Continued from How to run a marathon (parts 0 to 11)
Some runners manage to get by without doing any races at all. They are happy to go for their daily/three times per week jog, and stay fit that way.
I'm not like that. At regular intervals, I like to pit my strength against my peers. It's an occasion to monitor my progress. It's also a good feeling to join hundreds of like-minded people, at a different setting each time, or the same as the previous year, trying to improve my time, or to overtake those rivals who run at more or less my own pace.
For marathon runners, 5k, 10k, 16k (10 miles) races, and even (though to a lesser extent) half marathons, are simply stepping stones to the big event. They take these events as they come along, as welcome diversions or breaks from their regular weekend long training runs. They don't train specifically for them, but include them in their training schedule, as special 'power' speed sessions.
Of course, a beginner who is looking forward to his or her first-ever race would have a different outlook. Here, I intend to give a few tips to such a beginner, who is entering the world of road racing.
You will notice first of all the camaraderie among competitors. There are many rivalries, but they are generally friendly - sometimes keen, but rarely fierce or bitter. Some groups of competitors decide to run together from start to finish. Some experienced runners may opt to help newcomers by competing and running along with them. Still others start at the back of the pack, and are happy to cruise along and earn a medal at the finish. The elite runners take up a position at the front, after a long period of warming up and stretching, and concentrate on actually trying to win the race. The great majority of participants aim to finish the race in a good time, trying to establish a new personal best time or at least improve on the previous race of the same distance.
There are various factors that together contribute to your having a good race. First of all, you need to be well trained. I think this is fairly obvious, and doesn't need much explaining. If you have been following the schedule suggested in my previous articles, you are certainly fit enough to participate in a race of 5k or 10k. For a very first race I don't suggest a longer distance than 10km, since if you happen to start too fast and wear out early, it would be a long slog to the finish... It's probably best to attempt long distance races after gaining experience at middle distance events.
Don't train too hard in the last few days before a race - at the most carry out one speed session midweek before the race (assuming you're racing in the weekend) - plus your routine easy training runs. I prefer not to run at all on the day before the race, although there are those who go out for a short run at an easy pace. The principle is quite simple here - you should be well rested on race day, and this also means accumulating enough hours of sleep during the last few days before the race. Don't eat too much the night before, and keep yourself well hydrated by drinking lots of water, and no alcohol, especially if it's hot. If your pee is dark coloured, it means you need to drink more water.
To be rested, relaxed and concentrated at the starting line you have to avoid leaving your preparations till the last moment. The last thing you need on race day is a mad scramble to arrive on time, with hardly any time left to do a proper warm-up. You would normally aim to arrive about one hour before the start. This gives you enough time to pick up the number if you still don't have it, to have a good look around, chat with your friends, and of course do some jogging to warm up. Not too much - 10 to 15 minutes during the last 20 minutes before the start should be enough. Any earlier and you will lose the benefit of the warm-up, or wear yourself out before even starting! Be sure you're wearing comfortable clothes suitable for the weather conditions, and don't wear or eat anything with which you're not familiar. In particular don't eat anything in the last two hours before the race, or any heavy food (meat or fatty meals) on race day itself.
At last, the time arrives when you're in the middle of the crowd of eager starters, waiting for the starting gun to go off. Race participants start in the position they roughly estimate they will place at the finish. You should do likewise, and for very practical reasons. The beginnings of road races are crowded affairs, and jostling between competitors of different capabilities is a dangerous practice, which could result in a multiple pile-up of runners. The field should therefore spread out as smoothly as possible within the first few hundred metres - elite runners rocketing ahead at the front, aiming-to-finish joggers taking it easy at the back, all the rest at the proper position in between.
DON'T START TOO FAST! It's the number one golden rule, and many beginners fall foul of it, getting carried away by the sheer excitement of the occasion. Whatever the distance to be run, start at a moderate pace. It's so much better to save your energy reserves for the second part of the race, overtaking one rival after the other right on till the finish, ending in a strong sprint, than to start too fast and wear yourself out in the middle of the race, and helplessly watch an endless string of competitors go by as you shuffle along breathlessly without being able to match their pace.
Concentrate on settling down to a comfortable pace during the first third of the race. If you're in good form, you should feel the urge to increase the pace, but resist this in the early stages. When the first third is over, you may very gradually start to up the tempo. Look ahead, and try to catch up with the runner in front of you. Once you're in step with them, forget about them. They may well try to re-overtake you, but don't react. Your aim is to move up the field, not to beat this particular individual. Look ahead once again, and pick the next 'victim' to overtake. If you're in good form, you'll be able to overtake a good number of rivals this way.
Most road races have undulating routes, so you should expect a couple of hills along the way. Sometimes these may be quite tough to negotiate. Don't let them get you down. Remember, it's true that your pace will slow down and you get very breathless as you go uphill, but you're not the only one - it's just as hard for your rivals. Look down at the ground, concentrate on your footsteps and on reaching the top of the hill. If you're well trained you will probably overtake another few competitors on the way up...
After a good race, done in a good time, with a strong finish, you'll feel absolutely on top of the world. It could go the other way, and sometimes without any apparent reason at all. It might just happen that you have an off day. You might start at the wrong pace. You may have not trained or slept well enough. Never mind. Pick yourself up and look ahead. The next race will probably turn out to be much better.
The day after a race you may expect to have sore muscles, caused by the extraordinary effort of the previous day. Some runners go out for a light jog to loosen their muscles. I prefer complete rest, or an easy bike ride at the most. A couple of days after the race, you should have recovered enough to resume your normal training schedule.
For Weeks No 16 and 17 of our beginner's guide to running a marathon, this would be something like this:
Monday to Sunday
Week 16: rest - 10k easy - 10k tempo - rest - 10k easy - rest - 1h45 easy
Week 17: rest - 10k easy - 10k intervals - rest - 10k easy - rest - 1h45 easy
Now it's time to go to bed, because tomorrow I have a race of my own, the Hivernales de Boitsfort (19,2km). Let's just hope I'll remember to practice what I've been preaching!
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