Marathon questions - please help!

Hey, so I have a TON of questions about my upcoming marathon. I know a lot of you in the CC community have run marathons, so I was hoping a couple of you wouldn't mind answering some of these questions. There are a lot of questions, so I certainly don't expect you to answer all of them. Just pick a couple of them that you are especially knowledgeable or adamant about. Thanks so much!!!

Long run paces – should it be 60 to 90 seconds slower than middle run paces, or 60 to 90 seconds slower than the pace I intend on running during the actual marathon?

Should I run my first few miles of the marathon at a slower pace than my other miles, or should I just keep the same pace the whole way through?

How many times do you have to pee during the marathon? Do you have to wait in line?

Did you walk during the marathon? At what mile and for how long?

Do you recommend caffeine? How much? Will it make me pee?

It's officially against the rules to have an Ipod, but I read a blog that said it's not enforced at the marine corp marathon. Should I bring my ipod? Do you run with music? 

Should I bring my race belt to hold water/gel/chapstick and anything else I need?

How do I pick a good goal time? My longest run has been 20 miles thus far - should I use my average pace on that run to predict my marathon time?

Do you talk to people while you’re running?

What do you do after the race? Did you go straight home and take an ice bath? Did you just stretch? Did you get a massage?

Okay, so I haven't run a marathon, but I have done a half, and some of your questions are general enough that I'll take a shot at the ones I think I can answer.

Long run paces: there are pace calculators online that will give you guidelines on this.

Peeing during the race: yes, you'll likely have to wait in line. Better to do that and a)drink when you're thirsty and b)not be miserable trying to hold it. Especially if you're looking at a 3 1/2 - 5 hour finish time, you'll need to go. Don't sweat it - just stop your watch when you get to the port-a-potty, and start again once you're running (and don't be surprised if there's no paper...)

I walked during my half, and wished I'd just slowed down instead. The coach of the running group I run with recommends never stopping if you can avoid it - in fact, he suggests speeding up slightly just to change your cadence. That said, if you have to walk, it's not a failure (it's just really hard to start running again!)

So I've got a strong, 2 cup of tea a day habit, and I keep it up during races. I read an article in some running magazine about how tea is the new caffeine of choice for runners - it's less acidic and lower in caffeine than coffee, so it's not as hard on your stomach. BUT BUT BUT! if you haven't been drinking any caffeine before your training runs, don't start on the day of your marathon. Do what has worked for you as you've trained. That goes for food, too.

If it's against the rules to have an iPod, don't bring one. Maybe they don't enforce it, but how much would it suck to be kicked off the course for a rule you knew about?

Have you been running with your race belt? If so, I'd definitely bring your own gels and chapsticks. Unless you can get your friends to meet you at various points along the course, that is :)

I don't tend to talk to people when I run, but that's mostly due to pace (I always seem to be running by myself). The one time in a race that I ran with someone else for about a mile, I really enjoyed the conversation, and it kept my mind off my legs. I'd do whatever feels comfortable to you, but don't feel obligated to talk if you're in the mood to zone out or concentrate.

Dude - don't go straight home! Enjoy the finish line for a little while. And then go ice anything that's really sore, take a long, hot bath, and yes - get a massage.

Knock 'em dead, and enjoy your marathon!

Original Post by jcl76:

Long run paces – should it be 60 to 90 seconds slower than middle run paces, or 60 to 90 seconds slower than the pace I intend on running during the actual marathon?

Slower than the pace you intend to run the marathon in. That is assuming your goal pace is realistic.

Should I run my first few miles of the marathon at a slower pace than my other miles, or should I just keep the same pace the whole way through?

If it is a big marathon you will have a hard time running the first couple of miles due to the crowd. This is not a bad thing as it keeps from going out too fast due to the excitement.

How many times do you have to pee during the marathon? Do you have to wait in line?

This will vary from person to person. However, the longer you can wait the shorter the lines will be. This is especially true if there is a half-marathon running at the same time. The lines go down a lot once the half-marathon breaks off.

Did you walk during the marathon? At what mile and for how long?

I walked through the water stations whenever I needed a drink and up a very steep hill. If you walk, move out of the way of those that are running, especially at the water stations.

Do you recommend caffeine? How much? Will it make me pee?

Some people find a little bit of caffeine helps. But don't over do it.

It's officially against the rules to have an Ipod, but I read a blog that said it's not enforced at the marine corp marathon. Should I bring my ipod? Do you run with music? 

I believe most of the marathons are now allowing ipods etc. Do you train with one? Personally I don't. Also, consider that many marathons are run on public roads. While part or all of the road will be shut down, you need to stay aware of your surroundings.

Should I bring my race belt to hold water/gel/chapstick and anything else I need?

