13 Things I wish I knew Before Running My First Marathon

I've run a lot of marathons over the years, many in races, many more in training, and a few just for the challenge. Mark and I even ran seven in a row not too long ago. I've actually lost count, but it's definitely in the triple figures. What did I learn from all those many miles on my feet? Well, that's what I'm here to share with you today. A marathon is always a long way. No matter how fit you get and no matter how great you feel at the start, it is always a long run. You may look at those people who take two and a half hours when you're taking five hours and think, well, that must be way easier. No, it doesn't get easier the fitter and faster you get or more talented you are. You just go faster. It's still a very long run. Pacing is everything, and everyone starts too fast. There is no hiding in the final 10Ks of a marathon. If you've started too fast, you will pay the price. I've paid the price a few times and cramped in the final 10Ks of a marathon because I was too optimistic or just plain delusional at the start of that marathon. The thing is, everyone starts too fast. Some people just start way too fast. You see them going out too fast and you think, well, they're definitely going too fast, so I'm probably okay. Just because they're going too fast, it doesn't mean you're not going too fast. Rely on your watch and don't be delusional at the start because you'll pay the price later on. Eating is not cheating. Most people can store enough glycogen in their body to get them through 90 minutes to two hours of exercise. You're going to have to supplement to get you through the full marathon. I've made the mistake before of not eating enough or not eating early enough to get me through that marathon and take it from me. You do not want to add a nutrition bonk to the fatigue and pain you're already going to experience at around the 20-mile mark. Prevent chafing. Friction over a marathon seems to compound. While you may feel nothing in a 5K run or even a 10K run, and even your long run seems to be okay, for some reason, when it comes to a marathon, your skin just seems to not be able to hold up to the constant rubbing. That friction can lead to some pretty painful chafing as the sweat seeps into your rubbed raw skin towards the end of a marathon. Use lube anywhere you might chafe. Your particular problem areas may need a little bit of trial and error to figure out. Mine were generally toes, the arches of my feet, groin area, or underarms. I've also experienced in a poor-fitting singlet the chafing on your nipples, and it can feel like your whole nipple is going to be rubbed off. A little bit of elastic plaster goes a long way. Support helps. Training for a marathon can be a lonely pursuit. Sometimes, supporting the marathon can feel like a real drag for friends and family, lots of waiting around to see you run past in just a few seconds. Don't underestimate the value of having them there. Don't dismiss the offer of support out of hand. It can be really valuable to have them out on course, especially if you get them to position themselves where it gets the hardest, around the 18 to 22 mile mark. Training for a marathon never goes perfectly. I don't think I know anyone who's lined up for a marathon thinking that their preparation went absolutely perfectly. I know I never did. You've just got to do the best you can with what you have on race day. If you wait for the day where all your training went absolutely perfect so you can run that marathon, you'll probably never run a marathon. The marathon never goes perfectly. Just like training, marathons never go to plan. I think in every single one of my over 100 marathons, I can point to something and say, it would have been even better if. Don't expect it to. Just roll with the punches and get to the end. You'll get more from just overcoming the things that went wrong and finishing the race. Good shoes for you are worth every cent. There's only really one piece of equipment you really need for a marathon, and that's a good pair of shoes. Make sure you spend some money and get the right shoes for you. I've run marathons in the wrong shoes before, and it pretty much ruins the experience. There'll always be something that doesn't quite go right for the marathon, but don't let my marathon would have been even better if I bought better shoes be one of them. That you can prevent. Your feet will hurt. Even if perfectly conditioned and even if you're in the best possible shoes after 42 kilometers, you would have taken over 30,000 steps and your feet are going to feel it. Hopefully, it's not blisters or lost toenails, but even if you avoid those, you are still going to get sore feet. There's not really anything you can do about it, so just push through it. Plan your eating for a full 48 hours before the event. Another regret that is easily avoided, and a mistake that I have made, is failing to adequately prepare your stomach for the challenge that is a marathon. It is a long way, and you do need to look after your stomach if it's going to get you through that full marathon. Avoid eating too much fiber or any heavy, slow-to-digest foods in the 48 hours before your race. Otherwise, it can ruin your race or at least lead to a few port-a-potty stops. Poor sleep doesn't affect performance. As you stress about your race coming up, it's easy to have a very poor night's sleep, but take it from me, having been there, a bad night's sleep really doesn't affect your performance. It may affect your ability to function after that race, but you've got your excuses all lined up for that anyway. Really, don't stress about not being able to sleep the night before your event. Finishing is always worth it, even if the middle bit sucks. I've tried pushing through a really bad marathon and getting to the finish, and I've also tried quitting and stepping off the course. I have to say that it's much better to just finish, even if it's a long, sucky day. You can still take that silver lining that you made it to the finish line and overcame a bad day. There is no silver lining to a DNF. That said, if your health or safety are at risk, DNF is okay and you should step off the course. We don't do death before DNF here. Don't get complacent. If you feel that all my lessons from our mini-marathons are too basic and you've got this all figured out, then this point is for you. A marathon can and will humble you, no matter how many you've done and how experienced you are. A marathon is always a long way. Remember my first point. If you've learned some lessons from your marathons, we'd love to hear them in the comment section below. Let us know if you've enjoyed this video. Give us a like to support the channel, and don't forget to subscribe so you don't miss the rest of our running videos. Happy running.