Five Things to Do to Prepare for Marathon Race

Marathon race is a strenuous activity and you need to be fully prepared for it. Here are things you should do:

1. Boost performance: It is wrong to assume that you will be alright during the race day. Make no mistake, the race can be physically overwhelming and seriously degrade your performance. Three months before the actual event, you should already able to cover the same distance. Continue to do this at least once a week. So, before the marathon event, you already simulate the race at least ten times. Consistent training ensures your success. You should also invest on various gears, such as smartwatch and running shoes, to improve your performance.
2. Make lifestyle changes: If you have a sedentary lifestyle or spend much of your time in workplace, then you need to have a lifestyle change. It’s also important to sort out your nutritional intake and avoid putting in junk into your body. Don’t expect to perform well if regularly eat McDonald’s burgers. A couple months before the race, fresh vegetables and fruits should already represent about 70 percent of daily intake. The rest should be consisted of high-protein, lean meat and dairy products. Incorporate plenty of spices and herbs into your meat-based dishes, not only to improve flavour, but also to add more nutrients. You should also set up proper hydration habit months before the race. Don’t drink until you feel thirsty and make it a scheduled activity. By urinating more often, you can remove more waste, making your body cleaner and healthier.
3. Perform pre-race preparation. A couple of days before the race are crucial. It’s time for you to rest and build up energy reserves. You should perform light jogging activities to keep your muscles active, but without making yourself tired. You need to carefully consider what to wear. It is not necessary to wear something new. Just wear clothing and running shoes that you have trained in, especially if they are comfortable. Arrive one hour before the race begins and start warming up your muscles.
4. Prepare your mind: Before the actual race, you should get your mind sorted out. You should visualize finishing the race, even if not as a winner. For beginners, being able to complete a race is already a great achievement. People often have negative thoughts and you should push them away. Use lubricants to protect areas that may chafe. Do last minute toilet break after you do the warm up.
5. Set up proper strategy: Marathon race isn’t just about running. You should also have a proper strategy to beat the competitors. During the first half of the race, you shouldn’t “race”. Run slowly at steady pace and ignore over-enthusiastic beginners who are too eager to get ahead of everyone. Don’t be concerned with your slower pace, because there will be enough for to make up for the slow early pace. If it’s windy, you should run behind or besides a group of other runners, depending on the direction of the wind. Head winds can increase drag and make you run more slowly. Don’t hesitate to walk through the water stations if it’s necessary, so you can keep on running.