon,
soinsteadofthinkingofthatrunasa“bad”workout,seeitasrevealingyourinner
strength.
Now, thinkbacktoyourbestworkoutsorraces.Reallyre-livetheminyourmind.
Bolsteryourconfidenceknowingthatyouarefit,fastandready.Bringontherace!
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Get excited to go out there and perform like you know you can! Your training
successesshouldbuildyourconfidenceandconfidenceisakeypartofthepeaking
process.
In fact, your homework is to review your training plan and highlight 2-3
runs/workouts/raceswhere you felt great, really awesome. Put pen to paper (or
fingerstokeyboard)andwritedowneverythingyourememberabouttheday.Come
atit fromallyoursensesandreally“feel”therun. Then,starttoreadaboutthese
great runsevery fewdaysas the racenears.You’llbe surprisedhow thisongoing
positivementalstimuluscancarryoverintotherace.
#6:Havefunandsmile
Let'sfaceit.Mostofusaren'tgoingforanOlympicgoldmedalhere.Wearesimply
enjoyingthechallengeofdoingourbest.Thereisnorealpressure,soquitputtingso
much on yourself. We run for fun, and you should remember that. Have fun! I
encouragerunnerstosmilealotinthefinaldaysbeforearace.Smilingputsyouina
bettermood,reducesanxietyandthatcanplayabigroleonraceday.
It'sonlywithapositive,happymindsetfocusedondoingyourbest,combinedwitha
well-trainedbodythat isrestedbutrevved, fueledandhydratedthatyoucanrace
yourbest.
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“Thewilltowinmeansnothingwithoutthewilltoprepare.”–JumaIkangaa
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McMillanMarathonPeakingPlans
Onthenextfewpagesaremyprovenmarathonpeakingplanstohelpyoubefully
preparedforyourbestmarathonperformance.Youmayneedtoaltertheplantofit
theexactdaysoftheweek(thoughI’veincludedlotsofdailyoptionsforyou)that
yourunbutthebottomlineisthatthesepeakingplanswork.Youcanreallytrustin
them. And, the confidence that youaredoing training thathasproven itself over
andovercangoalongwaytoreducingyourstressduringthisfreakoutphase.
ImportantNotes:
Asyoubrowsethroughthepeakingplans,keepafewthingsinmind.First,theplans
arelistedbythenumberofdaysyourunperweek.Forexample,thefirstsetofplans
isfortherunnerwhoruns2-3timesperweek.Thenextsetisforrunnerswhorun
4-5timesperweekandthelastsetisfortherunnerwhogetsin6-7runsperweek.
Choosewhateverbestfitstheroutineyou’vebeenusing.
Second,twoversionsofeachplanareprovided.Thefirstversionisthe“Endurance
Monster”version.Thisschedule isbest forrunnerswhofindtheyaresignificantly
betteratthelongerdistancesthanattheshorterdistances.Theendurancemonster
istypicallytherunnerwhoexcelsatlongrunsandsteadyeffortrunsbutstruggles
with speedwork and shorter races. If this sounds like you, then choose the
EnduranceMonsterversion.
ThealternativeversionistheSpeedsterversion.Asyouwouldguess,theserunners
aretheoppositeoftheEnduranceMonster.They’rebetterattheshorterracesand
speed trainingbutdon’tperformaswell in longer trainingsessionsandraces. In
other words, the marathon is an event that doesn’t come as naturally to the
Speedster as it does the Endurance Monster. Choose this version if you are a
Speedster.
(GetmybookYOU(OnlyFaster)ifyouarehavingtroubledeterminingyourtype.Igo
intodetailabouthowIdeterminetherunnertypeintheathletesIcoach.)
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Readthisverycarefullyasthisisanimportantnote:earlyinyourtrainingplan,you
hadtopushhardinworkoutsinordertobuildyourfitness.That’snotwhatwe’re
doing in thepeakingphase.The fitnesshasbeenbuilt so in these last twoweeks,
we’reworkingonrefiningyourfitness.Inotherwords,wewanttorunquicklyand
withintherecommendedpacerangesfromtheMcMillanRunningCalculatorbutwe
wanttodoitasrelaxedandeasilyaspossible.Makesense?Don’tleaveyourracein
training by going too hard in the last two weeks. Keep it challenging but under
control.Thinkpeak,notpush.
Lastly, use commonsense when incorporating the peaking plans. If you’ve never
donefasterrepeats, thenskipthemandjust focusongoalpace/temporunning. If,
however,youhavesomeexperiencewithfasterrunning,thenenjoytheseeconomy
building fasterworkouts.Again,youaren’t trying tobuild fitnessherebut instead
are simply trying to get your body and mind primed for a peak marathon
performance.Andifyoucan’tfigureoutifyou’reaspeedsterorendurancemonster,
choosetheprogramthatlooksthemostfuntoyou.Bothworkwellsoyoucan’tgo
wrongeitherway.
NOTE:Ereaders(Kindle,Nook,etc.)displaytrainingplansverypoorly.Ifyouwould
likea copyofyourpeakingplan inamore readable format, just emailmeand I’ll
sendyouaPDFofyourplan.
There is a “workout decoder” after the training plans, which explains all the
workoutacronyms(ER,TR,CI,FFLR,etc.)thatyou’llseeinthetrainingplans.
Theplansarelistedinthefollowingorder:
2-3daysrunningperweek(EnduranceMonsterVersion)
2-3daysperweek(SpeedsterVersion)
4-5daysperweek(EnduranceMonsterVersion)
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4-5daysperweek(SpeedsterVersion)
6-7daysperweek(EnduranceMonsterVersion)
6-7daysperweek(SpeedsterVersion)
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McMillanRunning2-3daysperweekMarathonPeakingPlan(EnduranceMonsterVersion)
14 ProgressionLongRun:90min(30minLRpace,30minGoalMarathonPace,30minFAST!)
PreviousLRsforendurance.Thisoneforeffortprogression.Last30minshouldfeellikea10Krace.Testgear&nutrition.Visualizestrongmarathonfinish!Usemcmillanrunning.comtocalculatepaces
13 OFF-Completerecovery;rechargementally;allowfuelstorestobuild;vegout
Restisoftenneglected.Duringrestyourbodybecomesstronger&readyforapeakperformance.Todayiscompletedayofffromallactivity.Justrest,eatwell&forgetaboutthemarathon.
12 20-40minEasyRunorOFF Pleasantroute.Nice&gentle.Visithttps://run.mcmillanrunning.com/learn/
11 30-45minEasyRunORCross-Train
Runeasyortakethisdayoff.Allowthebody&mindtorest.Checkracedayweather.Researchracesiterestaurants.Re-livebestLR.
10 TempoRun:20-30min Warmup&cooldownw/10-15mineasyrunning.Thesemedium-effortcontinuousrunworkwellforendurance-orientedrunners.Testshoes&gear.Thinksmooth&relaxedwhilerunning.Visualizebeautifulrunningform.Reviewpacesatwww.mcmillanrunning.com
9 OFF-Completerecovery Takethisdayoff.Allowthebody&mindtorest.
8 30-40minEasyRunORCross-Train
Runeasyortakethisdayoff.Allowthebody&mindtorest.Checkracedayweather.Reviewcoursemap&raceplan.
7 12milestotal:6milesEasyRun+6MilesatGoalMarathonPace
ThisisyourfinalmarathonLR.Testshoes,gear&nutritionplan.Howrelaxedcanyourunatmarathonpace?
6 OFF-Completerecovery Scheduleadiversionsoyoudon’tthinkaboutthemarathon.
5 ERw/PaceChange:4-5x30secat~10Kpacew/1mineasyjog
Warmup&cooldownw/10-15mineasyrunning.Fasterrepeatsimproverunningeconomy&rampupreadinessforthemarathon.Alternatefast,relaxedrunningw/easyjogging.Don’tpushtoohard.
4 TempoRun:10-20min Warmup&cooldownw/10-15mineasyrunning.MoreMedium-effortrunningtogrooverelaxedrhythm.Finaltestofmarathonshoes&gear.Re-liveprevious
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awesomeruns.Reviewraceplan.
3 20-40minEasyRunorOFF Nice&gentle.Goodfuel.Checkraceweather.Makefinalpackinglist.
2 OFForCross-Train Oftentravelday,takedayofforjustcross-trainateasyeffortfornomorethan30min.Allowthebody&mindtorest.Goodnutrition.
1 30minEasyRunORCross-Train
Iliketojogforaneasyjogthedaybefore.Helpscalmthenerves&makethedaygobyfaster.Repeat,“Iamready”throughoutday.
0 RaceDay!Smile&enjoy Can’twaittohearhowitgoes–[email protected]
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McMillanRunning2-3daysperweekMarathonPeakingPlan(SpeedsterVersion)
14 ProgressionLongRun:90min(30minLRpace,30minGoalMarathonPace,30minFAST!)
PreviousLRsforendurance.Thisoneforeffortprogression.Last30minshouldfeellikea10Krace.Testgear&nutrition.Visualizestrongmarathonfinish!Usemcmillanrunning.comtocalculatepaces
13 OFF-Completerecovery;rechargementally;allowfuelstorestobuild;vegout
Restisoftenneglected.Duringrestyourbodybecomesstronger&readyforapeakperformance.Todayiscompletedayofffromallactivity.Justrest,eatwell&forgetaboutthemarathon.
12 20-30minEasyRunorOFF Pleasantroute.Nice&gentle.Visithttps://run.mcmillanrunning.com/learn/
11 20-45minEasyRunORCross-Train
Runeasyortakethisdayoff.Allowthebody&mindtorest.Checkracedayweather.Researchracesiterestaurants.Re-livebestLR.
10 TempoIntervals:3x2000metersw/2mineasyjogbetween
Warmup&cooldownw/10-15mineasyrunning.Thesemedium-effortrepeatsworkwellforspeedsterrunners.Testshoes&gear.Thinksmooth&relaxedwhilerunning.Visualizebeautifulrunningform.Reviewpacesatwww.mcmillanrunning.com
9 OFF-Completerecovery Takethisdayoff.Allowthebody&mindtorest.
8 20-30minEasyRunORCross-Train
Runeasyortakethisdayoff.Allowthebody&mindtorest.Checkracedayweather.Reviewcoursemap&raceplan.
7 12milestotal:6milesEasyRun+6MilesatGoalMarathonPace
ThisisyourfinalmarathonLR.Testshoes,gear&nutritionplan.Howrelaxedcanyourunatmarathonpace?
6 OFF-Completerecovery Scheduleadiversionsoyoudon’tthinkaboutthemarathon.
5 ERw/PaceChange:4-5x1minat~5Kpacew/1mineasyjog
Warmup&cooldownw/10-15mineasyrunning.Fasterrepeatsimproverunningeconomy&rampupreadinessforthemarathon.Alternatefast,relaxedrunningw/easyjogging.Don’tpushtoohard.
4 CruiseIntervals:4-5x1000metersw/1mineasyjog
Warmup&cooldownw/10-15mineasyrunning.Moremedium-effortrepeatstogrooverhythm.Finaltestofmarathon
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shoes&gear.Re-livepreviousawesomeruns.Reviewraceplan.
3 20-40minEasyRunORCross-Train
Nice&gentle.Goodfuel.Checkraceweather.Makefinalpackinglist.
2 OFForCross-Train Oftentravelday,takedayofforjustcross-trainateasyeffortfornomorethan30min.Allowthebody&mindtorest.Goodnutrition.
1 30minEasyRunORCross-Train
Iliketojogforaneasyjogthedaybefore.Helpscalmthenerves&makethedaygobyfaster.Repeat,“Iamready”throughoutday.
