Well folks, we’re into the home stretch. All the training and sweat, all the pain and ice, all the miles, all the pairs of new shoes, all the runner’s rashes, gnarled toes, shin splints and effort comes down to 7:30 a.m. on Sunday, October 18. But there’s no need to be nervous. This is everything you need to know on race day:
Don’t do anything for the first time on race day. It’s not a time to experiment. If you always stretch before a long run and someone is telling you now that you shouldn’t, don’t listen to them. Same thing with new shoes, new socks, new GU flavors, etc. Avoid anything new on October 18 and stay in your comfort zone. If you think you need to switch sports drinks, then do it on your first run after the race. This piece of advice trumps anything else I’ve written below.
Go heavy on the body glide. You may not pay for it during the race, but you’ll definitely pay for it afterward.
Make sure you eat something before the race. I’m sure you’ll be smart enough to carb up in the days leading up to the race, but make sure you eat something that will sit well in your stomach for a few hours. Too heavy and you’ll need to stop during the race. Too light and you might not have enough of a calorie reserve to maintain your pace.
Be prepared to stand around for a while before the race. If it’s cold outside, bring your oldest and rattiest pair of sweats, or an otherwise tattered outfit to wear before the race. You’ll appreciate the warmth for every extra minute, and you’ll likely never see those clothes again after you take them off as you enter the starting corral.
Don’t be afraid to walk through the aid stations. That is, unless you’re trying to qualify for Boston or set a personal record. A ton of people walk through the aid stations to pick up water or Gatorade. There’s no shame in walking for a few seconds to replenish. Just make sure you are aware of others around you when you are doing so.
Bring an extra GU packet. Energy gel will be available on the course at mile 7.5 and 16, but it’s probably good to avoid a situation where you wish you had one but didn’t.
Don’t wear an iPod. I know that I’m a bit of a hypocrite on this one because I love my iPod for training, but there will be 65 bands and tens of thousands of people lining the course on race day. If all that music and all those people yelling out encouragement to you can’t keep you motivated, then nothing will. Trust me, you won’t need the iPod.
Bring your own watch. It will take you a little while to cross the starting line unless you’re up with the elite runners, so your start time will not be 00:00:00 on the official clock. It will be easier for you to track your pace if you start your watch once you hit the start line rather than trying to think through the pace calculations at each mileage marker.
In addition to the info above, there’s only one thing you need to remember as a first time runner. It happens to almost every first time marathoner and half-marathoner and is usually an absolutely critical mistake: whatever you do, don’t ever – EVER – even think about
Know anyone who wants to be a part of the NBHCM, minus the walking, running or wheelchair/handcycle racing? It takes more than 1,200 volunteers to put on the NBHCM every year. With nearly 15,000 athletes expected in Columbus on Oct. 18, it takes lots of support from the greater Central Ohio community to make the NBHCM a great experience for everyone. Any person or group is welcome to volunteer for the NBHCM. Numerous positions are still available, including support at the Expo on Friday and Saturday, course marshalls at stations throughout the course on race day and even finish line volunteers. It’s fun, easy, and also a great activity for any group that wants to support the event. Help do your part to make the NBHCM 30th anniversary a year to remember. If you have family or friends who would like to help out, please send them to columbusmarathon.com/volunteers to sign up for one of the many volunteer opportunities.
Does anyone else out there have tips for race day?
Thanks for the thoughts, this newbie appreciates it, I was debating on the MP3 player, but you talked me out of it. I was running the Homerun 5k in Dublin this year and a police chase came through the run. A young lady with a music player was almost hit. Now I need to learn more about these energy gel things.
My advice is to get in the porta-potty line as soon as you get there — even if you don’t have to go. By the time you get to the potty — you will have to go. I ran the half last year and I’m running the full this year, it’s hard to believe after 5 months of training it’s finally come down to the last week. Good luck everyone! Don’t forget — it’s not the destination, it’s the journey. Enjoy your journey.
