The time has come for those training for this year’s London Marathon.
While most of the training has already been done, there may be more to think about than ever before for the nearly 50,000 people who will be racing on April 21st.
We spoke to a sports therapist, a nutritionist and a man who has run every London Marathon to find out the most common pitfalls before and during a run – and how you can avoid them.
“This is the moment when a lot of people lose their minds”, warns sports therapist and physiotherapist Gabriel Segall.
So how much should you run now? Should you make changes to your diet? What should you eat before your run – and how to avoid the dreaded wall?
Preparing for a marathon can be divided into three main categories, says Gabriel:
- Training load
- Recovery
- Diet
The training load, he says, should already be largely covered, with all your grueling test runs out of the way before the 26-mile challenge.
He says participants will have aimed to complete 20 to 23 miles on their training runs, as this will give their bodies “the experience of going through that stress” and some muscle memory when it comes to tackling a marathon.
But the week before the marathon is crucial, and often where people make mistakes that will hinder their success.
Mistake #1 – Studying
Doing last-minute work, like you’re revising for a test, just won’t cut it. In fact, it will likely be detrimental to your performance, warns Gabriel.
“If you keep pushing yourself and training too much, a lot of people will get injured or get sick because they won’t have enough time to recover. And that’s where people can struggle.”
A four-time marathoner himself, Gabriel suggests accepting where you are in your training and adjusting your goal finish time accordingly.
Chris Finill is one of just seven people to have completed all 43 London Marathons since its inception in 1981. He and his wife – who has also been to every event with her husband, whether supporting him, hanging medals or running alone – have seen a Many runners have come and gone over the years, and unrealistic goals have been the downfall of many.
Chris after finishing the first London Marathon in 1981
Speaking to Sky News before turning 44, the 64-year-old said: “People tend to choose an unrealistic goal and are very optimistic about how soon they can achieve it. They need to run properly to reach that unrealistic time, they run even faster than that in the early stages because they feel so refreshed.
“So the golden rule is to preserve energy and contain the enthusiasm, exuberance or energy you feel in those first few kilometers.”
Mistake #2 – Not relaxing before the race
People should cut back on training and focus on recovery, Gabriel says, in what’s known as tapering.
Chris, who hopes to finish in under three hours, says he will “barely run” in the last three or four days before the marathon, although he may complete a two-mile run the day before.
“The tapering period is a time to let the body relax,” says Gabriel. “You won’t see a huge increase in fitness or performance in the last few weeks.”
He highlights the recovery pyramid, which outlines ideal recovery strategies for athletes, going from bottom to top in terms of importance.
He also warns against being too influenced by social media when it comes to your preparation.
“You see a lot of athlete and runner influencers online talking about the best ways to recover,” he says. “They seem to go out, run around a lot and use all these products that probably influence and get discounts, then go out for a night in a pub and sleep for two hours.”
This form of training may seem idyllic, says Gabriel, but it’s not realistic.
“There is a real way to recover – and that way is sleep,” he says. “Sleep is your best recovery.”
Chris, who is retired, says he does his best to go to bed by 11pm at the latest and doesn’t get up until 7:30am if he can.
In addition to sleep, Gabriel says “active recovery days” are becoming increasingly popular, where you do some type of very low-intensity exercise like walking, stretching, or similar activities that relax the body.
Mistake #3 – Making mistakes on carbohydrates – and last-minute dietary changes
A runner’s diet is different from what you typically associate with a healthy diet, and it’s known that the most important thing is carbohydrates, says nutritional therapist Monica Price.
“It breaks down into glucose, and then we store it in our body as glycogen, and then it’s stored in our liver and muscles, and our body uses that to give us energy,” she told Sky News.
She says those who have trained should have already significantly increased their intake, and “at least 70% of their diet should be made up of carbohydrates” in the last week.
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So if you’re hungry and reach for an apple, swap it for a slice of toast or a muffin, she says.
However, not all carbohydrates are created equal and there is such a thing as overkill.
Having too many carbs when your body isn’t used to it can mean you feel like you’re rushing “after a Christmas dinner.”
Monica suggests “simple” carbs like bread, pasta with tomato sauce, rice, potatoes, chicken, fish and tofu. While brown carbs are often recommended by nutritionists for their fiber, for runners they’re more likely to upset the stomach, says Monica.
It’s vital that you don’t change too much about your diet before the big day, she adds, because changes should be extensively “tried and tested” beforehand.
Mistake #4 – Incorrect fueling = hitting the “wall”
The wall has long been part of marathon lore. Also known as “bonking”, it is “a wall of tiredness”, explains Gabriel.
“Some runners, not all, just hit this wall where they can’t do anything else. This can happen for a number of reasons, but it is often due to not supplying correctly.”
Monica adds: “You’re physically exhausted. Your legs can’t move, you have muscle cramps, you have a spasm, you know, you feel dizzy and you completely pass out – and your brain is saying ‘enough.’
“And this happens because your body is running out of glycogen. In other words, you didn’t get enough carbohydrates in your diet.
“That’s why you see runners falling to the ground. It is also essential that during the race you drink plenty of fluids, including sports drinks.”
Gabriel says that pacing will reduce your chances of hitting the wall, as Chris attests.
“I wouldn’t say I’ve got it right [the wall] in any meaningful way. I’ve had good races and bad races, but I’ve generally managed to take gels, have an energy drink and not go out too fast,” says Chris.
It can also affect you mentally, says Gabriel, because the brain needs glucose, which it won’t get if you’re not fueling yourself correctly.
While refueling and pacing yourself is a necessity, he says, mental fortitude is equally important.
“Focus on why you want to run and the strategies you learned during training,” he says. “Trust in yourself and the work you do. This is just the home stretch.”
So how should you prepare the day before?
Monica says runners typically eat smaller, easily digestible meals every few hours the day before a race, keeping carbs in mind. Think breads, sandwiches, and bagels, plus things like chicken, rice, and pasta.
“And keep drinking water,” she says. “That’s always essential.”
Chris adds: “I always suggest people eat relatively early so you don’t go to bed with a full stomach – say, 7pm.
“It seems a little counterintuitive, but I think if you go to bed early because you have a big day ahead of you, just lay there and toss and turn. If you don’t get a good night’s sleep the night before, it’s not that important if you slept well the previous nights.
“If you wake up on Sunday morning feeling like you’ve only slept a few hours, I wouldn’t really worry about it. Try to put it in the back of your mind and just focus on the day ahead.”
What to eat on Sunday morning
Monica recommends a bagel with peanut butter and banana as it contains the carbs, protein and potassium you need – although she admits most runners tend to opt for porridge or Weetabix.
It’s not uncommon, however, for nervousness to stop you from eating anything.
“Most runners will be nervous – professional runners or novices,” she says. “So don’t panic if you couldn’t keep your breakfast down or if you tried and brought it back – it happens.”
She says it’s most important that you have carbs stored hours and days before Sunday.
Accept that something will probably go wrong
Most runners know that 9/10 runs are “not good,” says Gabriel.
“You can do all the training you need for months and months and sometimes it just doesn’t work. You don’t have a good day. Your legs might feel like crap or your breathing might feel bad,” he says.
“Don’t panic or stress, no matter what,” says Gabriel.
“Take a minute to sort yourself out if necessary. Have a drink, take a gel and remember why you are doing this.
“It can really push you forward, and the beauty of the London Marathon is that there are so many runners around you, all on the same journey.”
This story originally appeared on News.sky.com read the full story
