Marathon Training – Where Should I Be Right Now?

Part 5

The week before the marathon…race week.

Body Train:

This week your training should be significantly reduced. Volume and intensity should be low to allow your body to recover and re-fuel from all the hard work you have put in.

Don’t leave you best running behind in training – save it for the event! As a rule of thumb you should be doing 30% of your highest training load in this final week. Runs should be much shorter, slower, with one light ‘session’ to turn over your legs, maybe some strides. Add a few more rest days in this week, or if you like to run, then very short runs – just 10 mins.  It’s simple really, the closer you get to therace the less training you should do!

This week you may feel like running more,and get twitchy, but you can only run too much in the last week, you can never do too little! Focus on resting up a few days before the race, watching a DVD or reading a book can help you be relaxed and take your mind off the event.

Food Focus:

The week before the marathon eat a normal healthy, balanced diet. Focus on consuming extra carbohydrates 2 days leading up to the race- this does not mean you need to over eat, but try to eat a little and often some carbohydrate foods. You may want to eat simple foods to try and reduce the risk of upsetting your stomach.  Don’t simply trough everything in sight!  You may well be away from home in the lead upto the race, staying in a hotel, so try and eat things that you would normally eat at home.

Avoid pigging out on the breakfast buffet just because it is there, save that for after that race.

Make sure you are hydrated; carry a small bottle of drink with you when you are out and about and visiting the Expo.

Brain Train:

• Control the things you can and shut out those you cannot.
• Don’t worry about what others or your competitors are doing or might do.
• Catch the onset of a negative thought and replace it with a positive.
• Draw on your mental rehearsal.
• Use positive self talk and affirmations in the race – especially when it gets tough!
• Focus on your successes.  Think about a training session or a race in the past that wasreally successful, when you felt strong, invincible, alive and full of energy. Recall whatmade it so great.  Store these thoughts in your mind and pull them out during the race.
  Enjoy and appreciate each moment.