Just a couple of comments. First, I STRONGLY disagree with telling people to line up with faster runners. While I agree, the start can be chaotic, flouting attempts to make order out of the chaos is counter-productive and aggravating to those who are doing the right thing. Second, I agree with walking through the water stops to ensure you get a good drink and stay hydrated, however, pay attention. There are runners behind you who are not walking through and will run you down if you act like you’re out for a Sunday stroll.
Thanks for letting me get my two cents in and enjoy the race!
Good advice, but doesn’t “Don’t wear an iPod” technically violate Rule 1 for those that always run with iPods?
“In addition to the info above, there’s only one thing you need to remember as a first time runner. It happens to almost every first time marathoner and half-marathoner and is usually an absolutely critical mistake: whatever you do, don’t ever – EVER – even think about”
Think about what?
I disagree with telling people to line up 15-30 seconds ahead of their goal pace. You should start slow the first couple of miles in a marathon anyway, and that is exactly the reason why it is so chaotic at the start.
Don’t ever think about what???
First,Thanks – that was helpful… (about the IPUD issue…well I have to think about that…)
I suppuse when you wrote”…whatever you do, don’t ever – EVER – even think about” you meant don’t think about quitting…. if that’s what you meant I’m totally with you… Good luck to you all
I also have to respectfully disagree about the ipod. I don’t care how great the bands are on race day…my ipod has gotten me through months of training, so I’m not about to ditch it now. As long as you keep the volume at a reasonable level, you should be able to hear anything going on around you…including the music the bands are playing.
See you at the race!
Great list, this is my first full marathon (I’ve ran four halfs and a 25 mile trail race), so new territory for me and it is always good to get more guidance. A few things, I’m torn about the iPod issue. In my 25 mile trail race, I could have really really used an iPod those last 5 miles. A road marathon is totally different (trail race I ran by myself most of the time and no crowd support), so I still haven’t decided. Re. walking thru aid stations, I don’t think it will impact your time much if you do it 3-4 times over the whole race (Bill Rodgers walked thru a couple water stops and won the Boston Marathon!).
I agree with Roxanne about the iPod. The music that I listen to (PodRunner) is VERY MOTIVATIONAL and has gotten me through a 16-week training program. I’m not oing to run without it on Sunday, October 18th.
Amen on the i-pod issue; aside from the safety concerns, I am much more in tune with my body and focusing on the work at hand without the i-pod. Save it for treadmill work. Good luck to everyone !
Great feedback and suggestions, everyone. It sounds like the iPod suggestion is a matter of personal preference. I know I trained with my iPod for my first race earlier this year and after only one or two runs without it, decided to try the full 13.1 sans music. There weren’t ANY bands on that course and probably not even half of the crowd, but I was glad I didn’t have my iPod. Being able to hear friends and family yelling my name far outweighed any benefit I could’ve gotten from having music to occupy my mind.
Also, I’m REALLY sorry — I must have mistakenly edited my post too much and cut out the key piece of advice, which is a HUGE mistake on my part because it’s absolutely critical. I’ve heard from dozens of people who said they made the same mistake on their first race and could only recover after months of physical and emotional therapy. So here it is for all you fellow newbies: Whatever you do, you should never ever
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Bring singles and/or fives for parking at the surface lots on 3rd. Actually, bring enough to pay for another car as there are always runners looking for change for a $20. Marathon karma.
If you are going to carry your own gels for the race, I recommend that you practice how you are going to do this in one or two runs this week, if you haven’t already. I safety pin them inside my waistband, and found that it is important to trim the edges to avoid cuts on my waist.
Regarding the ipod, I always use an ipod for my long runs, but I don’t use it during the marathon. Long runs are otherwise quiet, which makes the music very helpful, but the bands and crowds at the marathon are at times very loud. Leave the ipod at home, and enjoy!
“…you should never ever…”? Very “Ocean’s 11″ — thanks, Rusty.
Butterflies will kick in soon, so I agree, don’t think about it, just run. And the adrenaline you do have, channel it and use it to your advantage!
I very much agree with the porta-potty comment:), as well as walking briskly through beverage stations. However, don’t worry about the others running through those stations, as you’re going to get bumped, spit on, snotted on and more by people. It’s all part of a runner’s experience.
Anyone know the weather prediction? And any other tips on where to park?
Good running to everyone!