0 RaceDay!Smile&enjoy Can’twaittohearhowitgoes–[email protected]
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McMillanRunning4-5daysperweekrunnerMarathonPeakingPlan(EnduranceMonsterVersion)
14 FastFinishLongRun:14-18totalmilesw/last6-8miles@marathonpaceorfaster
PreviousLRsforendurance.Thisoneforeffortprogression.Last6-8milesaveragegoalpacebutlast2milesshouldfeellikea5Krace.Testgear&nutrition.Visualizestrongmarathonfinish!Usemcmillanrunning.comtocalculatepaces
13 OFForCross-Train Restisoftenneglected.Duringrestyourbodybecomesstronger&readyforapeakperformance.Todayiscompletedayofffromallactivity.Justrest,eatwell&forgetaboutthemarathon.
12 ERw/PaceChange:8-10x1minat~10Kpacew/1mineasyjog
Warmup&cooldownw/10-15mineasyrunning.Fasterrepeatsimproverunningeconomy&rampupreadinessforthemarathon.Alternatefast,relaxedrunningw/easyjogging.Don’tpushtoohard.
11 40minEasyRun Pleasantroute.Nice&gentle.Visithttps://run.mcmillanrunning.com/learn/Checkraceweather.Researchracesiterestaurants.Re-livebestLR.
10 TempoRun:20-30min Warmup&cooldownw/10-15mineasyrunning.Medium-effortcontinuousrunworkwellforendurance-orientedrunners.Testshoes&gear.Thinksmooth&relaxedwhilerunning.Visualizebeautifulrunningform.Reviewpacesatwww.mcmillanrunning.com
9 30-45minEasyRunORCross-Train
Runeasyorjustcross-trainataneasyeffort&fornomorethan45min.Allowthebody&mindtorest.
8 40-50minEasyRunORCross-Train
Runeasyorjustcross-trainataneasyeffort&fornomorethan50min.Checkracedayweather.Reviewcoursemap&raceplan.
7 12milestotal:6milesEasyRun+6MilesatGoalMarathonPace
ThisisyourfinalmarathonLR.Testshoes,gear&nutritionplan.Howrelaxedcanyourunatmarathonpace?
6 OFForCross-Train Scheduleadiversionsoyoudon’tthinkaboutthemarathon.
5 40-50minEasyRun Nice&easyrunonyourfavoriterunningroute.
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4 TempoRun:15-20min Warmup&cooldownw/10-15mineasyrunning.MoreMedium-effortrunningtogrooverelaxedrhythm.Finaltestofmarathonshoes&gear.Re-livepreviousawesomeruns.Reviewraceplan.
3 30-40minEasyRun Nice&gentle.Goodfuel.Checkraceweather.Makefinalpackinglist.
2 30-40minEasyRunorOFF Oftentravelday,takedayofforjustrunateasyeffortfornomorethan40min.Allowthebody&mindtorest.Goodnutrition.
1 30minEasyRunORCross-Train
Iliketojogforaneasyjogthedaybefore.Helpscalmthenerves&makethedaygobyfaster.Repeat,“Iamready”throughoutday.
0 RaceDay!Smile&enjoy Can’twaittohearhowitgoes–[email protected]
©McMillanRunning,LLCAllrightsreserved.www.mcmillanrunning.com
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McMillanRunning4-5daysperweekMarathonPeakingPlan(SpeedsterVersion)
14 FastFinishLongRun:14-18totalmilesw/last6-8miles@marathonpaceorfaster
PreviousLRsforendurance.Thisoneforeffortprogression.Last6-8milesaveragegoalpacebutlast2milesshouldfeellikea5Krace.Testgear&nutrition.Visualizestrongmarathonfinish!Usemcmillanrunning.comtocalculatepaces
13 OFForCross-Train Restisoftenneglected.Duringrestyourbodybecomesstronger&readyforapeakperformance.Todayiscompletedayofffromallactivity.Justrest,eatwell&forgetaboutthemarathon.
12 ERw/PaceChange:8-10x1minat~10Kpacew/1mineasyjog
Warmup&cooldownw/10-15mineasyrunning.Fasterrepeatsimproverunningeconomy&rampupreadinessforthemarathon.Alternatefast,relaxedrunningw/easyjogging.Don’tpushtoohard.
11 40minEasyRun Pleasantroute.Nice&gentle.Visithttps://run.mcmillanrunning.com/learn/Checkraceweather.Researchracesiterestaurants.Re-livebestLR.
10 TempoIntervals:3-4x2000metersw/2mineasyjog
Warmup&cooldownw/10-15mineasyrunning.Medium-effortrepetitionsworkwellforspeed-orientedrunners.Testshoes&gear.Thinksmooth&relaxedwhilerunning.Visualizebeautifulrunningform.Reviewpacesatwww.mcmillanrunning.com
9 30-45minEasyRunORCross-Train
Runeasyorjustcross-trainataneasyeffort&fornomorethan45min.Allowthebody&mindtorest.
8 40-50minEasyRunORCross-Train
Runeasyorjustcross-trainataneasyeffort&fornomorethan50min.Checkracedayweather.Reviewcoursemap&raceplan.
7 12milestotal:6milesEasyRun+6MilesatGoalMarathonPace
ThisisyourfinalmarathonLR.Testshoes,gear&nutritionplan.Howrelaxedcanyourunatmarathonpace?
6 OFForCross-Train Scheduleadiversionsoyoudon’tthinkaboutthemarathon.
5 LegSpeed:8-10x25secw/1mineasyjog
Warmup&cooldownw/10-15mineasyrunning.“Strides”likethesehelpactivateyourneuromuscularsystem.
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4 CruiseIntervals:4-5x1000metersw/1mineasyjog
Warmup&cooldownw/10-15mineasyrunning.Moremedium-effortrepeatstogrooverhythm.Finaltestofmarathonshoes&gear.Re-livepreviousawesomeruns.Reviewraceplan.
3 30-40minEasyRun Nice&gentle.Goodfuel.Checkraceweather.Makefinalpackinglist.
2 30-40minEasyRunorOFF Oftentravelday,takedayofforjustrunateasyeffortfornomorethan40min.Allowthebody&mindtorest.Goodnutrition.
1 30minEasyRunORCross-Train
Iliketojogforaneasyjogthedaybefore.Helpscalmthenerves&makethedaygobyfaster.Repeat,“Iamready”throughoutday.
0 RaceDay!Smile&enjoy Can’twaittohearhowitgoes–[email protected]
©McMillanRunning,LLCAllrightsreserved.www.mcmillanrunning.com
McMillanRunning6-7daysperweekMarathonPeakingPlan(EnduranceMonsterVersion)
14 FastFinishLongRun:14-18totalmilesw/last6-8miles@marathonpaceorfaster
PreviousLRsforendurance.Thisoneforeffortprogression.Last6-8milesaveragegoalpacebutlast2milesshouldfeellikea5Krace.Testgear&nutrition.Visualizestrongmarathonfinish!Usemcmillanrunning.comtocalculatepaces
13 OFForCross-Train Restisoftenneglected.Duringrestyourbodybecomesstronger&readyforapeakperformance.Todayiscompletedayofffromallactivity.Justrest,eatwell&forgetaboutthemarathon.
12 ERw/PaceChange:8-10x1minat~10Kpacew/1mineasyjog
Warmup&cooldownw/10-15mineasyrunning.Fasterrepeatsimproverunningeconomy&rampupreadinessforthemarathon.Alternatefast,relaxedrunningw/easyjogging.Don’tpushtoohard.
11 40minEasyRun Pleasantroute.Nice&gentle.Visithttps://run.mcmillanrunning.com/learn/Checkraceweather.Researchracesiterestaurants.Re-livebestLR.
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10 TempoRun:20-30min Warmup&cooldownw/10-15mineasyrunning.Medium-effortcontinuousrunworkwellforendurance-orientedrunners.Testshoes&gear.Thinksmooth&relaxedwhilerunning.Visualizebeautifulrunningform.Reviewpacesatwww.mcmillanrunning.com
9 40-50minEasyRun Runeasyorjustcross-trainataneasyeffort&fornomorethan50min.Allowthebody&mindtorest.
8 50minEasyRunORCross-Train
Runeasyorjustcross-trainataneasyeffort&fornomorethan50min.Checkracedayweather.Reviewcoursemap&raceplan.
7 12milestotal:6milesEasyRun+6MilesatGoalMarathonPace
ThisisyourfinalmarathonLR.Testshoes,gear&nutritionplan.Howrelaxedcanyourunatmarathonpace?
6 OFForCross-Train(30min)
Scheduleadiversionsoyoudon’tthinkaboutthemarathon.
5 LegSpeed:8-10x25secw/1mineasyjog
Warmup&cooldownw/10-15mineasyrunning.“Strides”likethesehelpactivateyourneuromuscularsystem.
4 TempoRun:15-20min Warmup&cooldownw/10-15mineasyrunning.MoreMedium-effortrunningtogrooverelaxedrhythm.Finaltestofmarathonshoes&gear.Re-livepreviousawesomeruns.Reviewraceplan.
3 30-40minEasyRun Nice&gentle.Goodfuel.Checkraceweather.Makefinalpackinglist.
2 30-40minEasyRunorOFF Oftentravelday,takedayofforjustrunateasyeffortfornomorethan40min.Allowthebody&mindtorest.Goodnutrition.
1 30minEasyRunORCross-Train
Iliketojogforaneasyjogthedaybefore.Helpscalmthenerves&makethedaygobyfaster.Repeat,“Iamready”throughoutday.
0 RaceDay!Smile&enjoy Can’twaittohearhowitgoes–[email protected]
©McMillanRunning,LLCAllrightsreserved.www.mcmillanrunning.com
SurvivingtheMarathonFreakOut
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McMillanRunning6-7daysperweekMarathonPeakingPlan(SpeedsterVersion)
14 FastFinishLongRun:14-18totalmilesw/last6-8miles@marathonpaceorfaster
PreviousLRsforendurance.Thisoneforeffortprogression.Last6-8milesaveragegoalpacebutlast2milesshouldfeellikea5Krace.Testgear&nutrition.Visualizestrongmarathonfinish!Usemcmillanrunning.comtocalculatepaces
13 OFForCross-Train Restisoftenneglected.Duringrestyourbodybecomesstronger&readyforapeakperformance.Todayiscompletedayofffromallactivity.Justrest,eatwell&forgetaboutthemarathon.
12 ERw/PaceChange:8-10x1minat~10Kpacew/1mineasyjog
Warmup&cooldownw/10-15mineasyrunning.Fasterrepeatsimproverunningeconomy&rampupreadinessforthemarathon.Alternatefast,relaxedrunningw/easyjogging.Don’tpushtoohard.
11 40minEasyRun Pleasantroute.Nice&gentle.Visithttps://run.mcmillanrunning.com/learn/Checkraceweather.Researchracesiterestaurants.Re-livebestLR.
10 TempoIntervals:3-4x2000metersw/2mineasyjog
Warmup&cooldownw/10-15mineasyrunning.Medium-effortrepetitionsworkwellforspeed-orientedrunners.Testshoes&gear.Thinksmooth&relaxedwhilerunning.Visualizebeautifulrunningform.Reviewpacesatwww.mcmillanrunning.com
9 40-50minEasyRun Runeasyorjustcross-trainataneasyeffort&fornomorethan50min.Allowthebody&mindtorest.
8 50minEasyRunORCross-Train
Runeasyorjustcross-trainataneasyeffort&fornomorethan50min.Checkracedayweather.Reviewcoursemap&raceplan.
7 12milestotal:6milesEasyRun+6MilesatGoalMarathonPace
ThisisyourfinalmarathonLR.Testshoes,gear&nutritionplan.Howrelaxedcanyourunatmarathonpace?
6 OFForCross-Train(30min)
Scheduleadiversionsoyoudon’tthinkaboutthemarathon.
