Prepare yourself mentally to have fun on the run! After months of training and preparation, we are now upon the culmination of our training; the event itself. As we make our way to the starting line, it is important to adequately prepare to make the most of the experience to which we have dedicated so many hours of our time. Below are some tips to help you arrive at the starting line prepared:
1. Get to the Expo and pick up your packet early, preferably right when it opens. This is especially important for big city marathons such as Chicago. As the day progresses, the Expo tends to become more crowded. The Pace group sign up booth at larger marathons can boast very long lines, so visit this first if possible. Have fun and shop around at the Expo, but don’t spend all day on your feet.
2. Lay all your clothing out the night before. Pin your number on the front of your shirt or shorts. Tie your chip on your shoe, pack your Gu in your pockets or accessories. Remember to wear nothing new.
3. If you are driving to your marathon, check into shower provisions. Many marathons, including Grand Rapids, have made arrangements for near-by shower facilities.
4. Pack warm clothing in the bag provided for the baggage drop. At larger marathons such as Chicago and Detroit you will be provided with a bag and label or tag that needs to be affixed to it. At smaller marathons such as Grand Rapids, they often have a baggage drop but you provide your own bag.
5. Have BOTH an alarm clock and wake up call to make sure you are up in plenty of time to get ready and find your way to the baggage drop, hospitality tent and starting corrals. This is especially important for Chicago where you could walk several blocks to the entrance of your starting corral. If you are running Chicago, it is a good idea to walk Grant Park the day before to figure out where everything is.
6. Remember to Body Glide the areas needed before you put on shoes, shirt, shorts.
7. Double tie your shoes!
8. Eat a light breakfast about 2 – 2 ½ hours before and stick with food items that won’t bother your stomach. If you are used to drinking coffee, stick with your routine, but make sure you drink it early enough so you don’t find yourself in a long rest room line at the start.
9. Remember to hydrate and bring a bottle of water with you to the start.
10. If it is cold out, take an old shirt to put on for prerace warmth that you can toss aside somewhere as the races begins or somewhere along the course. There are organizations who will pick up these shirts and give them to shelters, etc). Also, wear a pair of throw away gloves to the start. You can purchase these at the expo or you can pick up a pair of cheap gloves at a hardware store, or even use socks.
11. If it is drizzling or raining take a garbage bag and war it over your body until the start.
12. Have a bathroom strategy for pre-race. Try to avoid the port-o-john lines if at all possible.
13. Have a meeting place decided for afterwards. Most large marathons have a designated meeting place organized by last name. If you don’t plan ahead, it can be hard to find family or friends.
14. Bring Sandals for afterwards...it will feel good to get out of your shoes. Make sure you pack appropriate clothing. If it is cold and/or rainy you will want to get changed into warm dry clothing as soon as possible after finishing.
Most importantly, remind yourself to have fun! Chat with fellow runners, especially early on when it is easy to start out too fast, and enjoy an experience you will remember for a lifetime!