Amateur mistake on my part guys… After consulting with a few of my friends who are marathon veterans, it looks like Chris and Ron are right: lining up with a group at the pace you’ve trained for is the right thing to do. Thanks for keeping me straight.
For the NBHCM, Clif Bar provides a pace team that paces marathoners from 3:10 to 5:30. Since the 1/2 marathon runners follow the marathon course, just cut the pace team time in half and choose the appropriate group that way. Also, bonus tip: you can meet pace leaders at the NBHCM Health and Fitness Expo on Friday and Saturday (at the ClifBar booth) to receive a free pace band to keep track of your time.
Weather Report…This morning on the news the weather guy said it would be sunny, no chance of rain, no wind and temps between 37 and 57 on Sunday. Sounds like an absolutely perfect day to run!
Has anyone seen an elevation map? I know everyone says it’s flat, it’s flat, but there has to be something somewhere and I haven’t been able to find an elev. map. Also, what specific foods are people eating these last few days?
Ok, so you say you should race in the clothes you trained in, which I am all for.. but we all trained over the summer with warmer weather! This evening I did 3 miles 51 degrees with my shorts on a jacket, gloves and plan on wearing a headband to cover my ears… my legs were very cold. Now the way my body temperature is I am warm but my legs were freezing to the touch. I guess my question is.. is that ok!? This is my first marathon just trying to go into it as prepared as possible! Thanks!
Hi Barb – check out this course map with the elevation profile at the bottom! http://www.columbusmarathon.com/docs/ColsMar_FS_FNL_9_30(1).pdf
Gail,
you should wear layers that you would not mind discarding as you warm up. I start out with a long sleeve shirt and gloves then about mile six off they come. I have a short sleeve shirt on under the long one. I would still suggest the shorts. This might really sound crazy but after the race consider an ice bath. Just a suggestion, it really reduces any inflamation.
Rich
One thing for sure is the twetter sign up is not going to let anyone know what my times are. I don’t understand why they don’t let the notice go out to cell phones or emails as text. it looks like only 550 people are signed up. Maybe I just don’t understand how it works.
In addition to TweetMyTime, your friends/family will be able to track you online during your event at: http://www.mtectracking.com:8080/Mtrack/Mtrack?raceid=9
We’ll also have this posted on our home page on Race Morning. Thanks!
Rich, there are systems that races have used that allow test messages to be sent for progress with information similar to what tweet my time offers. They work fine for what they are intended, for someone to get results for some other person that they know ahead of time is running the marathon – they often require the bib number.
TweetMyTime has a slightly different goal, it allows a runner to choose to share their progress with their friends and doesn’t force each friend to independently sign up for notifications. We think this fits better with the way that people share their information today. Both services could certainly be offered concurrently by a race, but The Columbus Marathon has not chosen to do so.
If someone wants to get updates on their friend via text message, they can turn that feature on during the race, via Twitter or Facebook (if it’s being used), and turn it off a following the race, however since many people can access Twitter an Facebook directly via smartphones, they would find text messages unnecessary.
About the glide…Are women supposed to use that stuff, too? This is my first marathon and I’ve done the 20 mile long run with no need for it.
@TweetMyTime
Do I need to sign up for Twitter in order for my results to get posted on my Facebook page? I couldn’t find where to sign up for those results.
Jenny, yes you do need a twitter account to get the results to post on facebook.
Thanks Rich for the advice, that changes my thoughts on the jacket. Going to do the longsleeve shirt instead! Confirms my decision to wear shorts!
Thanks, Gail! I’m all signed up.
I guess I really don’t know how the tweet thing works. Tips?
Hey guys! So I just tried the energy GU yesterday, as well as the Cliff energy gel and both were extremly…uhh..the opposite of tasty. I feel like it’s going to be even more gross during the middle of my run. Do you guys think it’s absolutely necessary? Should I just grin and bare it? I know it is necessary to eat SOMETHING, but I’m just wondering if it would be okay for that something to be a powerbar and/or banana. Thoughts?