5 LegSpeed:8-10x25secw/1mineasyjog
Warmup&cooldownw/10-15mineasyrunning.“Strides”likethesehelpactivateyourneuromuscularsystem.
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4 CruiseIntervals:4-5x1000metersw/1mineasyjog
Warmup&cooldownw/10-15mineasyrunning.Moremedium-effortrepeatstogrooverhythm.Finaltestofmarathonshoes&gear.Re-livepreviousawesomeruns.Reviewraceplan.
3 30-40minEasyRun Nice&gentle.Goodfuel.Checkraceweather.Makefinalpackinglist.
2 30-40minEasyRunorOFF Oftentravelday,takedayofforjustrunateasyeffortfornomorethan40min.Allowthebody&mindtorest.Goodnutrition.
1 30minEasyRunORCross-Train
Iliketojogforaneasyjogthedaybefore.Helpscalmthenerves&makethedaygobyfaster.Repeat,“Iamready”throughoutday.
0 RaceDay!Smile&enjoy Can’twaittohearhowitgoes–[email protected]
©McMillanRunning,LLCAllrightsreserved.www.mcmillanrunning.com
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McMillanPeakingWorkouts
Belowaredescriptionsforeachoftheworkoutsincludedinyourpeakingplan.You
can always visit https://run.mcmillanrunning.com/learn/ to read about each in
moredetail.
Whilethefocusofthisbookhasbeenonthepeakingphase,I’mavailabletobuilda
full marathon training plan for you if you like. Just email me or visit
https://run.mcmillanrunning.com/andsignup.
I’vealsowrittenabook,YOU(OnlyFaster),whichisagreatcomplementtothisbook
andcontainsmore informationon trainingnotonly for themarathonbutalso for
the5K,10Kandhalf-marathon.
Lastly,youneedtousetheMcMillanRunningCalculator tocalculateyour training
paces(andheartratezonesifyouprefer)foryourruns.Icreatedthiscalculatorto
taketheguessworkoutoftraining.Justhitthepacerangeslistedandyouwillknow
thatyouaretrainingoptimally.Youcanalsoseeequivalenttimesforotherdistances
toseeiftheypredictyourmarathontime.Plus,therearealotofotherresourcesto
helpyourunyourbest.
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WorkoutDecoder
EasyRun(ER)=Continuousrunsataneasyeffort.
Themajorityofyourtrainingislikelytobecomprisedofeasyrunsandthepurpose
istofullydevelopyouraerobicfitnessandthenmaintainit.Easyrunslastanywhere
between15minutesto90minutes.Again,oneofthecommonmistakeswemakeis
runningoureasy runs too fast.Keep themsteadybutdon'tget intoapacewhere
yourbreathingbecomesnoticeablyfaster.
LongRun(LR)=Continuousrunsataneasyeffortbutforlongdistances.
Long runs need no introduction formarathoners. The purpose is simply time on
yourfeet.Challengingyourabilitytokeeprunningimprovesyourenduranceandis
a cornerstoneof distance training. Long runs last at least anhour andup to over
three.Theyareslowrunswiththechallengeofsimplyrunningasteadypaceforthe
entiredurationoftherun.Keeptheefforteasyandresistthetemptationtoincrease
thepacejusttogethomesooner.Givethebodytimetoreallyfeelthestimulusofa
longrun.Itwillrewardyouwithgreaterenduranceadaptationsthatwillserveyou
wellinlaterworkoutsandraces.
ProgressionLongRun(PLR)=Continuousrunwherethepacegetsfasteracrossthe
run.
Aprogressionrunisacontinuousrunthatprogressesfromonetrainingzonetoa
fasterzone.Forexample,youcanstartarunatlongrunpacefor1/3thenmoveto
marathongoalpaceforthemiddle1/3thenfinishfasterlike10Kraceeffortforthe
final1/3. Again, thespecificsaren’t thekey ingredient; it’s theprocessofmoving
fromzonetozone.
Fast Finish Long Run (FFLR) = Continuous run where last few miles are
progressivelyfasterandthelast2milesarenearallouteffort.
Inthefastfinishlongrun,yourunthefirstpartoftherunatyournormallongrun
pacebutthenoverthefinalportionoftherun,youbegintopickupthepacesothat
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thelast30minutestoonehourisatahardeffort.I’vehadparticularlygoodresults
with fast finish long runs, and they really help fix the fade that can occur in the
marathon.
Note:Thesearetoughworkoutssomakesuretoreallyfocusonrecoveryinthefew
daysaftereach.
TempoRun(TR)=Continuousrunsatamediumefforttobuildstamina.
Temporunsaredesignedtoincreaseyourstamina.Asthenamesuggests,youreally
improveyourrunningtempoorrhythmwiththeseworkouts.Theylastbetween15
and30minutesandaremeanttobe"comfortablyhard"sodon'tpushthepacebut
findthatperfectbalancebetweeneasyandhard.
Tempo runs are continuous efforts but you must preface them with a thorough
warm-up.
TempoIntervals(TI)=Repeatsatamediumeffortwithrecoveryjogsbetween.
TempoIntervalsarelikefastTempoRunsbrokenintorepeatswithrelativelyshort
recoveryjogs.Unlikethepreviousworkouts,TempoIntervalsarethefirstworkouts
toallowforarecoveryjogbetweenhardefforts.
CruiseIntervals(CI)=Repeatsatamedium-hardeffortwithrecoveryjogsbetween.
The Cruise Intervalworkoutwas popularized by the running coach, Jack Daniels.
They,liketheotherStaminaworkouts,aremeanttoincreaseyourlactatethreshold
pace. Cruise Intervals are a shorter and slightly more intense version of Tempo
Intervals. Like Tempo Intervals, they are followed by short recovery jogs. You'll
probably find that it'seasy toruntoo faston these.Thetendency is to treat them
likeregular long intervals.However,keep itundercontrolandworkonasmooth,
fastrhythm.Controlintrainingiskeytoimprovement.
Pace Change (PC) = Alternating repetitions at 5K-10K effort with recovery jogs
between.
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Pace Change workouts (often called Fartlek runs, fartlek means speed play in
Swedish)areafavoriteofminebecausetheyareeffort-basedandtakethepressure
offofhittingexactsplitsonthetrackoramarkedcourse. Insteadofanorganized
distance-basedworkouton the track (like10 times400meterswith a200meter
recovery jog), a pace change run is time-based (like 10 times 1 minute with 1
minute recovery jog) and runmoreby effort than a specific pace. When athletes
can’t (or don’twant to) run on a track ormarked course, they often perform the
workout as a pace change by converting the track workout with its distance
orientationtoapacechangeworkoutwithitstimeorientation.
Pacechangeworkoutsinvolverepetitionswithrecoveryjogsinbetween.Theeffort
for the repetitions is around 5K-10K race effortwith slower running as recovery
between.
LegSpeed(LS):Alternatingrepetitionsat<5Kspeedwithrecoveryjogsbetween.
You're probably familiar with "Strides" though you may call them windsprints,
pickups,stridersorstrideouts.They'renotunlikethefastaccelerationsthatyoudo
rightbeforea race. Strideswork to improveyour sprinting techniqueby teaching
thelegstoturnoverquickly.It'sreallytheneuromuscularsystemthatwe'retrying
todevelopherewhichiswhytheyareshortandwon’tcauseyourbreathetogetout
ofcontrol.Wedon'twantlacticacidtobuildupduringeachstride.Thisinhibitsthe
nervous systemand interfereswith theneuromuscular adaptations thatwewant.
Accordingly,aftereachstride,youmustjogeasilyforaminimumof30secondsand
uptoaminuteandahalftomakesurethemusclesarereadyforthenextone.Not
allowing for sufficient recovery after each stride is a common mistake. Take
advantageofthelongerrecovery.Itwillallowyoutoputmoreeffortintoeachstride
whichreallyhelpsdevelopyourspeed.
Notethatthisisnotall-outsprinting.Runfastbutalwaysstayundercontrol.These
arequickeffortswhereyoupracticegoodform.You'llbeamazedathowmuchyour
finishingkickimproveswiththeseworkouts.
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Cross-Train(XT):OtherfitnessbuildingactivitieslikeElliptiGO,cycling,swimming,
etc.Effortmatchesrunningeffort.
What is thebestcross-trainingactivity forrunners?Thatcomesdowntopersonal
preferencebutanyactivity thatbuildsyour fitness,whether thatbeyour training
fitness (like ElliptiGO running, swimming, cycling), your injury-proofing (like
resistancetraining,balancetraining,coreworkouts)oryourrecovery-enhancement
(likeyoga)isgreat.Findsomethingthatworksforyou.
The key in your marathon peaking phase is that you keep the intensity of these
activitiesvery low.Youwant toexercisebutyoualsowant to remember thatyou
aregraduallylesseningthetrainingstresssoyourbodywillcometoapeakonrace
day.
GoalMarathonPace(GMP):Yourgoalpaceforyourupcomingmarathon.
Thisworkoutneedsnointroductionasitissimplyrunningasrelaxedaspossibleat
yourgoalmarathonpace.
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“Ifyoucandreamit,youcandoit.”–WaltDisney
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Pre-RaceRules
Now that youarepeakedand ready for the race,herearemy rules touseas you
head to the race site andget settled in.These foolproof strategieswillmakeyour
pre-racemoreenjoyableandlessstressful.You’llhaveallyourbasescoveredandif
somethingcomesup,it’llbeeasytoaddressbecauseyou’vedonesuchagreatjobof
planningaheadforeverythingelse.
Rule#1:BeSelfish
Asawhole,runnerstendtonotbeselfish.Infact,themarathonhasbecomeoneof
thegreatestwayscharities raise funds.Marathonersare conscientiousandgiving.
Thepeakingphase,however,isatimewhenyouneedtobealittleselfish.Youhave
abigracecomingupsousethe fewdaysbeforetheraceasyourdays.Dowhat is
best forYOU. It’ll feelweirdbut trustme, youdeserve a fewdaysof self focus to
ensureyouperformyourbest.
Rule#2:Packyourracegearinyourcarry-onbaggage.
Youcanalwaysbuynewcasualclothesbutyoudon’twanttohavetobuynewshoes
andraceclothesfortherace.Layallyourgearoutonthebed(Ioncehearditcalled
“Dressingtheinvisibleman”)andmakesureyoupackeverythingyouneedinyour
carry-on bag. Don’t forget Band-Aids, chafing prevention, nutrition, etc. And
remember, new TSA security requirements can sometimes limit gels, rehab tools
likeTheStickand foamrollers incarry-onbaggage,soyoumayhave toput those
itemsinyourcheckedbaggageorbuythemattheracesite.
Rule#3:Carryfoodwithyouatalltimes.
Inthepeakingphase,youneverwanttogethungry(especiallythelast3daysbefore
therace).Again,don’tovereatbut justbepreparedincaseameetinggoes longor
you’relateforameal.Alwayshaveanutritioussnackavailable.Inadditiontoyour
racegear,packsomegoodfood inyourcarry-onbag.Youmaywantsomethingto
eat on theplane/train/car. The finalweekbefore the race is also a goodweek to
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have fluids with you at all times as well. Don’t over drink but just be prepared.
Varietyinbeveragesisgoodaswell-water,sportsdrinks,juices,etc.
Rule#4:Bookyourpre-racedinnerBEFOREleavinghome.
Youwillnotbealoneinwantingaprovenpre-racemealthenightbeforetherace.
Planaheadbymakingareservationbeforeyouevenleavehome.Theconciergeat
yourhotelcanrecommendrestaurantsnearyourhoteloryoucandosomeresearch
onlinetocheckmenus,etc.Nothingisworsethanarrivingattheracesiteandallof
thedesiredrestaurantsarebookedsodon’tleaveyourmealtochance.
