Coopah How To: Learn From My Marathon Mistakes

Can you believe we are now only 5 weeks away from the TCS London Marathon? This year will be my 7th London Marathon, and including other marathons I have run, it is safe to say I have learnt a lot over my years of marathon running - both from things that have gone well, and things that haven’t.

I have previously shared the mistakes I have made in training (click here to catch up on those), but today I am going to share the lessons I have learnt going into race day, to hopefully ensure you don’t make the same ones - and a reminder to myself to not make them again.

ps this was me after my first London Marathon (and first ever marathon) in 2016

TRUST THE TAPER

Okay, not strictly race day but this is an important one. Your taper is one of the most important parts of your training plan and can make a huge difference to how you feel on race day. This is the period of your training where volume and intensity will start to decrease, and although it may feel like your mind is playing tricks on you - I can promise you, you will not lose fitness or forget how to run because you are running slightly less.

This is also not the time to be cramming in any missed runs for those ‘last minute gains’ - and again I know how tempting this can be, and is a mistake I have made in the past - thinking that extra long run will pay off on race day, when in reality all it really does is use up vital energy, slow down recovery and cause extra fatigue.

So when the taper does roll around in a couple of weeks, try to keep this in mind – trust in your training so far, listen to your body and don’t be tempted to do more just for the sake of it.

And fear not, as we approach that crucial period I will be sharing lots more advice on how to manage those crucial few weeks.

NERVES ARE NORMAL

Repeat after me, it is completely normal to feel nervous about running a marathon.

Why? Because for one, running a marathon is a big deal (and don’t let anyone tell you it’s not) and two, feeling nervous is because ultimately you care about the outcome.

Before my first ever marathon, I will be honest, I was a wreck. For the weeks leading up to the day, if anyone even mentioned the word marathon, I felt sick. I was over analysing every run, obsessively checking the weather app multiple times a day, and in general was probably a nightmare to be around. But guess what, on the day itself, yes I still felt nervous but as I stood on that start line surrounded by thousands of other runners, I realised that if all of these people can run a marathon, than so can I. And that ultimately I was just one person amongst thousands of others that were there to achieve the same goal, and that really helped to reframe my thinking around the whole day.

I will admit, I do still get nervous before big events, especially if I have set myself a goal, but now I don’t let it overtake my whole life, and instead I just try to focus on the positives and tell myself that once I cross that start line, those nerves will turn into adrenaline and help to power me through those 26.2 miles.

CONTROL THE CONTROLLABLES

Now, following on nicely from the last point, this is a really important one. I don’t know about any of you, but when I feel nervous my brain also goes into overdrive about anything and everything that could go wrong. And what happens then? You feel even more nervous.

As I mentioned, before my first marathon I worried about just about anything and everything, even those things out of my control. So my biggest piece of advice to you, is just focus on those things you can control, and where you can, be proactive and plan ahead. For example;

Problem - What if I forget to pack my trainers?!

Solution - Make a check list of all the things you need to pack for your race, even the really obvious ones, and tick it off as you go. It will help to calm your nerves and ensure you have everything you need for the day.

Problem - What if I don’t get to the start on time?

Solution - Plan ahead. Make sure you know exactly where the start area is, and plan your route the week leading up to the event. If you are travelling to the event and are arriving the day before, do a dummy run of heading to the start area so you know exactly where to go and save any last minute panicking on the day.

Problem - What if the weather is terrible on race day?

Solution - Check the forecast in the days leading up to the race and prepare accordingly. Pack options for different conditions — a rain jacket for wet weather, sunscreen and a cap for sun, or layers for cold temperatures. Unfortunately this is one thing that really is out of our control, so all we can do is make the best of the situation. Remember, everyone will be facing the same conditions, so focus on what you can control — your mindset and effort.

We really are approaching that final countdown now, and soon it will be time for you to put all your hard work and effort over the last few months to the test. And as I have said, it is totally okay if you are feeling nervous, but just keep reminding yourself of how far you have come, everything you have already achieved during your training and remember that ultimately marathon day is really just a celebration of all your hard work, with a nice shiny medal at the end.

We’ve got this!

Coach Jordan x