If you want to be sure you can use the same gel you've trained with, yes.

How do I pick a good goal time? My longest run has been 20 miles thus far - should I use my average pace on that run to predict my marathon time?

A lot of people advise that first-time marathoners just focus on finishing and not worry about times. Having set a goal time for my first marathon, and missed it badly, I would advise the same. It's okay to have a general goal in mind, but don't stress over it. Finishing a marathon is something only a very small percentage of the population can do. Just take joy and pride in finishing.

Do you talk to people while you’re running?

A brief chat is fine with most runners, especially those back in the pack. However, don't try and hold long conversation or expect to run and chat with them the entire race. It's perfectly fine to exchange a few words and then either move on or let them go on out ahead. 

What do you do after the race? Did you go straight home and take an ice bath? Did you just stretch? Did you get a massage?

My first marathon I plopped down on the curb and didn't move for 45 minutes. I could barely walk for the next week. My second, I kept walking slowly for a good 30 minutes after finishing. I was out jogging with little soreness four days later. I am a big believer in keeping moving. I do this after my long runs as well. Hal Higdon's book has a good section on what to do right after the race to start recoverying.

Long run paces – should it be 60 to 90 seconds slower than middle run paces, or 60 to 90 seconds slower than the pace I intend on running during the actual marathon?

I think about 60 seconds slower than the pace you intend to run the marathon.

Should I run my first few miles of the marathon at a slower pace than my other miles, or should I just keep the same pace the whole way through?

It will be hard not to run slower at the start I expect due to crowding.

How many times do you have to pee during the marathon? Do you have to wait in line?

The lines weren't long and I didn't need to go that much but I kept stopping every couple of miles when there were toilets out of paranoia that if I didn't go now, I might need to before the next opportunity. Probably wasted about 10-20 mins on toilet stops.

Did you walk during the marathon? At what mile and for how long?

Through water stations and on and off after about mile 20 for a total of maybe half a mile. I was suffering badly!

Do you recommend caffeine? How much? Will it make me pee?

I don't drink tea/coffee ever so I'm not really a caffeine girl. EVERYTHING makes me pee!

It's officially against the rules to have an Ipod, but I read a blog that said it's not enforced at the marine corp marathon. Should I bring my ipod? Do you run with music? 

I never run with music mainly because I can't get headphones to stay in my mini ears.

Should I bring my race belt to hold water/gel/chapstick and anything else I need?

I did a 20 mile race with a race belt and found it really annoying because it kept moving. I wouldn't have needed to hold water because there were enough stations. Though a belt that could hold some gels/vaseline for underarm chafing would have been awesome.

How do I pick a good goal time? My longest run has been 20 miles thus far - should I use my average pace on that run to predict my marathon time?

I used this basing it on a training run before I did my half marathon and it was quite accurate: http://www.liebreich.com/LDC/HTML/Various/Run Calculator.html ; - not so accurate from the marathon cos my training went to pot.

Do you talk to people while you’re running?

Briefly maybe but not really. Didn't stick with anyone. It would have been nice to have a running partner to chat a bit on long training runs, and to encourage eachother in the race though.

What do you do after the race? Did you go straight home and take an ice bath? Did you just stretch? Did you get a massage?

Rummaged through my goodie bag, found an apple, munched that, downed a bottle of water, ate a bag of jellie babies, then wandered around like a lost puppy looking for my parents at the overcrowded finish. Stretched a bit. Then walked for what seemed like an age (and included steps - STEPS!) to a tube station to go back to our hotel then drive home. Took some photos on the way back, changed out of those grim clothes, and brushed my hair :)

Ran a very slow mile the next day, got a sports massage the day after that. And went straight back into training at my normal schedule (albeit slower and lower intensity), and did my first triathlon a week later.

 

Original Post by jcl76:

Should I run my first few miles of the marathon at a slower pace than my other miles, or should I just keep the same pace the whole way through?

Try to run at your regular pace, but more than likely the crowds will prevent you from being able too.

How many times do you have to pee during the marathon? Do you have to wait in line?

If you have to go to the bathroom, you will probably have to wait in line, and there wont' be any toilet paper. When I ran the Country Music Marathon in April, I amazing didn't have to go at all!  So, you just never know. 

Did you walk during the marathon? At what mile and for how long?

I ended up walking much more than I wanted to.  The water stations were so crowded that you had to stop and wait for a drink.  I say, slow your pace way down to a fast walk as you go through drink stations, but then pick it right back up.

Do you recommend caffeine? How much? Will it make me pee?

I definitely recommend caffeine in whatever type of energy food you use.  I use both Sport Beans (with caffeine) and Gels (with caffeine).  They don't make me pee.