Findarelaxingplaceandenjoyanice,quietdinner.Iusuallytrytoeatclosetomy
hotelsoIcantakealeisurely10-15minutewalkafterdinner.Don’teattooearlyor
too late.And,ofcourse,don’t tryameal thatyouhaven’talreadytried intraining.
Nothing isworse thananupsetstomach thenightbeforeandcertainlyduring the
marathon!
Side note on Carbo-loading: You’ve probably heard that you need to “carbo-load”
before yourmarathon. The reason is that your body stores carbohydrate in your
muscles (ina formcalledglycogen). Theseglycogenstoresare limited,however,
andwhen the stores begin to run low, yourpacemust slow. The training you’ve
beendoinghelps increase theamountofglycogenstored inyourmusclesbutyou
canalsoincreaseyourstoresbyeatingmorecarbohydratesinyourmeals,especially
inthelast3daysbeforealongracelikeamarathon.
I’ma fanofadjustingtheproportionofcaloriescomingfromcarbohydrates inthe
last2-3daysbeforeyourracebutcautionrunners tonotgooverboard.Youdon’t
eatmore.Letmesaythisagain,youdon’teatmorecaloriesbutyousimplyincludea
bitmorecarbohydratesinyourmealsthanyoumightotherwise. Remember,your
training volume has reduced so your stores are already less compromised than
usual and I’ve found just a slight increase in carbohydrate intakeworkswell (i.e.,
youdon’tneedtopigoutonthecarbodinnerthenightbefore;justbereasonable.).
Mostimportantly,eatwhathasworkedforyouintrainingandyou’llbefine.
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Rule#5:The first thingyoushoulddoafter settling intoyourhotel is finda
grocerystore.
Ask the front desk for the nearest one or call/research ahead to expedite the
process.Go immediately to thegrocerystoreandstockup.Buy the foodsyou like
and you know will prepare you for successful running. I buy bananas, trail mix,
water, sportsdrink,yogurt, instantoatmeal (thoughusuallybrought fromhome),
boiledeggs, smokedsalmon,avocados,bagelsandspread,peanutbutterand jelly,
energybars, etc.Again, youneverwant toget thirstyorhungryprior to the race.
Beingstockedwillhelpavoidthis.Don’tjusteatoutofnervousness(anotherno-no)
buthavefoodavailableifyouneedasnack.ItypicallyoverbuybutI’dratherhave
whatIwantavailablethantowantsomethingandnothaveit.
Rule#6:Enjoytheexpobutdon’tspendalldaythere.
You’lllikelyneedtovisittheexpotopickupyourracenumber,chip,etc.Enjoyitbut
don’tbecomeanexpoadventurer.It’stoomuchtimeonyourfeet.Browsethrough
it, pick up what you need and get out. The expo is where many runners get
dehydrated and hungry, so carry fluids and fuel with you to keep this from
happening.Again,theexpoispartofthemarathonritualsoyoushouldenjoyitbut
ifotherrunnersthinkyouareworkingabooth,you’vebeentheretoolong!
Rule7:Re-LiveAwesome
Rememberabovewhereyouwrotedownyourbestrunsfromthelast fewweeks?
It’stimetopulloutyourmemoirsofawesomeness.Onceperdayforthelastthree
days,spendsometimereadingaboutyourmostsuccessfulworkouts.Live inyour
ownawesomeness. I guarantee that you’ll be inundatedwithdoubt andnegative
thoughtsduringthelastfewdaysbeforetherace.It’sperfectlynatural.Reminding
yourselfofyourcapabilitiescanhelpreducethenegativeandput thespotlighton
thepositive.
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McMillan’sMarathonDailyToDoList
14 Reviewflightandhotelreservations.
13 Locateentryconfirmationandputinsafespotwhereyouwillrememberitonyourtraveltorace.
12 Makeyourinitialpackinglistandbuysuppliesyouwillneed.Lube,Band-Aids,nutritionproducts,geararecommonpurchases.
11 Researchandmakepre-racedinnerreservations.
10 Begintowatchtheweatherforecastandadjustpackinglistaccordingly.Bettertooverpackandnotneedsomethingthantonothaveit.
9 Makealistofyourmostawesomerunsyoudidduringthemarathontraining.Remindyourselfofhowwellyoucanrunandhowmentallystrongyouare.
8 Reviewstartingcorralschematics,coursemapandelevationchart.WatchYouTubevideosofracetobegintovisualizetherace.
7 Finalizeshoesandgearselection.
6 Finalizenutritionplan–2-3daysbeforerace,daybeforerace,morningofrace,duringrace,postrace.
5 Re-readyourlistofawesomeworkouts.
4 Checkweatherforecast.
3 Spreadoutallyourgearandpacksystematically.Startwithskin(lube,Band-Aids)andmoveoutward.Packracegear/nutritionfirstthenwarm-upgearthenpost-racegearthencasualclothing.
2 Thinkabouthowgratefulyouaretoberunning.Tobeabletorace.Othersarenotsolucky.
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1 Pickupbibnumber,visitexpo(notcampingout),carveouttimeforrelaxing,adddiversion(movieisgood)ifthinkingtoomuchaboutrace.
0 RaceDay!Smile&enjoy
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“Riseandshineit’srunningtime!”–VinceO’Boyle
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RaceDay!
Marathonmorningwillbeexcitingbutyouneedtoplanyourmorningaheadoftime
soyoucanjustfollowtheroutineandnotstressaboutanything.You’llbekeyedup
but you shouldn’t need to panic aboutwhat to dowhen. Plan yourwakeup time
(thoughInormallysleeppoorlythenightbeforethemarathonandwakeupseveral
timesworrying that I’m going to oversleep!) to allow for yourmorning breakfast
anddigestion.Yourmarathon-specific longrunshaveprovidedampleopportunity
tofigureoutyourpre-runroutinesojustfollowit.Itworks.
Breakfast:
Have your proven breakfast, get your bowels empty, get dressed and get to the
startingline.Planthisentireroutineoutfortiming.Countbackwardfromtherace
startanddocumenteachminuteupuntilracetime.Havebreakfastonhandorknow
where you are going to get it. Stay relaxed. Use your hotel bathroom asmuch as
possible because the portajohns always have a line. (Sample pre-race breakfast
plansareintheFrequentlyAskedQuestionssectionattheendofthisbook.)
GettingDressed:
Haveyourgearlaidoutthenightbefore(includingracebib/chip)soyoucanjustgo
throughthemotionsgettingdressedandready.Startwithyourskinandgetdressed
progressivelyoutward(anddon’tforgetyourracenumber).
LUBE!Themostcommonpre-raceerrorisforgettingtoprotectsensitiveareas.Iuse
smallcircularBand-Aidstoprotectmynipplesandlubeupunderarms,innerthighs
andanyotherareawhereIchaffedduringtrainingruns.
ElevatorMadness:
Youwon’tbetheonlyrunnerdepartingforthestartlinesoplanaheadforveryslow
elevatorservice.I’drathergettothelobbyearlyandhangoutthere(bathroomsare
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usuallyavailable) than tostressoverdelayedor fullelevators. So,giveyourselfa
fewextraminutesonracemorning.
Alwaysprepared:
Keepfluidsandeasilydigestiblefoodscloseathandupuntilthestart.Rememberat
some marathons, you’ll have to head out to the starting line several hours in
advancesoplanaheadforfuel,fluids,warmclothes,evenablanketorcampingbed
rollforrelaxing.
Ialwayshavesomeportable,easilydigestiblefoodwithmeupuntilrightbeforethe
race.IfIeverfeelthatbreakfastis‘wearingoff’,Icanhaveafewbites.Ialsokeepa
fluidbottleinhandallthewayupthestart. IfI’mnotcarryingmyfluids(thoughI
highlyrecommendyoucarryyourownfluids)thenIchuckitwithinaminuteortwo
before the race. I don’t constantlydrinkbut just have it in case I feel theneed to
drinksomethingorwetmymouth.
Liningup:
Lining up for the race can be stressful so plan ahead. Know where your
corral/pacing area is and how to get to it. (You may want to scout this the day
beforetheraceifthestartiscloseby.)Don’tthinkyoucanarrive10minutesbefore
theraceandstepontheline.Planaheadandyou’llbefeelinggreatbecauseyougot
intoyourspotingoodtimeandhaveyournutritionalandfluidneedsmet.
Monitor theweather for raceweek soyouwill knowhow todress. I alwayshave
some‘throwaway’gearonhandincaseit’scold.Youshouldhaveahat,glovesand
t-shirtthatcanbepeeledoffandtossedasideifnotneededortotossafterwarming
up during the race. Youmaywant to have an old t-shirt available to wearwhile
waiting in your corral. Most races donate discarded gear to shelters. Again, the
betterplanningyoudoforracemorning,thelessstressfulitwillbe.
MarathonWarm-up:
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Warmingupforamarathonisquitedifferentthana5Kor10K.Forthemarathon,
youactuallydon’twanttobetoowarmedupbeforethestart.Ifyouare,you’remore
likelytostarttoofast.So,Irecommendthatyoujustjogeasilyfor5-10minutesand
letthefirstfewmilesofthemarathonbecomeyourwarmup.You’ll,ofcourse,have
tomodifythisbasedonhowcrowdedthestartinglineis.
Ifyouareinasmallerrace,thenyoucandoashortjogthenlineupjustbeforethe
gungoesoff.At largerraces,yourwarmupwillbemoreof jogging inplace inthe
corral and the walk/jog as your corral advances to the starting line. Either way,
don’tworryabouttheextentofyourwarmup.Justusethefirst2-3milestogetinto
thegroove.You’llquicklysettleintomarathonpaceandyourfirst2-3milesplitswill
helpyoudialinyourpace.Butagain,don’tworryifyouareafewsecondsslowon
thefirstfewmiles.You’lleasilymakethisuplaterintherace.
ProperPacing(EvenorNegativeSplit):
Speaking of pacing, most runners onmost courses run best when they run even
splits (the first half-marathon and the second half-marathon are run in the same
time)orslightlynegativesplits(firsthalf-marathonslightlyslowerthanthesecond
half-marathon).Iliketostartoutalittleslowerthangoalpaceforthefirstfewmiles
towarmupbutthensettleintogoalpace.
AslongasIhitthehalf-marathonatorpreferablyupto2.5%slowerthanevenpace,
Irunwell.IfI’mfasterthangoalpaceatthehalf-marathon,Itypicallystrugglelatein
therace.So, letmerestate:Youshouldshoot forbeingeventoupto2.5%slower
thanevenpace.Thechartbelowshowstherangeforvariousgoalmarathontimes.
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McMillanMarathonRaceSplitRangeChart
GoalFinishTime
IdealFirstHalf-MarathonSplitRange
2:00:00 1:00:00 to 1:01:30
2:15:00 1:07:30 to 1:09:11
2:30:00 1:15:00 to 1:16:52
2:45:00 1:22:30 to 1:24:34
3:00:00 1:30:00 to 1:32:15
3:15:00 1:37:30 to 1:39:56
3:30:00 1:45:00 to 1:47:37
3:45:00 1:52:30 to 1:55:19
4:00:00 2:00:00 to 2:03:00
4:15:00 2:07:30 to 2:10:41
4:30:00 2:15:00 to 2:18:22
4:45:00 2:22:30 to 2:26:04
5:00:00 2:30:00 to 2:33:45
5:15:00 2:37:30 to 2:41:26
5:30:00 2:45:00 to 2:49:07
5:45:00 2:52:30 to 2:56:49
6:00:00 3:00:00 to 3:04:30
©McMillanRunning,LLCAllrightsreserved.www.mcmillanrunning.com
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Ofcourse,wearenotrobotssoyoumaynothitthesetimeperfectly,butthischart
givesyouanideaofhowmuchsloweryoucanbeinthefirsthalf-marathonandstill
be on track for your goal time. Many runners can be even more negative (even
slower in first half-marathon) but I find this chart to work for most runners,
includingmyself.
