I run for...Chicago.

One week until the Chicago Marathon! I have been tapering my mileage for the last 2 weeks and I am experiencing such a profound sense of peace. At this point, my hard training is finished and there is nothing that I can do in the next week that will do anything to improve my performance on race day. I've done all that I can do. Now I just need to trust in the training and make a game plan for race day. So today's blog post is about my preparation for Chicago.

Tapering

As I mentioned above, I have been tapering for the last 2 weeks. This is an essential part of marathon training. I have really struggled with the taper the last two years because I wanted to cram a whole bunch of extra miles in at the end thinking it will do some bit of good. But the truth is, it doesn't make any difference. If you stay consistent with your training program, then you have a pretty good indicator of how you will finish on race day. As I mentioned previously, nothing more can be done in those last 1-4 weeks (depending on your training program). Tapering allows your body to rest and restore the vital energy needed to run 26.2 miles. So this year I have fully embraced the taper mode and I'm feeling restless but I know it'll all be worth it.

Nutrition and Hydration

As far as running goes, I'm not doing much. I have cross training on Monday, 2 miles on Tuesday, and 4 miles on Thursday. I will do one last shake out run, 3 miles, on Saturday before race day and that's it! My diet, on the other hand, needs to be right on point. Most people understand that runners need to carb load before race day but that really doesn't need to happen until 1-2 days before the race. So for this week I will concentrate on eating lean meat, veggies, and about 50-60% carbs. During the 1-2 days before race day, that carb ratio will jump to about 70-80%. I've been pretty consistent with my pre-long run meals for awhile. On the day before, I generally have cereal and a banana for breakfast, Subway sandwich with fruit for lunch, and plain pasta with bread for dinner. Throughout the day I usually snack on pretzels, bagels, or crackers for extra carbs. Keeping track of my water intake this week will be as equally important as what I'm eating. This week I will take in an extra 1-2 glasses of water each day. Then 1-2 days prior to race day I will include an enhanced electrolyte substance (usually Nuun) with the water I drink.

Mental Preparation

This is SO important and you really need to have the right balance of tried and true methods versus novelty to keep things interesting. This year during my training runs I have stuck to one primary manta - "Think strong. Be strong." This has been particularly helpful during hill training and speed work. I will, no doubt, be using this on race day. But like I said, it's also important to keep things fresh and interesting because 26.2 miles is a loooooong run. Lol. So my new mantra, to be introduced during miles 20-26.2, will be "I can do more." I think this will give me the push I need at the end to endure the pain and exhaustion I will be feeling at that point. I also recently listened to the latest Another Mother Runner podcast in which they suggested dedicating every mile to someone. This really struck a chord within me, especially since this year I am running for the American Cancer Society. So I will be making a list of my closest family and friends and others that have donated to my cause and every mile will be dedicated to a different individual. The idea behind this is that you think of this person during "their" mile - the good memories, the qualities you admire in them - and it gets you through the miles easier. I'm hoping this works!

The Day Before

Yesterday I FINALLY made reservations for our hotel room next weekend. Nothing like waiting until the last minute! It's going to cost me an arm and leg but I was able to get us a room a mile from the start line and about 2 miles from the finish line. I think it'll be worth it to have a little peace of mind on the morning of the race. We won't have to worry about trains or cars, etc. So we are set to arrive in downtown Chicago on Saturday afternoon. Once we get checked into the hotel, we will go over to the expo. At the expo, I will pick up my race swag and most importantly my race bib and timing chip. The rest of the day is designated to relaxing to the MAX. I will follow my pre-race nutrition and hydration and go to bed early.

Marathon Day!!!!!!

The Chicago Marathon will have two waves on race day. I am slow (haha) so I am in Wave 2 and will start at 8:00am. I reviewed my participant guide last week and this will be unlike any marathon I have run before. It's estimated that a total of 2 million spectators will be in attendance on race day and I will be one of about 34,000 runners. To accommodate this number of runners, there will aid stations (water, Gatorade, toilets, and medical tents) every 1-2 miles. This is new for me. During my last 2 marathons, I had to carry my handheld water bottle and refill along the way. I am hoping to utilize the aid stations this year. For this, you need to plan ahead as well. On my training runs, I generally drink to thirst and I don't typically need something to drink until I reach 6 miles. Then about every 2-3 miles after that. So I will follow this same pattern on race day. As I have for the majority of my training runs, I will carry my own supply of GU energy gels. 

Post-Marathon

I cannot wait for post-marathon. The feeling that comes from finishing a marathon is hard to explain but it is one of the best feelings in the world. That being said post-marathon can offer some challenges as well. When the training has ended, it can be easy to get sucked into a post-marathon slump without a goal to work towards. So I have prepared for this by setting up a reverse taper program: no running Monday-Wednesday, 3 mile run Thursday, cross training Friday, 2-3 miles Saturday, and 6-8 miles on Sunday. After that I will slowly increase mileage again. I have a 5K to work towards in November as well. This will hopefully keep me motivated and on track. 

Staying motivated and keeping a consistent running routine is important because more is yet to come! Next year I will be doing bigger and better things. Stay tuned...

Happy running!

Amanda

P.S. I am still raising money for the American Cancer Society until October 27th. If you have not donated and still want to, you may go to http://determination.acsevents.org and search for me by name (Amanda Winchell).