Top Tips for Running a Marathon Next Week!
One of my friends, who is awesome, is running his first marathon next weekend. I talked to him yesterday and promised to send him my top 5 or so tips for next weekend. There are more, but this is a quick list.
1. Enjoy every mile and don't wish the experience away. Throughout my running career, I would run a big race and say "I have 10 miles left"....didn't work as well as I have this fun mile in front of me, "I am going to enjoy this one ahead of me".
2. Walk through the water stations. Take your time here and enjoy the water. It can get slippery, so be cautious.
3. Expect things to get off course or difficult. Before the race, you will likely have a plan, and then the race happens. You will struggle, it's part of the joy. Don't sweat it when things don't go as planned. Expect it.
4. The race is a celebration of you, your training, and the courage it takes to toe the line. There is a reason why it's so challenging, but YOU stepped up, told the world you were going to do this and now you get to celebrate all of it.
5. Just finish. My good friend Lynn Breithaupt always said, "Finishing a marathon is a mindset." She was so correct. No matter what, just finish the race and enjoy it. You are trained, have fun, and finish!
To our friend, go out, have fun, say positive things like "when I finish", believe in you, and most of all....take it all in. It's a fun experience that will define you. Enjoy it all!
Image Source: https://www.musement.com/us/san-francisco/golden-gate-bridge-v/
