Thursday, September 20, 2012

Plan your run, run your plan!


This is the best advice I have ever received when it comes to running a marathon: Plan your run, run your plan.

So you think you already have a plan. You joined a running group and have been following their suggested running schedule to the letter. You’ve learned all about shoes, fueling, hydration, useful equipment (such as fuel belts, compression sleeves, etc.), pacing and more. But now is the time to plan a strategy specific to the marathon you will be running. Hopefully you have already practiced some of your plan on those long runs. It is a great way to get a feel for the “fun” to come. :)

I am a planner by nature. Yes, I do log every mile I run and every workout I do. I often note what I wore on my run and almost always make note of the weather and temperature. So when I start my plan for an upcoming race, the first question that comes to mind is what are the typical weather conditions for the race.

Having lived in the Pacific Northwest for most of my life, I don’t have to check weather records for the Portland Marathon. I know that the first couple weeks of October may bring reasonably warm weather but mornings are generally cool to cold and rain is always a possibility. Therefore, my plan for 2012 will be the same as last year, i.e. disposable warm weather clothes.

Disposable? Yes. Thrift shops, Goodwill, Salvation Army, any number of secondhand stores have loads of athletic jackets and long-sleeved shirts that are perfect for disposable use. Start your run wearing your warm gear. When you begin to feel warm enough to rid yourself of the clothing, peel it off mid-run and toss to the side. Most large races collect clothing disposed on the side of the road and donate it to outfits that wash and redistribute it to the homeless. (For smaller runs, you may wish to deposit your warm clothing at a water station where the volunteers can take care of it for you.)

I am also a firm believer in layers. Layers will keep you warm and you can always peel them off as needed. But if you’re too warm and you chose to run in long tights and a single long sleeve shirt…well, it will suck to be you if the sun breaks out and the mercury starts to climb. So note: plan your clothes well ahead of time.

Remember never to run in anything you have not already tested on a long run. This is most especially important for the layer of clothing that is against your skin. I am grateful for the advice of the Portland Fit coaches for reiterating this advice every chance they can. A couple weeks before last year’s Portland Marathon, I found the most lusciously soft tank top that I was POSITIVE would be PERFECT for marathon day. The little voice in my head kept telling me to test run the top, and so did my head coach, Peggy, although I was certain it wasn’t needed. Eventually I gave in and ran my last long training run in that top. Boy, was I glad I did!

Turns out that for some strange reason, the neckline (although soft as butter) turns into sandpaper with my salty sweat. This left me with two very tender sores along my collarbone. Needless to say, I ultimately ran the marathon in the same old tired outfit in which I ran most of my training runs. Comfort first, fashion…maybe.

A tip I received from the Portland Marathon Training Clinic last year was to wear a singlet and shorts in temperatures of 55 and over. Wearing even a short-sleeved shirt may prove too warm when you consider that a mid 50 degree day will feel 10-20 degrees warmer once you are out there running those long miles. In my experience, I agree. I have never regretted wearing a singlet and shorts as opposed to running capris and a short-sleeved tee shirt. Experiment on your long training runs and determine what works best for you.

It should go without saying that one should NEVER run in new running shoes on marathon day or even shoes with too few miles on them. Too many horror stories have been told about running with blisters from such attempts. (Even though I always run in my dependable shoes, I also try to remember to carry a few bandages with my “fuel” in the small snack-sized baggie pinned to the inside of my shorts, just in case…)

After the clothing decision, I spend some time studying the course map and elevation guide. I don’t like surprises. I want to know if after ten or fifteen miles these old legs will be expected to climb mountains or if I will be asked to finish on an uphill. I also keep a notebook with printouts of past long training run maps and elevation guides. By reviewing these, I get a sobering view of how elevation changes affect my pace. (Sadly, I am not a strong hill runner.)

The topography also plays a role in my fueling and hydration. Typically I don’t start taking water on the course until miles four or five. Depending on the challenges of the terrain and the expected temperatures, I may plan to only hit ever other water station.

Okay, I can hear the collective gasps from those that believe you should drink at each and every water station. Well, I have done that in the past and I wound up taking in too much water and feeling poorly. (There have been several articles written lately about hyponatremia discussing the dangers of too much water.) Now I am much more conservative about fluid intake and drink more to thirst, but not entirely. If I’m not thirsty after four or five miles, I still make myself drink at least a little bit. Remember that once you are REALLY thirsty…you are in trouble. If you’re unsure whether you should take liquids at the aid stations, then you may benefit by taking a little bit.  You just don’t want to hear or feel liquid sloshing around as you run. That may be a sign that you have more than you need.

