14 things I wish I would’ve known before my first marathon
Running a marathon is…A LOT. There’s no better way to put it. Many runners I talk to say after their first marathon, “I am never doing this again!” Only to find themselves at the start line again a few months or years later.
If you are a newbie, a veteran, or somewhere in between, you probably still have things to learn about the marathon. I’ll share my personal experience, while integrating things in my professional “lane” so that you hopefully don’t make the same mistakes.
Don’t skip the warmup! I’ve found it helpful to have a routine with 8-10 exercises that activate your muscles (think squats, single leg hops, leg swings, etc.). Do this on EVERY run. If you need help reach out to me on insta @marathonfueling and I’ll give you some more tips!
Don’t go out too fast. You’ll hear this on podcasts, blogs, from all the experienced runners. Going out too fast will KILL your race, because you won’t have the energy to give it in the end. It’s exciting and there is so much energy at the beginning, but when you start out conservatively, you’ll be SO GRATEFUL you did.
Unplug. I tried this for the first time back in 2022, and it has been a GAME-CHANGER. You might think, “how can you do silence for 26.2 miles?"!” Trust me, unplugging allows you to feel the feels, work through things mentally, interact with the crowd and other runners, and truly be in tune with your body. Start practicing this on 1-2 runs per week, and eventually you learn to love it!
Learn your nutrition needs. There is SO MUCH nutrition info out there, and a lot of it is conflicting. It can be confusing to know what you should do. This is where a dietitian comes in- to help you learn the basics and then how to adjust it to meet your needs. Fueling is CRUCIAL, and all the best and experienced runners will tell you that. Check out the fueling course for marathon training-specific nutrition.
Start fueling EARLY. This goes right along with number four, but more specific to your long runs and race day. If you wait until you need to fuel, it’s too late. Fuel before you think you need it, and then you’ll have gas in your body’s tank. TRUST ME. We get into major detail on when, how much, and what in the fueling course, go check it out!
Wear clothes to throw away/donate. I came across a friend at their first marathon. And they were shivering on the starting line, with 2 hours before start time, with NOTHING on but her clothes and bib for the race. Luckily I came with extra, but it bears a reminder to go to a thrift store and get extra! If you don’t end up needing it, you can always throw away or donate.
Drink more fluids than you think you need. This is no joke. And a majority aren’t drinking enough for their needs. Getting the right combo of water to electrolytes and the right amount is a whole topic we discuss in the fueling course.
Don’t rely solely on the course fluids. Bring your own hydration or have someone pass it off. If you use cups, sip it slowly. Give your digestive system some help here!
Buy a good pair of shoes, and rotate through. I remember my first marathon when I had $40 clearance running shoes. I got injured, and I think part of the reason was too many miles on a not-so-good shoe. They are WORTH the investment when you don’t have to go to physical therapy or suffer through a marathon!
Master your self talk so you can win the mental game. Self talk is HUGE, and it’s what can make or break you. I am VERY passionate about this, and all the running books, pros, and fast marathoners talk about this. Check out some of my favorite affirmations from a reel I made. We also talk about self talk in our bonus lesson of the fueling course!
Practice ahead of time what you will wear for race day. I know it can be tempting to buy a brand new outfit for race day. But I’ve seen too many chafing bodies, bleeding nips, and blisters. All I can think of with this is Andy when his nipples start bleeding- OUCH. So along with practicing your fueling and hydration, practice what you’ll wear from head to toe, especially on a long run!
Prioritize recovery. We could cover this topic for DAYYYYS. At my first marathon, I ran many of my training runs too fast, didn’t get enough sleep, and didn’t eat enough. All of this combined turned into BAAAAD recovery. Recovery involves so much, and it’s covered in the fueling course! Recovery needs to constantly be at the top of mind if you want to feel fresh on race day. I could also add in here- TRUST THE TAPER.
Don’t forget strength. Without strength, there won’t be good running mechanics anymore. This led me to injury at my first marathon(aside from my bad shoes). I didn’t follow a solid strength plan, and instead lifted every so often. It didn’t yield results, I was weak, and ended up limping from a strained ligament throughout a majority of my race because my body just couldn’t handle it. I 100% believe that part of this injury was caused by lack of strength work.
Utilize accountability/support. Check out individual fueling coaching with me, or the fueling course!
“The course is brilliant! Even though I have a solid nutrition background, the course was beneficial, phrased in an easy way to understand and implement.” -Nic