If interested check out my “Virtual Tour / Course Review”. Columbus native, I’ve run this marathon 14 times and the half / relay 4 times, so I know my way around. Enjoy.
http://www.runnersworld.com/community/forums/index.jsp?plckForumPage=ForumDiscussion&plckDiscussionId=Cat%3aRunner+CommunitiesForum%3a608106477Discussion%3aff370471-ad98-4db1-bd52-dd26f3f4884d
Meg – I don’t like the GU either. I am running the full marathon on Sunday and I don’t plan on using GU. On my longest training run (22 miles) I just took a couple swallows of Gatorade Endurance Sport Drink every couple of miles. It works for me. When I tried using GU I had trouble opening the package with sweaty hands and it made me feel nauseous. I won’t tell you what I think GU tastes like. I’m no expert – in fact, this is my first marathon but I know I do better without the GU.
I guess I’m old school, no training with the Ipod, just pure nature me, and my heart beat!
Thanks Verna, glad to know someone else thinks it’s less than enjoyable haha. On my 20-miler I just took a few swigs of gatorade every few miles as well then nibbled on about half of a Clif power bar around the 14-mile and that seemed to work for me too. This is my first marathon as well, good luck!
Don’t forget a good pair of gloves and a hat that covers your ears. You’ll need them.
Meg and Verna — I’m a newbie at this, but you may want to try a different flavor or something… I’m telling you, the Lemon Sublime GU is like Hostess fruit pie filling. It’s awesome. All of my marathon-running friends told me that I would need GU unless I was planning to stop and use the port-a-potty in the middle of my run. At my first half marathon I went through several packets. Bananas might help prevent cramping, but they won’t give you enough energy to finish, and a powerbar might feel like a rock in your stomach an hour later. Again, just my two cents… It might be worth asking one of the experts at Second Sole about other options when you’re at the Expo this weekend.
Sharon – the tweet-my-time thing is pretty cool. The chip you attach to your shoe will activate as you cross the starting line. If you sign up to tweet your time, then your twitter account will automatically send out a message telling your followers that you started. As you progress through the race, you will step across several timing mats that will read your chip, calculate your time, and then tweet it out again. It’s a great way for friends and family to track your progress through the race if they can’t be there to watch in person. All you have to do is sign up on the marathon’s website and link it to your twitter account. It takes about 30 seconds. If you don’t have a twitter account, then add an extra minute or two to set one up. I actually also linked mine to my Facebook account, since far more of my friends use Facebook than twitter. So on Sunday morning, all of my Facebook friends will be able to see my progress without me having to do anything other than run.
Now that is awsome.. Thanks for taking the time, and it will help me remember how I’m going to gain ground..
Cheers.
MothAudio says:
October 15, 2009 at 2:11 pm
If interested check out my “Virtual Tour / Course Review”. Columbus native, I’ve run this marathon 14 times and the half / relay 4 times, so I know my way around. Enjoy.
http://www.runnersworld.com/community/forums/index.jsp?plckForumPage=ForumDiscussion&plckDiscussionId=Cat%3aRunner+CommunitiesForum%3a608106477Discussion%3aff370471-ad98-4db1-bd52-dd26f3f4884d
Thanks Eric – I’ll keep your advice in mind. My problem is that I totally lose my appetite while running and for awhile afterwards. The thought of eating anything makes me want to hurl. I have tried GU and energy bars (even the ones that are supposed to be easily digested) but I either couldn’t get myself to eat it or I felt nauseous after eating it. So I stopped trying and started just running on the gatorade. It worked for the 22 mille run so I was hoping it would work for the whole 26 miles. I might ask some people at the expo. See what they say. Well – have fun! I’ll see everyone Sunday!
wow thank you very much mothaudio!! great help
mothaudio – Great tour!
I have become addicted to PowerGel strawberry banana. Tastes good and gives me something to do and look forward to every 6 miles or so. Good luck all!
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This was my first “Official” race. I was very impressed with the energy of this city. I appreciate all the work of the volunteers, and especially the support from the citizens of Columbus. Well done.
I too agree with what verna says, we must go to the porta-potties before the race.
I am going to start training for a local marathon and I am using a program developed by Marrius Bakken. It’s a really good system, I am just throwing it out there for those who are interested in a good system.