I print the course map that shows the water/aid stations and I circle the ones I know I will absolutely use and I highlight the ones that will be “maybe” stations. Of course, the best way to insure you will not be in need of water or fuel will be to carry your own fuel belt. I, personally, hate fuel belts. I spend all training season using one but I find them annoying and uncomfortable, often causing chafing problems. I do see many runners on marathon courses using them. The call is yours.

From all those long training runs you hopefully will know what it takes to avoid the dreaded “bonk” come mile 18-20 on race day. You did your obligatory carbo loading 2-4 days leading into the race. You plan to fuel early and regularly on the course. For you, “fueling” every five miles might work best or every 30-45 minutes. Those long training runs did a lot to build up your aerobic capacity and the latter ones were a great time to practice some of the strategy you plan to use in the race.

Don’t forget to plan to arrive at the race at least an hour before the start. You have to account for finding parking, using the porta-potties (maybe twice), checking in clothes bags (remembering to bring some dry clothes for after the race) and maybe a little time to stretch and find your assigned corral.

Probably the most important part of your race plan will be pace. As most every book on marathoning will tell you (and I have no less than twenty of them), going out too fast is the number one rookie mistake of marathoning. Yep, I’ve done it, more than once. The adrenaline is pumping, the excitement sweeps over you and you feel GREAT! Only as the miles click away, that excitement changes to concern. The legs don’t feel quite so springy, the excitement wanes and come mile 18 (or sooner) you begin to feel the wheels start to fall off that runaway wagon of yours.

If you are running your first marathon, forget the time. Enjoy the experience. Resist the urge to join the rabbits at the start. In the end it will not be the time you remember but the sense of accomplishment when you cross that finish line.

If you are running for time and you are like me, i.e. not yet a master of pacing, you may wish to follow a pacer. Most large races have people who run at a pace guaranteed to get you to the finish at their promised time. The trick is being honest with yourself. You will only set yourself up for disappointment if you decide to follow a pace group that is really beyond your current ability.

Also, it is a mistake to think you will be able to “bank” time in the beginning stages of the run, figuring you will be able to maintain a slower but steady pace at the end. It rarely works out that way for most runners, especially newer runners. You will get increasingly slow as the miles click off and it will likely be much slower than you anticipated. Since few people outside of elite runners truly master the skill of negative splits (i.e. running each mile of a race faster than the last or running the latter half faster than the first half), trying to maintain a relatively even pace will be your best bet for hitting your desired finishing time. Be honest with yourself about your running abilities.

It’s sometimes painful to admit that you are not quite at a certain level time-wise. There are many online pace calculators that will give you predicted finished times based on your current performances at other distances. The one that I often used is the McMillian running calculator. It also gives suggested training paces as well as predicted times. So far it has been dead-on for most of my races.

However, keep in mind that terrain and weather conditions play a significant role in how close to those predicted times you can get, as well as your own health on race day. Therefore, I like to have three game plans for predicted finish times. One is the most reasonable time I should expect to finish a race given adequate training. This would be my worst-case scenario, a time I might not like but will accept as the best I could do on that given day.

My second time goal is the time I would expect if I felt strong and confident of my training. It would be a goal that would make me happier than just having finished the marathon. It’s a realistic goal but also a challenging one.

My third time goal is my ultimate goal. You know, that’s the one where everything works better than planned.  All the stars and planets have aligned just right and miracles do happen! No, I’m not crazy enough to think I would win the race or even my age division. But it may be a goal that based on a few very good training runs would suggest that it might happen…maybe…hopefully, with a whole lotta luck and a prayer. ;)

Whatever time goal I meet, I plan to accept it for what it is. It is one moment in time and it doesn’t change the fun I had during the journey to get to the start line.

I’ve run three marathons. Every time I think I will feel better at mile 20 than I ever have at that distance. Every time…I don’t. :P It is so absolutely true that the race starts at mile 20. It is at that distance for me (and most others) that finishing the race depends entirely on what is going on inside your head and not just with your legs. So when the negative talk starts to settle in (you know, the “whatever made me think I could do this?”, “I just don’t think I can do this.”, “I suck. What made me think I could do this?”), SNAP OUT OF IT! If it were easy, everyone would do it. Remind yourself, you are STRONG!  Remember, the pain is temporary; the sense of accomplishment is forever.

Your race plan may be as detailed or as general as you like. A plan of any sort will help you feel prepared and ready to rock that marathon! The best plan of all…remember to smile. Smiling actually produces feelings of relaxation. So when you feel yourself getting that scary race-face thing…smile. Laugh in the face of pain. You’re a marathoner. Know it, believe it. You planned your run, now run your plan!

See ya out there. (You might have to remind me of my “plan”. :D )

P.S. Stay tuned for my review of the You Go Girl Half Marathon. Another good day for mother and daughter!