Alwaysthinkaboutrunningasefficientlyandrelaxedaspossibleanddon’tletyour
mindthinkaboutreallyracinguntil22milesinthemarathon.Remember,whatyou
are doing is not something new to you. You’ve done this time and time again in
training.Theraceissimplyafunlongrunwithabunchofotherfolksalongaroute
withcrowdscheeringforyou.Don’toverthinkthings.Justletyourbodydowhatit’s
trainedtodo.(Getoutofyourownway!)
Relaxinthebeginningandgetreadytorunfastlikeinyourfastfinishlongruns.Run
strong from22miles in themarathonto the finish just likeyouhavemimicked in
practice.Therewillbeplentyofpacinggroupssoyoushouldbeabletofindothers
whoarerunningyourpace.Formsomefriendshipsandworktogether.
RaceFueling:
Therewillbeplentyoffluidsonthecourse.You’vehadplentyoftimetoworkout
yournutrition/hydrationstrategyfortherace.Duringtherace,simplyimplementit.
I’m a big fan of carrying your own fluids for the race. That’s what I do and
recommend.
Hydration packs are so goodnow and getting in your preferred nutrition at your
ownintervals issoimportantthatIsayskipthefluidstationsandcarryyourown
fluids.
Ifyoudon’tcarry,thenatfluidstations,trytograbacupasyouentertheaidstation
andanotherasyouexitit.Thisway,yougettwoopportunitiesforfluidssincemost
of the drink gets spilled anyway. Take your time in the aid stations and get your
fluids.Think“SipandCarry”not“GrabandGulp”.Withthepapercups,squeezethe
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rimtoavoidspillingandforeasierdrinkingthroughthe“spout”formed.
Monitoryourhydrationasyougo. Ifyoustarttofeel fullor ‘sloshy’,skipastation
andgetthenextone.Noproblem.Youknowyourschedulesojustdowhat’sbeen
workingforyou.Inallofthis,youneverwanttotrysomethingnew.Justdowhat’s
worked for you. It’s notmagic. It’s just doingwhat you have been trained to do,
whichiswhyIlikecarryingmyownfluids.
Bringin’it:
Atsomepointinthemarathon(hopefullylaterratherthansooner),youaregoingto
havetocalluponyourinnerSuperman/Superwoman.Nomatterhowwelltherace
isgoing,youwillgettired,your legswillhurtandyourbrainwillbescreamingat
youtoslowdown,tobackoff, tostopthismadness.This isperfectlynormal,even
forthepros,whenyouaretryingtodosomethingspeciallikethemarathon.
Runners err when they hope this doesn’t occur, when they hope they will feel
amazingonraceday.Thebottom line is that it’sgonnabe toughout there.That’s
whatyousignedup forandwhatall the trainingyou’vedonehasbeenabout. So
insteadofhopingitdoesn’thurt,planforittoo.Wishforittobeachallenge.Askfor
it.Don’tbesurprisedwhenithappens.Beprepared.Youhavemorestrengthinyou
thanyoueverknewbeforeandyou’llneedtobementallyreadytocalluponallyour
strengthforthelastfewmiles.Getmentallyreadyforthatbattle.
Smile:
Even though I just scared the heck out of you talking about the need for super
powers,thelastandmostimportantthingtorememberaboutrunningamarathon
istohaveFUN!Iassumethatyourunprimarilybecauseit’sfun.Theracemustbeas
well.Don’tstressaboutitorgettoocaughtupinit.Justgotheretohavefun.Smile
throughthepainasthisiswhatwillgiveyouthemostsatisfactionwhenyoucross
thefinishline.
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“Yourbodywillarguethatthereisnojustifiablereasontocontinue.Youronlyrecourseistocallonyourspirit,whichfortunatelyfunctionsindependentlyoflogic.”–TimNoakes
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PostRace–Let’sCelebrate!
You’llwanttocelebrateaftertheracesohereareafewtipstomakeyourpost-race
funmorefun.
1)Runnersalwaysthinkaboutwhattheyaregoingtoweartothestartinglinebut
rarely what they are going to wear when they finish. Far too often, I’ve seen
finishersfreezingcoldastheywalkbacktotheirhotels.Ifthereisabagdropatthe
start (where the racewill bring yourbag to the finish line), remember to include
somewarm,dryclothesforaftertherace.Ifthereisnobagdropbutfriends/family
willgreetyouaftertherace,givethemsomewarmclothestobringtoyou.Believe
me,you’llbesogladyoupreparedyourpost-raceclothing.Evenonwarmmarathon
days,you’llbesurprisedathowcoldyougetonceyoustoprunning.
2)Whileyoumaywanttohitthebarforacelebratorydrink,Irecommendyourfirst
drinks be your recovery drinks. Before leaving for the race start, place two
smoothies,shakesorotherrecoverydrinks inthehotel fridgeor icebucket.When
yougetbacktoyourroomaftertherace,downasmuchofitasyoucan.Sometimes
your stomach isn’t ready for ameal but these post-race drinks go a longway to
helping you recover and be ready for your celebratory drinks. As you unwind,
shower and rest, continue to drink as much sports drink as your stomach will
toleratetohelprehydrateyourself.Aswithtraining,yoururinefrequencyandcolor
willletyouknowwhenyou’rerehydrated.
3)Alsobefore youhead to the starting line, fill yourhotel roombathtubupwith
coldwater.Hangthesignonyourdoortonotcleanyourroom(becausetheymay
drainthewater).Then,whenyouarebackatyourroomaftertherace,headtothe
icemachineandfillabucketorplasticbagupwithice(maytakeafewtrips).Getin
thetubandaddtheice.Sitandrelaxfor15-20minutesintheicebath(perfecttime
todrinkyourrecoverydrink)andreflectonyourrace.Thisquickicebathcanreally
helpwithpost-racerecovery.You’llbestiff fromthebathwhenyoustandup(you
mightneedsomehelpstandingup)butthensimplydrainthebath,turnonthehot
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waterandtakeanicehotshower.I’malwaysamazedathowfreshIfeelafterthisice
bath/hotshowercombopost-marathon.
4)Youneedtogetsomeproperfoodinyousoeitherheadtoarestaurantvery,very
closebyororderroomservice(myusualoption).I’musuallynotinterestedinabig
mealpost-marathonso Ipicksomething thatwillbesatisfyingandeasy todigest.
Relaxasyoueatandkeeprehydrating.
5)Nowthatyouarerefueled,movingtowardrecoverywiththeicebath/hotshower
and cleaned up, REST.I know the inclination is to go celebrate but trustme, rest
now and you’ll enjoy your celebration more. I recommend resting for 2-4 hours
post-racejusttomakesureyougetrefueledandrehydratedproperly.Yougiveyour
musclestimetorelaxandrecover.Youmaynotbeabletonap(thoughifyoucan,
evenbetter!)butIrecommendyoutakesometimetojustchilloutandletthebody
andmindrecover.You justranamarathonsorespect thatyourbodyneedssome
downtimebeforepartytime.
6)Nowthatyou’vedone#1-5,it’stimetogocelebrate.Ifindthatifyougiveyour
bodyafewhourstorecoverfromrunning26.2miles,youcanthenreallyenjoyyour
accomplishmentwith a goodmeal and fun timewith friends, fellow runners and
family. And,doingsome lightwalkingaroundon theeveningof the race furthers
yourrecoveryandthisgentlebloodflowhelpsthemusclesrecover.
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CoachGreg’sPre-RacePepTalk
Stopreading.Beforeyoureadthissection,Ineedyoutobeinaquietspacewithno
distractions.Ineedyoutobeinacalmmoodwithnothingpressingonyourmind.
Okay.Ready?
Here ismy super secret sauce: The performance youwant is already inside you.
That’s right.Youcanalreadyachieveyourgoal. It ispossible.You’veproven it in
trainingandevenifyoudidn’thavethemostidealtrainingleadinginthemarathon,
youcanstillrunvery,verywell.I’veseenitoverandoverandover.
The key is to just get out of your own way. You are the one putting limits on
yourself. Everyone else thinks you are amazing for doing this marathon thing
anywaysowhynotyou? Timetobemorekindtoyourselfandbecomeyourown
cheerleaderinthelastcoupleofweeksbeforetherace.
It’s important to realize that youwill be the one controlling the dialogue in your
headthroughouttheracesolet’sstartscriptingapositiveresult.Timetofindyour
mantra tousewhen timesget tough to remindyou thatyouaremore than tough
enoughtohandlethechallenge.Mineisalways,“Ifit’stobe,it’suptome!”WhenI
say this, I simplyputmyheaddownandget the jobdone realizingnooneelse is
goingtodoitforme.
Willyougettired?Youbet!Yourlegswillache.Yourmindwillgetfuzzyandyou’ll
justwantthethingtobeover.But,youmustfight.Youmustkeepgoingjustlikeyou
didintrainingruns.Justgettothenextmilemarkerandthenthenextandsoon.I
guaranteeyouthatifyoucanjustkeepinggoingthefinishlinewillsurrender.Itwill
acknowledge your bravery and toughness and appear before your eyes. And, the
moreyoucanbeengagedwhileinthelattermilesofthemarathon,thesoonerthe
finishwillcome.
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Assoonasyoustarthavingapityparty(andI’vehadmyfairshare),youwill lose
time.Myadviceistoacceptthatyouarehurting;knowthateveryoneelseishurting
tooandstopwhiningabout it. Iknow.Thatseemsharshbutyou’regonnahaveto
digdeep late in theraceand ifyou’ve learnednothingelse throughthismarathon
training thing it is that you can dig deep, that there is a strength in you that you
never knew existed. Remember that run you gutted out and learned something
aboutyourself.Thattoughnessisstillinyouandprobablyeventoagreaterextent
thanbefore.
Asfatiguesetsin,digdeep.Youhaveitinyouandthemoredeterminedyouarein
thelast10Kofthemarathon,thebetteryourfinishtimewillbeandthemoreproud
youwillbeofyourself–notjustatthefinishlinebutforweekstocome.
Imagine looking back at themarathon you are about to run and saying, “Wow! I
reallydidagreat job. I’msoproudofmyself.” Soundsgood,doesn’t it?Well, then
let’scommitrighthererightnowthatnomatterwhathappensinthemarathon,the
weatherstinks,yougetablisteroryou feel likeamillionbucks, youaregoingto
give the absolute best that you have to offer through every part of the race; the
beginning (holdingback and running smart), themiddle (dialing in goalpace and
continuing to fuel correctly) and especially the end (where you’ll call upon your
superman/superwomanpowers).Agreed?Good.Let’s(virtually)shakeonit.
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PostScript:
Here’swhyI’msoconfidentthateveryrunnerhasthegoalperformanceinside:
When runners run well, achieving their goal, setting a new PR, qualifying for
Boston,toarunner,theystillsaytheycouldhavedonefourorfivethingsbetterto
runevenfaster.Thisshowsthatevenwithouteverystarinthegalaxyliningup,you
canhityourgoal.Othersdoitallthetime.Itjusttakesdetermination.
In fact, just go to a marathon finish line. You will see example after example of
ordinarypeopledoingextraordinarythings.That’swhyIbelieveinyou.That’swhy
I’mtellingyouthatyougotthis.
And for a last bit of inspiration, please watch this video of Dick and Ricky Hoyt.
Extraordinaryisallaroundusandinsideyouaswell.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Adubrj3yya8
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“Neverunderestimatethepowerofdreamsandtheinfluenceofthehumanspirit.Weareallthesameinthisnotion:Thepotentialforgreatnesslieswithinallofus.”–WilmaRudolph
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TheHighFive&FistBump
Ithankyouforreadingthisbookandforsharingyourrunningwithme.