It's officially against the rules to have an Ipod, but I read a blog that said it's not enforced at the marine corp marathon. Should I bring my ipod? Do you run with music? 

I the three races I've run, all of them said no headphones, but tons of people had them anyway.  I personally don't run with music.  I like to find my own pace/rhythm. 

Should I bring my race belt to hold water/gel/chapstick and anything else I need?

I would do whatever you have been doing during training.  Personally, I just pin my gels to the band of my shorts and put my Sport beans and chapstick in the pocket of my shorts.

How do I pick a good goal time? My longest run has been 20 miles thus far - should I use my average pace on that run to predict my marathon time?

That's what I would do.

Do you talk to people while you’re running?

I trained with a friend, so we had each other.  

What do you do after the race? Did you go straight home and take an ice bath? Did you just stretch? Did you get a massage?

An ice bath is a MUST!  (Do not take a hot bath.)  I actually forgot to stretch at all because I was on such a high from finishing.  I recommend hanging out and enjoying the moment.  Then when you feel ready, go home and take an ice bath, get cleaned up, and go eat a well deserved meal with friends or family to celebrate!

 

Good luck!

Long Run Pace:  Get a heart rate monitor... I use a combination of heart rate and time to determine my "pace"... also on the day of the race the heart rate monitor allows you to gauge better how you're doing with the temp/humidity/anxiety/excitement/how much sleep you got/how you hydrated the two days before/ how much you ate the day before etc...

First Few Miles:  Run them at your race pace... too often newbies run too fast to keep up with the crowd and later on in the race when they need that energy for the last 3 miles... IT.AIN'T.THERE.  Again... heart rate monitors will keep you at from going off the rails.

Peeing:  I agree that if you can wait until the half marathon people turn off then do so... and then the lines aren't that long at all... pee when you need to... if you pass a port a pot and you gotta go... go!  Don't hold it!  You can lose those few hundred ml and be lighter (lol).

Walking:  I run 10 and I walk 1... always have and always will...  My endurance is greater and I can maintain a faster pace overall with the little walk.  It also allows me to work out stiffness from running.

Caffine:  If you haven't been drinking caffinated beverages/eating foods with caffine in them... DO NOT START THE DAY OF YOUR RACE!!!!  If you want to try caffine out do so earlier in your training.  Introducing caffine on race day may or may not be a recipe for disaster but why risk it after months of training.

Ipod:  As long as you know the consequences of having your Ipod and you are aware of your surroundings AND MOST IMPORTANTLY you can still observe proper race etiquette... fill your boots.

Race belt:  Do you train with your belt?  Do you know how many water stations are along the way?  Do you have other pockets to carry your stuff?  I run with the my belt because I use a lot of water on the course but it is up to you... I would for your first race... and most importantly carry your cell because if you run into trouble 911 isn't far away.

Time Goal:  While using your average pace on the 20 miler training run may be a good indicator of your performance I wouldn't worry too much about finishing time.  Think of it this way... first race is a personal best.  Aim for something realistic and if you can beat it... AWESOME!  If you meet it... AWESOME!  If you take longer... AWESOME!  Just getting your butt to the start line and then over the finish line is challenge enough.  Worry about your second marathon time!

Talking:  Some people hit it off while running... I always make running friends... even without trying.  You fall into step with someone and if they are interested in chatting they will.  If not... I have been known to talk to myself :-)

After:  Eat... Chocolate milk... Eat again... stretch...watch people cross finish line... clap... cheer... eat...stretch... water... water...water... pee... eat... look at my medal/shirt/hat... ice bath (actually more uncomfortable than it sounds)...shower... sit on butt for rest of day and demand that people wait on me hand and foot because I ran a marathon that day...eat... sleep like a demon...  I usually get a massage 3-4 days later after my muscles have stopped being tender.  And I stretch as often as I can... trust me you will feel better.

At the risk of being repetitive...  Yet Another Perspective (YAP!)  :-)

Long run paces – should it be 60 to 90 seconds slower than middle run paces, or 60 to 90 seconds slower than the pace I intend on running during the actual marathon?

The later.  Your LSD training run should be 2-3 minutes slower than your goal pace.  This is what the Kenyans do :-)

Should I run my first few miles of the marathon at a slower pace than my other miles, or should I just keep the same pace the whole way through?

Your goal should always be to negative split your training runs and your race.  I have read that any minutes you "bank" at the beginning of the race will cost you 2-3 times that much at the end.  So if you run 10 minutes faster than goal pace for the first half, you will lose 20-30 minutes during the second half.  What you want to do is build your pace for the first half, strong up to mile 18, then give it everything you got.  The real race doesn't start till mile 18 anyways.

How many times do you have to pee during the marathon? Do you have to wait in line?

