If you’re about to embark on your first marathon, or maybe you’re just ready to take your preparation a little more seriously this time, you’ll probably be wondering what’s the best way to spend your final hours before the big race.
The 48 hours leading up to the start line are arguably the most important of your whole preparation. You can train as religiously as you want for months on end, continuously smash PBs and take every necessary step to avoid injury, but not being able to turn down a calorie-filled takeaway the night before could undo all that good work in an instant.
What to avoid before a marathon
With that in mind, before we get on to what to do with your time before a marathon, here are three things you should absolutely be avoiding!
Alcohol: Doing anything on a hangover is challenging, but asking your body to run a marathon when suffering from one would be cruel to yourself. While a beer or two the night before might help to calm the nerves, having a couple too many could be disastrous for your race. Consuming excessive amounts of alcohol could negatively impact your sleep, lead to cravings for sugary food and leave you feeling dehydrated the morning after - none of which are ideal preparation for running a marathon!
Heavy lifting: It’s recommended that strength training and resistance training form part of your marathon prep, with most runners dedicating at least one day a week to building muscle endurance through lifting. That’s all well and good when you’re months out from the big day, but not when you’re only a few days away. Lifting has the ability to rule you out of your event at any second, and even if you manage to avoid a freak injury, the effects of weight training are often felt 24-48 hours after your workout. And you wouldn't want to be running a marathon with tight hips now, would you?
Surgery: So it might not be top of any runner’s list to go and get a facelift the night before attempting 26.2 miles, but even smaller surgeries should be avoided at all costs in the lead-up to a marathon as you never know how your body will react. This includes dental surgery, so try putting off that trip to the dentist until after your run, and don’t be searching for plastic surgery in Manchester if you’re over there to take on their world-famous marathon!
What to focus on before a marathon
That’s enough of what not to do before taking on a marathon, but what should you be doing? Here are 4 areas you can gain an advantage when it comes to marathon prep.
Sleep: It’s not uncommon to be a bag of nerves the night before your marathon. Many runners, both amateur and professional, struggle to get their required eight hours the night before a big race. You might think pre-race insomnia will completely scupper your goals, but interestingly, research suggests that one bad night’s sleep does not impact physical performance. Instead, prioritise your sleep the night before the night before, that way you’ll ensure you don’t get two bad nights’ sleep back to back, and your pre-race nerves probably won’t have kicked in by then so you should find it much easier to drift off.
Eating: You’ve probably heard about carb loading, a strategy used by professional athletes before competing that sees them load up their intake of carbohydrates the days before a match or race. Carbs are the best source of fuel for our bodies during exercise, so it’s common for runners to integrate foods like pasta, potatoes and rice into their diets during race week. Many novice runners believe that your biggest intake of carbs should come the night before a run, but similar to sleep, your meal two nights before is probably more important. Upping your intake of carbs two nights before a marathon gives you well over 24 hours to process the meal, ensuring you’re not feeling bloated on the start line while still being able to reap the benefits that carbohydrates provide us.
Running: Another common misconception amongst runners just starting out is that you should use race week to completely rest your legs. While reducing the load on your legs is recommended, completely avoiding running could lead to a shock to the system come race day. A short, easy run the night before, or even the morning of, a marathon can be enough to keep the blood flowing in your legs so they’re ready to go come marathon time.
Stretching: You’ve probably been incorporating stretching into your training already, but don’t worry if not. Stretching becomes even more important during race week, and even if you’ve never stretched before, stretching in the days leading up to your run can still be extremely beneficial. It’s recommended you stretch before and after every one of your short runs during race week, and even on days when you’re not running. That way, you’ll help keep your muscles loose and hopefully avoid waking up with that dreaded feeling of tight legs on the morning of your big day.
