What Not to Do the Week Before Your Marathon

You’ve trained for months, racked up hundreds of miles, and now your marathon race day is right around the corner. During the week of your marathon, you should taper, carb-load, and bask in pre-race excitement.

What you shouldn’t do? Commit these common mistakes in the days leading up to your big event, some of which show up subtly, while others lead to race-day sabotage. Listed below are the most common mistakes coaches see marathoners make, and how to avoid them, so you can show up fully rested, fuelled, and ready to run your best.

1. Attempt to Squeeze in One Last Workout
We’re all guilty of scrambling to turn something in at the last minute, but race week is not the time for last-minute training. In fact, following a training plan months or weeks in advance sets you up for a successful race day with enough time to let your hard work sink in during your taper period.

Some runners wind up running too much, or ignoring their tapers altogether, says Josh Wessler, ACSM-certified personal trainer and RRCA-certified run coach.

You want to cut back your mileage by about 40 percent during your taper period, which includes race week, says Namrita Brooke, PhD, RDN, endurance coach and sports dietitian. For example, if your speed days consisted of 1600m repeats, your speed day during race week might look like 400-metre reps at the same or lower intensity.

This also isn’t the week for your longest long run, considering a dip in mileage includes a shorter “long” run, typically about a week before your race, adds Maya Ellison, CPT, RRCA-certified run coach and owner of P.A.C.E.D. Coaching Services. “Race week is about preserving energy and sharpening, not building fitness,” she says.

Both Wessler and Brooke suggest taking one extra rest day during your race week. This way, you continue following your typical routine, but with some extra time to rest and decompress before it’s time to head to the start line.

While you should cut back on volume before your race, remember that you shouldn’t rest too much either. It can be tempting to play it safe and rest up so you’re not racing on tired legs, but Wessler explains that if you ditch your training plan during race week, you’re likely not setting yourself up for peak performance. So stick to the plan; it’s created for a reason!

2. Ditch Your Usual Routine
You may have heard the golden rule of races: “nothing new on race day” and it’s a golden rule for a reason, explains Brooke. You don’t want to risk trying too many new things leading up to your race, like new shoes, paces, gels, or fuel alternatives, because it might lead to an upset stomach, poor performance, or worse, injuries.

Lace up that new pair of kicks you’ve been eyeing or snag a couple of gel alternatives when you go for your long run at least two to three weeks out from race day, Brooke suggests, instead of waiting until the last minute. If something doesn’t sit in your stomach or doesn’t fit right, you can readjust the following week with your go-to gear and fuel that works.

3. Ruminate on Pre-race Feelings
With shorter or fewer runs during race week comes more time to chill out, which often leads to thoughts, feelings, and doubts about your training, Wessler explains. To combat this, reflect on all the hard work you’ve done to get to this one point, like successful track workouts, conquered long runs, and a solid peak-week.

Many runners may even find themselves thinking they’re not fit enough or they’re sick or injured. But these feelings typically go away the second you get to the starting line, Wessler explains. If you’ve been considerably healthy throughout weeks or months of training, then your fitness is there, and a random injury is unlikely.

The best way to differentiate a real injury or illness, versus something imagined, is to let the thoughts go and then come back to them after you’ve had some time to forget about it, says Wessler. If an injury or illness progresses, then there might be cause for concern. But if you’re able to get your mind off of it and move on to work, family, and life obligations, or even go for one of your taper runs successfully, then you’re probably just dealing with a bit of pre-race anxiety.

4. Carbo Load at the Last Minute
Race week is an exciting time to plan your favourite pasta dinner, especially if you’re running a longer race, like a half or full marathon. But carb loading should begin days before your race, Brooke notes.

Start carbo loading about two to three days before marathon race day, incorporating more carbs into most of your meals. This looks like swapping some fats and proteins for increased portions of carbs, like filling half your plate with pasta, rice, and sweet potatoes.

Keep in mind, though, this isn’t the time to try foods you’ve never eaten before or follow a new diet. “Race week is about refining, not revolutionising, your nutrition,” says Ellison.

5. Let Hydration Slip Your Mind
Your water bottle should become one of your best friends during any race week, because it’s crucial to stay hydrated for the big day. “Regardless of the race distance, you don’t want to start your race dehydrated, because that can lead to cramping, side stitches, and it can impair your ability to take in nutrition during the race and lead to premature fatigue,” says Brooke.

While you want to drink plenty of water, you also can drink too much. “Overhydration can lead to hyponatremia, a condition where sodium levels become dangerously diluted,” says Ellison. To make sure you’re well-hydrated but not overdoing it, drink when you’re thirsty and pay attention to the colour of your urine, aiming for a clear to pale yellow, she explains.

Just as you shouldn’t put off carb loading until the night before your race, you should hydrate throughout your entire race week, too. “Focus on consistent, moderate hydration throughout the week, and consider electrolyte replacement, especially if it’s hot or humid,” says Ellison.

If you typically dislike drinking plain water, flavoured electrolyte mixes can help encourage hydration with some added flavour, Brooke adds.

6. Stress Out About Your Sleep Schedule
Can’t sleep well the night before a race? You’re not alone. “Not a lot of people will sleep really well the night before a race,” says Brooke. She explains that even if you’re managing your sleep well during race week, race-day nerves can keep you tossing and turning.

The good news: It’s not that big of a deal. “You can have a great performance on one night of low sleep,” says Brooke. “Don’t let that get in your head because you can sleep after the race.”

The key is to focus on what you can control around your sleep. For example, not overdoing caffeine intake the day before (especially later in the day), limiting screen time, eating enough, and maintaining your typical sleeping patterns. “Race week is not the time to drastically alter your sleep schedule or try to ‘catch up’ on lost sleep,” says Ellison.

She also says to avoid trying new sleep aids, like ZzzQuil, and instead prioritise relaxing activities to wind down, like reading or gentle stretching.

7. Forget to Look at the Course Map
Whether you’re in it to compete or simply cross the finish line in one piece, it’s a good idea to study the course ahead of time because it will help you pace yourself accordingly, explains Brooke.

You’ll want to take note of where to expect short hills, steep hills, rolling hills, and downhills. This will help you take note of where to push harder to make moves and pass other runners if your goal is to compete, and plan ahead for your pacing strategy if your goal is to complete the race, explains Brooke.

Taking a look at the course map also helps you take note of aid station locations to stop for water and to refuel, she adds.

8. Focus on What You Can’t Control
It’s tempting to stress over, well, everything before race day. The solution: “Identify the things you can’t control and release those,” says Wessler. Then try managing the things you can control, like sticking to your normal routine, planning your race-day outfit, packing your favourite gels and recovery snacks, and mapping out how you’re going to get to the start line.

“Being able to recognise that and step back is really going to help you manage that last week better,” says Wessler.

This article first appeared on the Runner’s World USA website.

The post What Not to Do the Week Before Your Marathon appeared first on Runner's World.