We may not know each other personally but we are connected through the
marathonexperienceandasImentionedinthebeginning,youhaveanotherperson
in your corner as you embark upon the 26.2 mile journey to greatness. I’ll be
cheeringforyou.
IwishyouthebestandwillleaveyouwithaquoteIlearnedinhighschool,which
hadaprofoundeffectonmyrunningperformances.
“Tobelieveinyourselfandinwhatyoucandoistotakethefirststepontheroadtosuccess.”
Letmeknowhowitgoes:[email protected]
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FrequentlyAskedQuestionsofMcMillanCoaches
Q:“ShouldIrunevensplits,negativesplitsorpositivesplitsformymarathon?"
A: Generally, even splits or aslight negative split is best. There is a common
misconceptionthatyoumust“bank”timebyrunningthefirsthalfdrasticallyfaster
(positivesplit)becauseofasupposedinevitableslowdowninthesecondhalf.Ifyou
are trainedproperly, then it ispossible to runevensplitsorevenanegative split
duringamarathon.Weadvisebeingevenorupto2.5%slowerthefirsthalfofthe
marathonthanthesecondhalf.
Q:“WhatshouldIeatthemorningoftheraceandwhen?”
A:Thebestanswertothisdependsonwhatyourstomachtoleratesbestandwhat
types of those foodswill provide optimal fuel for race day. Foods that are easily
digestibleareideal.Examplesincludebananas,bagelsandoatmeal.Stayawayfrom
processedsugarandtoomuchcaffeineandtea,whichtendtocausestomachissues.
Be sure to eat your lastmeal pre-marathon at least 2-4 hours before the race in
ordertogiveyourbodytimetoabsorbthenutrientsandmovethefoodoutofthe
stomach. Between that meal and the race, you can snack lightly to keep your
stomach from becoming hungry. Don’t forget to hydrate well with water and
electrolytes.Again, this is somethingyoushouldworkout inpractice to findyour
perfectpre-marathonmeal.Don’texperimentwithanythingnewonraceday.
Here are some real-world answers fromMcMillanRunning.com coaches. Note the
varietyinanswerswhichshowsthatthereisnooneuniversalpre-racemeal:
AndrewMiddleton–SeniorMcMillanRunningCoach:
3hoursbeforerace:RiceCrispieswithAlmondMilk,Powerbar,Smallcupofcoffee
andWater/Accelerade
75minutesbeforerace:SiponAcceleradeandWater;Banana
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30minutesbeforerace:EnergyGelandWater
IanTorrence–veteranofover20marathons(andover180ultramarathons):
2hoursbeforerace:ChaitealattewithricemilkandaClifBar
AndrewLemoncello-Olympianand2:13marathoner:
4hoursbeforerace:Oatmeal,banana,toastandhoney,coffee,water
KatieMcGee–Three-TimeOlympicMarathonTrialsQualifier:
2hoursbeforerace:CliforPowerbarandcoffee.
WaterandGatoradetillracetime.
BenRosario–Two-timeOlympicTrialsQualifierand2:18Marathoner:
4hoursbeforerace:bigheartybagelwithatouchofpeanutbutter
Waterandasportsdrinkthroughoutmorning
2hoursbeforerace:energybar
EmilyHarrison–2:32Marathoner,US50KChampion:
2-3hoursbeforerace:2piecesofgluten-freetoastwithjamoroatmealwithpeanutbutter
Q:“Mylasttrainingweekinthepeakingplanincludesahardrunningsession. Do
youthinkthisistoomuchtooclosetomyrace?"
A:Manyrunnersthinkthat thePeakPhaseequatestoa fullrestphase.While it is
importanttobackoffoftrainingtoallowforthestorageofextraenergy,youdon’t
wanttocauseyour legstobecomeheavy.Thiscanoccur ifyouonlyperformeasy
runningornorunningatall.Theworkoutswelistinthefinalweekoftrainingare
meant tohelpsharpenyour fitness. Ifdoneproperly,youshouldcomeaway from
thisworkoutfeelingrefreshedandexcitedabouttherace.
Q:“Iboughtnewshoesthisweekformymarathon.CanIusethemintherace?”
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A:Youneverwanttogointoaracewithanunknownaboutyourgear.Ifyouhave
notwornthispairofshoes fora longrunorworkout,youwillnotknowwhether
yourfeettolerateitwell.Thechanceforblisters,sorenessandhotspotsisincreased
whenyouraceinshoesthatyouhavenotwornbeforeintraining.Gowiththeshoes
thatyouknowhaveservedyouwellintrainingandtherewillbelessofachancefor
asurpriseonraceday.
Despitethis,IwillsaythatwehadacamperatoneofourRunningGetawaysandhe
said he always bought a new pair of shoes at the expo before every one of his
marathons. We were shocked but it was just something he liked to do. While I
wouldn’tadvisethis,Iwillconcedethattoday’sshoesdon’trequiresasmuchbreak
intimeaspreviousmodels,soaslongasyouhavearunortwointhemandtheyfeel
comfortable,youshouldbegood.
Q:WhatshouldIeat/drinkduringtherace?
A:That’sthe64milliondollarquestionisn’tit?!Whatweknowisthatforvirtually
allrunners,consumingcarbohydrates,electrolytesandwateralongthecourseleads
tofastertimes.Thetrick,ofcourse,isfiguringoutwhatamounttodrink,thetypeof
fuelandhowfrequentlytoingestit,butthat’swhattrainingisfor.Usetrainingruns,
particularlymarathon-preparationlongrunstoexperimentandseewhatworksfor
you.
Whilethereareexceptions,agoodgeneralruleofthumbthatI learnedfromultra
runninglegendIanTorrenceistoworktoward150-350caloriesofcarbohydrate
per hour of racing.Thatequates to30-60 grams per hour – theamount in two
energygelsor~24ouncesofsportsdrink.Speakingoffluids,runnersshouldget24-
32ouncesoffluidperhourcontaining400-800milligramsofsodium.
All of your fuel and fluid can come from a drink but many runners use a
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combinationofdrinksaswellasmoreconcentratedformsofcarbohydrateslikethe
popularenergygel. Becausetaste, textureanddigestibilityareallvery individual,
youmustexperimentintrainingtofindtheproductsandtimingthatworksforyou.
Mostrunnersdon’t fuelenough,whichcontributestotheslowdownat theendof
the race. Avoid this by dialing in your plan and then executing it. (And I’ll again
suggestthatyoucarryyourownfluidssoyoucangetfueledonyourschedule.)
Q:“I’mreallyworriedthatIwillnothitmygoal,isthereanythingIcandothisweek
tobettermychances?”
A:Everyrunnerhasamomentofself-doubtbeforearaceatsomepointinhisorher
running career. But, these thoughts should be tempered by the results of your
trainingcycle.Takeamomentandlookbackatallthetrainingyou’vecompletedup
to thispoint.Eachandeveryworkout listed inyourplan is tailoredtowardgiving
you thebest chance at reaching your goal. Be confident in your fitness andknow
thatyouhavedonewhatittakestorunyourbest,whatevertimethatmaybe.You
should practice this same confident approach during the race, stay positive, be
excitedabouttheopportunitytorace,andtellyourselftogiveyourbesteffort.
Q:“ShouldIbackoffonmystrengthtraining?”
A:Yes.Asyou’vedonewithyourruntraining,youwanttocutbackonthesetsand
peakyourstrengthtrainingatthesametimeyoupeakyourrunning. Thisdoesn’t
meanyouhave to remove it completely if you feel it’s a keypartof your running
performancebutjusttaperitdownslightlyasracedayapproaches.
If you're accustomed to more dynamic strength training like plyometrics, you
shouldfocusonyourplyometricsoverthelasttwoweeksandcutbackontheheavy
strengthwork.
Q:“AmItaperingtoomuch/little?”
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A:You’veprobablypracticedminitapersduringthetrainingwithtuneupracesso
youknowalittlereductionintrainingworks.What’sinterestingisthatyourmind
willbeplayingtricksonyouatthispointbecauseit’ssousedtogettingtheregular
endorphinrushfromthehardworkoutsthatyou’vescaledbackon.TrustthePeak!
Q:“WhydoIfeelsocrummy?”
A: It isnotuncommontofeela littlecrummyonafewrunsinthepeakingphase.
Some of this is the reduction in training volume as your body begins to rest and
someofitispsychologicalasyoubecomehypersensitivetohowyoufeel.Youmust
changeyourthinking.Realizethatthisisnormalandthatyourmusclesarehealing
and getting stronger with the reduced workload so that they will be in peak
conditiononraceday.ThisiscalledSupercompensation.Itmeansthatbypeakingin
thewaywe’re describing, your body actually builds to a higher fitness level than
before.Younotonlygetfitterbutyougetsuperfit.
Q:Anyadvicefortheportajohnlines?
A:Iwasonabuswithmyfriendwhowasrunninghisfirstlongrace.Itwasn’tquite
amarathonbutitdidclimbupandover13,000footpass.Wewerebeingbusedto
the start,which tookaboutanhour.Asweentered the townwhere the startwas
held,Ileanedoverandsaid,“I’mgoingtotellyoualittlesecret.”“Asyouapproach
thestartingareaofarace,youneedtohaveabathroomeagleeyebecauseassoon
asthisbusunloads,everyoneisgoingtobedashingtotheportajohns. And, there
arealreadyseveralhundredmorerunnerswhoaretryingtodothesamething.
My secret is that as I approach the starting area, I look for coffee shops and
constructionsites,preferablyjustoutofsightofthestartingline.OnceIgetoffthe
bus, I head straight to the coffee shop or construction site because they typically
haveabathroom(orportajohn)andtherewon’tbealine.Worksnearlyeverytime,”
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Itoldhim.Sureenough,asthebuspulledintothestartingtown,Ispottedahouse
that was being remodeled 4-5 blocks from the starting corral area. I knew there
wouldbeaportajohnat thesite(theyareusuallyrequiredby lawatconstruction
sites) and simply got off the bus and headed straight there. No hassle. No stress.
Q:Ican’tsleepwellbeforekeyracessoI’mworriedIwon’tgetgoodsleepthenight
beforethemarathon.Thoughts?
A:Most runners, evenwily veterans, have trouble sleeping. I,myself, never sleep
well andwake up every hour or twoworried that I’m going tomissmy alarm. It
stinksbecauseyou’dpreferbettersleepbutthebottomlineisthatonenightofpoor
sleepwon’thurtyourperformance(andthere’sevensomethatsuggestthisrestless
nightkeepsyourbodymore“on”andreadyforabigperformanceonracemorning).
So, worry less about the night before but make sure the night before the night
beforeisgood.
Q:WhatifIoversleepandmisstherace?
A: Itwon’t happen. You’ll be too nervous and probablywon’t sleepwell anyway.
But,ifyou’relikeme,youwantsomesecuritysomyadviceistosetmultiplealarms.
IsettwoalarmsonmyphoneandifI’mreallyworried,Ievensetthehotelrooms
alarmclock.Onefinaloptionforthosestayinginhotelsistoscheduleawakeupcall
with the hotel. So, youwon’t oversleep.Not onlywill you be toowired but you’ll
haveplentyofbackup.
Q:Iheardyouliketopacktrashbagsformarathonmorning.What’sthatabout?
A:Oneof the easiest andmoreversatile itemsyou canpack inyour racebag is a
trashbag(ortwo).First,ifthegroundisdampormuddy,youcansitorlayonthe
trashbagtorestbeforetherace.Youcanuseitwhilechangingclothesortowrap
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overyourshoestokeepthemfromgettingwet/muddybeforetherace. Second, if
yougetcoldor it rainsbeforea race,youcan just tearaneckholeand(optional)
armholesandwearitasaponcho.Oncetheracestartsandyounolongerneedit,
youcan toss it in the trashandnotworryabout throwingawaysomenicer likea
ponchoorrainjacket.