The longer you wait to pee, the shorter the lines.  In general, you can dive in and out quick if you find an open port-a-pottie.  As others have said, carry some of your own TP.

Did you walk during the marathon? At what mile and for how long?

I do the run walk thing.  For marathons, its usually 4/1 or 5/1.  Walking for 1 minute per mile is also good.  I have friends who have qualified for Boston this way.  Also, walking through the aide stations is good.

Do you recommend caffeine? How much? Will it make me pee?

Galloway recommends a cup of coffee in the morning to jump start your system, but don't over do it.  It shouldn't make you pee.

It's officially against the rules to have an Ipod, but I read a blog that said it's not enforced at the marine corp marathon. Should I bring my ipod? Do you run with music? 

I never run with music.  If its against the rules, then I, personally, would leave it at home.  Besides, you might want to chat up your fellow athletes.

Should I bring my race belt to hold water/gel/chapstick and anything else I need?

I ran my first marathon with a Fuel Belt.  I ran my second one without it.  I will never run a marathon again with a Fuel Belt.  Those little race belts are OK.

How do I pick a good goal time? My longest run has been 20 miles thus far - should I use my average pace on that run to predict my marathon time?

Your goal for your first marathon should be to finish and have fun!!  That's what it is all about.  A broad window to finish in is not a bad idea for spectators, but really, cross the line with a smile on your face :-)

Do you talk to people while you’re running?

Not usually.  Running is not my favorite thing to do, so I'm usually focused on not dying....

What do you do after the race? Did you go straight home and take an ice bath? Did you just stretch? Did you get a massage?

I head for the pub to get BEER :-)  I've never taken an ice bath or a massage.  I do lurve my 2XU compression sleeves though.  They help me recover so well.

Long run paces – should it be 60 to 90 seconds slower than middle run paces, or 60 to 90 seconds slower than the pace I intend on running during the actual marathon?

I don't follow this.  I just do my thing and listen to my body.  Generally I run around a 9:00-9:15 pace, last yr did nyc marathon avg pace of 9:26, back then my long runs were about 10:00 pace.  I'm sorry I have no more to offer there!

Should I run my first few miles of the marathon at a slower pace than my other miles, or should I just keep the same pace the whole way through?

Like Wes, I am a big fan of the negative split.  It is true that the first few miles are VERY crowded, and if you try to weave around people it will just tire you out and/or you could hurt yourself by tripping!  Just try to run with the crowd until some space opens up.

How many times do you have to pee during the marathon? Do you have to wait in line?

My first I used a porta potty somewhere along the way.  second one I went like 10,000x before the race, didn't stop at all during the race and then had a LITTLE leak just as I crossed the finish line (I had to pee for like 6 miles but I felt so good I didn't want to risk stopping).  I will aim to not go again.  the lines are def shorter the longer you wait.

Did you walk during the marathon? At what mile and for how long?

no, not even through the water stops.  I wore my water belt so I could control when I drank, not the water stops dictating to me. 

Do you recommend caffeine? How much? Will it make me pee?

I drank maybe 2 cups of coffee in the morning, made sure to use the bathroom (for me, coffee effects the BMs more haha)  also my marathons gel packs were the gatorade ones which have caffiene in them. i had like 3.

It's officially against the rules to have an Ipod, but I read a blog that said it's not enforced at the marine corp marathon. Should I bring my ipod? Do you run with music? 

I know this may get some evil glares from certain runners, but I just love running with music, and I ran nyc with my iPod, several halfs, and plan on using it in philly, all where they are banned.  Music is as crucial as sneakers to me when I run though.

Should I bring my race belt to hold water/gel/chapstick and anything else I need?

I ran my first without (didn't train with one either, actually didn't even know they exhisted!) ran second with, and LOVED it. I had my cell so I'd call friends/fam and tell them when I was getting close, I packed a little mini granola bar (im weird and eat when I run.) and best of all I didn't have to stop at water stations, I just drank when I was thirsty. 

How do I pick a good goal time? My longest run has been 20 miles thus far - should I use my average pace on that run to predict my marathon time?

I agree, first marathon you should just focus on a good strong finish.  BUT I think you can get a good idea by seeing what your average pace is on your long runs and multiplying it by 26.2.  Actually I've heard a rule of thumb is to double a half marathon time and then add 10-15 mins.  That seems like a good estimate to me.

Do you talk to people while you’re running?

nope

What do you do after the race? Did you go straight home and take an ice bath? Did you just stretch? Did you get a massage?

KEEP walking.  nyc you are actually in a corral for seriously about a mile.  that mile put me a mile out of the way from my hotel so i walked 2 miles.  oh and i drank some water, peed, and ate a tasti delight.