10 Mistakes to avoid on marathon race day

1. Consuming anything for your pre-race breakfast you haven’t consumed before a long run.

2. Trusting that the marathon’s pace group leaders will run the appropriate pace. (Keep track of your actual splits and know your pace for your goal time).

3. Wearing any clothing in the race that you have not run over 13 miles in.

4. Starting without double knotting your shoe laces.

5. Slowing down or stopping with a running partner. Despite the fact that you may have trained with them and you would like to accompany and aid them, if they drop out of the race your event will be compromised.

6. Not making reservations for your pre race dinner. If traveling to a marathon, find a safe dinning option close to your accommodations that you can make a reservation for. If you are waiting to eat at 9pm the night before your race you will regret it the next day.

7. Engaging in your tourism of the marathon city in the day’s before the marathon. Put your feet up, read, rest and fuel up for your big day. Leave the sightseeing to the days after the marathon, even if this means doing so on a couple of well used wheels.

8. Not having an exit strategy. Eventually you may need to drop out of a marathon. Be prepared and take money for cab fare and have the numbers of those you will need to contact.

9. Taking your sweatpants off more than 5 minutes before the start of your race. Rarely is a marathon started in conditions warm enough to allow leg muscles to be properly activated without some warm up and insulation.
10. Driving your self to the start. Who wants another issue to contend with on race day? Find some means of easily arriving at the starting line 1 hour before your race without having to drive yourself.

Do you know how fast you should run each time you head out the door? Make sure your getting the most out of each run by using Complete Running Programs 8 Custom Training Paces. Receive your complimentary training paces from our website. Click here to get your training paces.