I coached a charity marathon group for the Honolulu Marathon one year. Race
morningwasmetwithasteadydownpour.Ourgrouphadtowalkahalf-mileorso
to get to the starting area (and then stand there till race time). I noticed that the
hotel had some taller trash cans so I simply asked the hotel custodian if I could
borrowafewtrashbags. HeobligedandIwasabouttooutfitourcrewwithknee
lengthtrashbagponchos.And,ifyoucanfindonesthatareaslongasyouarethen
youcanalsolessentherainonyourfeet.
Thelast(andattimesthemostimportant)useforthetrashbagisasyourpersonal
portajohn.Whileit’spreferabletouseapropertoilet(andwecanagreethatthere
aremany,many important reasons todo so), there are timeswhenyou just can’t
wait. Mostmen just find a bushor treewhereas ladies have to bemorediscrete
when urinating. If, however, you have a longish trash bag, you can find an
appropriate place and squat down to make your own trash bag tent/portajohn.
(And,I’mtalkinggoing#1herepeople.#2requiresapropertoilet/portajohn.)
Q:Theraceoffersmassagebeforetherace.ShouldIgetone?
A:Yourbodyisawell-tunedmachinebymarathonweekendsomyadviceistoavoid
anynewbodywork.Don’tgetamassagefromsomeonewhohasn’tworkedwithyou
before. Don’t test out every new therapy being promoted at the expo. Don’t do
anythingthatcanupsetyourpeakedcondition.
And, ifyouhaveanagging injury,youneedtobeverycareful.Ontheonehand, it
wouldbewonderful to findamiraclecurebutweknowthat’svery,veryunlikely.
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And,gettingtoomuchworkdone(eitherbysomeoneelseorevenyourself)isasure
waytokeepthe injuryfiredup. Besmartanddoas littleaspossibletotakeyour
bodyoutofit’speakedstate.
Ioncecoachedarunnerwhowasingreatshapeforhisrace.Hishotelhadanicehot
tubsohethoughtasoakwouldbegoodleadingintothemarathon.Theproblemwas
thathedidn’ttakeaquicksoak(10-15minutes),hestayedinforover3hours!As
youmightguess,heranverypoorlyashislegswererubberfromallofthetimein
thehottub.
Q:ShouldIrunwithapacegroup?A: Pace groups are hit and miss, unfortunately. At times, the pacer hits splits
perfectlyandrunstheracesmoothlywhereasothertimes,thepacerisveryerratic
anditendsupmorestressfulthanhelpful.So,there'snothingwrongwithstarting
with a pace group to help reduce the stress and save somevaluable physical and
mental energy for the later stagesof the race,butultimatelyyou tobe theone in
chargeofyourownpace.Ifthegroupisdoingagoodjob,great,stickwiththem.But
if they're too fastor tooslowyouhave tobeaware, listen toyourbodyand trust
yourinstinctstobereadytodoyourownthing.
Manyraceshaveachanceforrunnerstomeetwithpacersbeforetherace.Ifso,doit
andasktwoimportantquestions.Havetheypacedamarathonbefore?Whatistheir
bestmarathontime?Iftheyhaven’tpacedbefore,thenbeveryattentiveandready
todoyourown thing.Andbeware if theyhaveamarathonbest that isvery,very
muchfasterthanyourgoaltime.
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BonusContent
WhatWall?
Fatigue in themarathon canbe so severe that it’s like running into awall. That’s
howsuddenandextremetheslowdownis.It’snosurprisethenthatthelegendof
the“wall”strikesfearintoallmarathoners. It’sscary. So,let’stalkaboutthewall,
whatitisandhowtoavoidit.
Thistypeoffatiguewhereyourbodysuddenlyanddramaticallyslowsdownisthe
perfectstormofseveralfactors.Dependingontheindividualsituation,somefactors
mayplayalargerroleinhittingthewallthanothersbutinallcasestheresultisthe
same–youslowwaydownandwilllikelyneverseeyourgoalpaceagain.Itwillbea
slowandpainfulwalkor, atbest,walk/run to the finish. Youwill no longer care
aboutyourtime.Youwillonlywanttheagonytobeover.
TheWallDefined
Expertsbelievethewallisrelatedtoafewfactors:
First,yourmuscleshavebeencontractingandrelaxingoverandoverandoveragain
for many, many miles. The mechanism that produces those contractions simply
fatigues.
Second, the muscle fibers themselves can become damaged from the stress of
running. Once damaged, muscle contractions simply can’t occur correctly. The
structuralelementsarecompromised.Everseethoserunnersrunningawkwardlyat
theendof themarathonas theytry toget fatiguedanddamagedmuscles towork
correctly?
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Aside from problems with the physical structure and function of the muscles
themselves, the wall is also related to your energy stores. You burn fat and
carbohydrateswhenyourunamarathon.Insideyourmuscles,youhaveasufficient
store of fat but a limited store of carbohydrate. This intramuscular carbohydrate
store is calledmuscleglycogen. Inanutshell if theseglycogenstoresget too low,
yourpacemustslowsoyoudon’trunthetankdry.Thinkofitlikewhenyouareon
the freewayandyounoticeyour fuel light isonandyouaren’tquitesureyoucan
make it to the next fueling station. You slow down to preserve fuel. Same thing
happens inresponse todroppingglycogenstores,youare forced toslowdownso
youaren’tburningcarbohydratesatsuchahighrate.
Another factor isyourbloodglucose (orsugar) level.Youprobablyknowthat the
bodyhasaverytightrangeforbloodglucoselevelsandaveryintricatesystemfor
keepingtheamountjustright.Ifthebloodglucosegetslow(whichcanhappenafter
running forover twohours), thebrain (whichusesbloodglucose forenergy)will
starttoreducebloodsugaruseinothertissues(i.e.,theworkingmuscles)inorder
tomakesureyouhaveenoughforbrainfunction.Itisobviouslyagoodstrategyfor
stayingalivebuttheresultisthatyourpaceslowsdown.
In addition to the physical causes of the wall, the brain plays a large role in the
radical slow downwhen hitting thewall. First, all humans can becomementally
fatigued.Thiscanhappenwithorwithoutphysicalexertion.Thinkhowfatiguedyou
canbewithlongairtraveleventhoughallyouaredoingissitting. Inamarathon,
yourbraincansimplygetfatiguedfromthedurationoftheeffortandtheworryand
the expectation of the “big day”. It’s just toomuch for too long and thismental
fatiguewillresultinaslowingofyourpace.
Another very interesting factor has been called the “central governor.” Similar to
how stability control systemswork in a car, the central governormodel suggests
thatthebrainisreceivingconstantfeedbackfromthebody.Ifthebrainsensesthat
somethingistoothreatening(e.g.,glycogenstoresaredroppingtooquickly),itwill
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subconsciouslyreduceyourmuscularoutputandslowyourpace. Thisworks just
like the computer in your car,which increases or decreasespower to eachwheel
andcanevenengagethebrakeswhenitsensesthatthecarisoutofcontrol.
Takentogether,it’sacomplexinteractionbetweenthephysicalandmentalwhereif
the body and/or mind find that things are too far out of control (fatigued
contractions, damagedmuscle fibers, decliningglycogen stores, lowbloodglucose
and/ormentalfatigueorsubconsciousgoverningofpace),thebodyandmindcause
theexperiencewecallhittingthewall.
HowtoAvoidtheWall
It’sonethingtoknowwhatthewallisbutit’sevenmoreimportanttoknowhowto
avoidit.HereareafewstrategiesthatIusetohelpmarathonersavoidthewall.
Training
Akeyway toavoid thewall iswith training.Asyoupreparedover the last12-20
weeks,youwereslowlypreparingtotoleratethementalandphysicalstressofthe
marathon.Obviously,yourweeklytrainingvolumeandthelongrunhavebeenthe
corner stone of wall-avoidance training but there are two other training
opportunitiestohelpyouavoidthewallinthemarathon.
First,youcanchallengeyourmuscleglycogenandbloodglucoselevelsby“training
low.”Intheseruns,youpurposelyrunwithlowfuelstores,whichstimulatesyour
body to 1) preserve the limited glycogen stores by producingmore energy from
your fat stores, of which you have plenty for the marathon and 2) store more
glycogenaftertherunsothatyouhavealargerandmorefulltankforfutureruns
andmostimportantly,themarathon.
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After you’ve used fueling to build the distance of your long runs to two hours or
more,youslowlybegintoweanyourselfoffofcarbohydrates.Youstartbyreducing
thecarbohydratesyoutakeduringyourlongruns(fewergels,lesssportsdrink)till
you are running carb-free. Then, you avoid a high carbohydrate meal the night
beforealongrun.Next,youbegintoavoidbreakfastbeforelongruns.Youcancheck
outtheLessonsonFuelingforRunnersarticleontheMcMillanRunningwebsitefor
completedetailsonhowto“train low”tohelpyouavoidthewall.Therearesome
importantconsiderationsandspecialinstructionsonhowtodoitcorrectlysoread
thisarticlecarefullybeforeyoutrylow/nocarbtrainingbutit’saconceptyoumight
considerforyournextmarathontrainingcycle.
Second,youcanimprovethedurabilityinyourrunningmuscles.Muscledamageis
high in themarathon. It’s no surprise, as the averagemarathonerwill take over
39,000strides inthemarathon!Ifyou’veeverseenrunnershobblingaroundfora
fewdaysaftertherace,you’veseentheproof.
Inmyopinion,theabsolutebestwaytoincreasethefatigueresistanceinyourlegsis
by running downhill. Downhill running exaggerates the running motion, putting
more eccentric stress (muscles lengthening while contracting) on the muscles,
whichhelpsthemgrowstrongerandmoreresistanttofiberdamage.Youhavetobe
careful, though, and implement downhill training very, very gradually (since it’s
higher stress than flat running). But, over a few weeks, you can significantly
improveyourabilitytoavoidmuscledamageinthemarathon.
There are three easy ways to implement downhill running before your next
marathon. First, you canbegin to increase thepace slightly ondownhills on your
normal runs. Don’t go crazywith the pace but lift it tomarathon pace or slightly
faster.Doneoverafewmonths,yourlegswillgrowresistanttothetypeofdamage
themarathoncauses.
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Second,youcandosomeofyourkeyworkoutsondownhillcourses.Forexample,if
youaredoing a4-mileTempoRun, you can choose a route such that the last1-2
milesareonagentledownhill.Thiswillgiveyouexposuretoevenfasterdownhill
runningthanthefirststrategyandhelpbuildfatigueresistanceinyourlegs.Ihighly
recommendthisstrategyforrunnerswhosemarathonwillbeonadownhillcourse
liketheBostonMarathon.
Thelaststrategyistododownhillrepeats.Asthenamesuggests,yousimplyfinda
verygentlyslopeddownhillandrundownstronglythenjogbackupbeforerunning
downhillagain.Thesecanbeverystressfulsince thedownhill running is frequent
andoftenmoresevere than the first twostrategies. I typicallyadvise thisonly for
runnerswhoare running amarathon course that is steeplydownhill.Aswith the
low glycogen training, thismay be a strategy to consider for your nextmarathon
trainingprogram.Justmakesureyouincludeahealthydoseofcommonsensewhen
youtryit.
OptimizingPre-RaceCarbohydrateStores
Another strategy to avoid the wall is to make sure your glycogen stores are full
beforestartingtherace.Atonetime, therewasa lotof talkabout“carbo loading,”
butwhatweknownowisthataslongasyourdiethasadequatecarbohydrates,your
storeswillbe fullystocked forraceday.There isnoneed tosignificantly increase
theamountofcarbohydratesinyourdietattheexpenseoffatsandprotein.Aslight
increaseincarbohydratesisallyouneed.
Withyourreductionintrainingvolume(thetaperingofmileage),yourmuscleswill
beburning less carbohydrateanyway soyournormaldiet should fully stockyour
stores. Ifyouareworriedaboutthis, thenaslight increaseincarbohydrateis fine,
particularly for athleteswho are on a reduced carbohydrate diet (i.e., paleo, etc.).
Formost of us though,we can relax and just eat the foodswe like andwe know
workwellforusonraceday.
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ProperPacing
Itcouldbearguedthattheprimaryreasonforhittingthewallispoorpacing.Ifyour
paceissimplytoofastforthemusclestotolerateforthedurationofthemarathon
or if the pace burns too much of your limited glycogen stores, then the wall is
inevitable. Likewise, if your pace is too fast and your mind gets concerned
(consciouslywithworryabouttheabilitytoaccomplishyourgoalorsubconsciously
with the central governor sensing thingswill goawry if thepace continues), then
thewallisinevitable.
So,oneofyourbestdefensesagainstthewallisproperpacing.Iusethreemethods
for determining an athlete’s best race pace for themarathon. As I write inmy 3
GreatMarathon PredictorWorkouts article, I use the result of a recent long race
plusthepaceyoucanachieveforthelasthalfofafastfinishlongrunplustheresults
ofaYasso800workout.Isuggestyouclickheretoreadthearticleandlearnabout
these3predictorsofmarathonpace.
Asanexample,let’ssaywehavearunnerwiththegoalofrunning3:45(8:35pace)
forthemarathon.Inarecentfastfinishlongrun,ourrunneraveraged8:32minutes
permile for the lasthalfofa recent fast finish longrun.And, let’s say this runner
averaged0:03:42for10Yasso800s,whichpredictsa3:42:00marathon(8:28pace).
OnceIhaveapace(orpacerange)fromthefastfinishlongrunandtheYasso800s
(8:28-8:32 for our example runner), I put the result of a recent long race (i.e.,
anythinglastinglongerthanonehour)intotheMcMillanRunningCalculator.Let’s
sayourrunnerjustran1:46:37(8:08pace)forahalf-marathon.
The1:46:37half-marathonpredictsa3:44:23(8:34pace)marathon.Thefastfinish
long run predicts a 3:43:34 (8:32 pace) and the Yasso 800s predicts a 3:42:00
(8:28).Inthiscase,Iwouldfeelgoodthattherunnerhasagreatchanceofrunning
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thegoal timeof3:45(8:35pace)so I’dsuggest thatwearerightontarget for the
goal.
IfIhadtorankorweightthesepredictors,I’dsaythepredictionfromthelongrace
is the most predictive (assuming normal conditions, similar terrain to the
marathon),thefastfinishlongrunresultsecondandtheYasso800sthird.
OncetherunnerandIfeelgoodaboutthepossiblepace,Isimplyusethesplitchart
fromearlierinthebooktoprovideapacerangeforthefirsthalfoftherace(usinga
0-2.5%foranegativesplitcourse).
ThepointofshowingyouthemethodIusewithathletesistocommunicatethatyou
can’tjustpickagoalpaceoutofthesky.Youmusthavesomereasonableindication
thatyoucanholditforthemarathon.Thissignificantlyreducesyourriskofhitting
thewall.
Ofcourse,onceyougetracepacedetermined,youmayneedtoadjust itbasedon
racedayweather.Ifitishotand/orhumid,you’llneedtoslowdown.Thebodyis
likeafurnacewhenweexercise,creatinglotsofheatthatmustbedissipated.Wedo
thisprimarilythroughevaporationofsweat.But,ifthetemperaturesarehotand/or
humid, your sweat mechanism gets overwhelmed. I created a Heat Adjustment
Calculatorthatyoucanusetoknowhowmuchtoadjustyourpacebasedonvarious
conditions.Thebottomlineisthat,again,ifyouwanttoavoidthewall,youneedto
pickaracepacethatisreasonablegivenyourfitnessandtheconditions.
RunSmooth
Tiedinwithproperpacingishowyouactuallyrunyourpace.Ifyou’veeverjoineda
pacegroupandfoundthat,eventhoughthepacerwashittingthesplitsontarget,he
wasveryherky-jerkyinhowhedidit,youknowthatthisisnotidealandcreatesa
lotofmentalstressandburnsalotmoreenergythanifyourunsmoothly.Thegoal
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istodialinyourracepaceandthencruisealongrunningassmoothlyandgentlyas
you can. Try to put no undue pressure on your legs. Run over the ground, not
throughit.Lightandfreshisagreatmantraforjustglidingalong.
RaceFueling
Itwouldbewonderfulifwedidn’tneedtofuelduringamarathon.But,wemustand
Ibelievethatmanyofussimplyaren’tfuelingenoughandthat’swhydespitegreat
trainingandsmartpacingwestillhitthewall.
McMillan Ultra Coach Ian Torrence is a master at fueling. He should be. He’s
completedover20marathons and even as amasters runner, he continues to run
sub3onchallengingcourseslikeBoston.Plus,he’srunover180ultramarathons.
As was mentioned in the FAQ section, he suggests we need 30-60 grams of
carbohydrate every hour during themarathon. That’s 1.5 – 3 gels per hour or a
combinationofsportsdrinkandmoreconcentratedcarbslikegelsorblocks.
YoushouldcheckouthisLessonsonFuelingforRunnersarticleonthewebsitefor
completedetailsonhowtofuelinthemarathon.
Onceyouknowyourfuelinggoals,itiscriticalthatyoupracticeandrefinethemin
training.Andyoucan’tjustfuelonlong,easyrunsandthinkyouwillbegoodtogo
onraceday.Youneedtopracticefuelingonlong,hardrunsand/orlongraces.This
istheonlywaytoknowhowyourbodywillreacttoyourfuelingplaninrace-like
conditions.Becauseasweallknow,yourbodycanreactverydifferentlyonraceday
thanitdoesintraining.
Talkto100marathonersandyou’llget100differentfuelingmethodssoitallcomes
downtopersonaltaste,literally.I’veworkedwithrunnerswhocanjustusegelsand
waterthroughouttherace.Otherscan’tstandthetasteandtextureofgelssothey
useconcentratedsportsdrinkandwater.Itdoesn’tmatterwhatyouuseaslongas
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youaregettinginthefuelyouneed. Withabitofexperimentation,you’ll findthe
productsandfrequencythatworkforyou.
Onelastthingworthmentioning:Youneedtofuelearlyandconsistently.Onceyour
bodygetsbehindonitsfueling,it’sverydifficultifnotimpossibleto“catchup.”And,
fueling early is more tolerable on your digestive system. As Ian discusses in his
LessonsonFuelingforRunnersarticle,absorptionintheGItractchangesacrossthe
raceandrequiresmoredilutefuelinglaterintherace.So,fuelearlywhenyourgutis
happyanddiluteyourfuellaterintheracetoavoidlateracenausea.
I mentioned it before and I’ll say it again, carrying your own fluids during the
marathonisagreatidea.Theprosgettoputtheirspecialfluidbottlesevery5Kand
cantelltheracevolunteerswhichbottlewithwhichconcoctiongoesateachspecific
5K.Then,theycangrabtheirbottles(notryingtodrinkoutofcupsforthem!)and
sipandcarry.Weshouldfollowtheirlead.
Hydrationpacksandcarriersareverycomfortablenowandofferplentyofoptions
foreveryrunner–fromonelargerbottletoseveralsmallerones.Theextraweight
isanon-issueasthebottle(s)willbegettinglighterastheraceprogressesandmay
evenkeepyoufromgoingouttoofastthefirstfewmiles.And,ifyouaregoingtobe
outthereforawhile,justchooseapackoptionwithseveralsmallerbottles.Youcan
alwaysrefillyourbottleatlateraidstations.Justremovethecapasyouareentering
the aid station and grab water and/or sports drink and refill your bottle(s). It’s
easiertodoontherunthantryingtodrinkfromthecups.Then,youcanrecapyour
bottleandsipawayasyoucontinuealongthecourse.
Withyourownfluids,youcancruisethroughaidstationswhileavoidingthetraffic
jamsandyoucanfuelonyourperfectedpattern.
MentalTrickery
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Thefinalwaytoavoidthewallisthroughmentaltrickery.Aswasdiscussedearlier,
the wall is often influenced by the conscious and subconscious mind. While it’s
harderto influencethesubconsciouscentralgovernor,thereareseveralstrategies
thatkeeptheconsciousmindsoothedandthewallatbay.
First,youmustaccept that it’sgoing togetvery,veryhardandthat’snormal. Just
this simple recognition can help avoid the slow down that is caused by your
consciousmindwhenitsensesworryandpanic.Ifyoukeeptellingyourselfthisis
normalthenyourmindwon’treactasstronglyandthedialogueinyourheadwillbe
morepositiveandlessthreatening.
Thinkofthefatiguecurveinthemarathon.Forthefirst10milesorso,thepaceis
easy and fatigue is low. Then, in the middle and till around 18-22 miles, fatigue
starts to set in and increase andby the last3-6miles, fatigue is veryhigh. It’s an
exponentialcurve.Itiscriticalthatyourmentalintensitymustmatchthiscurve.
You candisassociate in the first 10miles. Enjoy the scenery. Connectwith others
runningatyoursamepaceandjust let themilesrollby. Inthemiddleof therace,
however, you must begin to engage. You must become more attentive because
fatigueisstartingtoincrease.Youmustmatchthisgentleriseinfatigue.Youdon’t
needallyourresourcesyetbutyoudefinitelyneedtostopthesightseeingandstart
focusingonthetaskathand.Asyougetto20milesandthefinalpushtowardthe
finish,youmustreallyengage.Youmustmatchthesharpriseinfatiguewithasharp
riseinmentalengagement.
Ifyoucanmatchthefatiguecurvewithyourmentalintensity,thenthemindgetson
boardandfeelslessthreatened.If,however,youexpectittofeeleasy,thenthemind
will sense this discrepancy between your expected fatigue (low) and your actual
fatigue (risinghigher andhigher).This causes concern andkicks in the conscious
factorsthatcanbringonthewall.
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Second(anditmaysoundsilly),smile.Whenitstartstogethard,smile.Thereisa
lotof research that shows that evena forced smile can createpositive changes in
yourmentaloutlook.IrememberwhenIwontheMastersTrailMarathonNational
Championships.Iwentintotheraceexpectingittobehard,afterall,thefirst8miles
climbedcontinuallyuptoover5,000feetinelevation.But,Itoldmyselfbeforethe
racethatIwasgoingtoreallyenjoythismarathon.Iwasgoingto“smilethroughthe
pain.”And,itworked.Everytime,itgothard.Iforcedasmile.Ithoughtabouthow
muchIlovedrunningandhowIchosetoputmyselfinthisposition.Ithought,“This
isexactlywhatIwanted.It’ssupposedtobegettingharderandharderandIlikeit.”
Givesmilingthroughthepainatry.
Ultimately, ifyoucan justkeeprunning,moving forwardusinganyandallmental
tricksinyourarsenal,thefinishlinewillcome.Ipromisethattheywon’tmoveiton
you.Itwillbetherewaitingforyou.Justkeeppushing.
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ResourcesandRecommendedReadingYOU(OnlyFaster):Trainingplanstohelpyoutrainsmarterandrunfaster
McMillanRunning.com
Don’tTaper.Peak!
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AbouttheAuthor
GregMcMillanhasbeen called, “Oneof thebest and smartest distance coaches in
America” by Amby Burfoot of Runner’s World magazine. Through his website
www.mcmillanrunning.com he offers training tools, training plans and personal
coaching for new runners, BQ seekers and Olympic level athletes.
HeliveswithhiswifeandsoninEncinitas,California.
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www.mcmillanrunning.com