ON A RUNNER'S HIGH OFF MY FIRST MARATHON!
a personal inspirational guide to help you conquer your very 1st marathon!
It was October 7, 2018 when I crossed the Bank of America Chicago Marathon finish line. I couldn’t believe that I actually accomplished such a huge feat. When they say you’re on a Runner’s High … they really mean it. It was better than any other feeling in the world at that time. If I wanted to fly you couldn’t tell me I couldn’t. I had superpowers and was ready to take on any and everything life threw at me!
BEAST MODE!
WHAT’S YOUR SUPER POWER?!
If you are training for your very first marathon, I commend you and want to congratulate you for making it this far. There’s so much to take in during this time from training properly, keeping up with a healthy diet, not to mention life’s daily happenings [ie. work, school, kids, husband/wife, … and oh lets not forget about self-care and sleep!!!]. you are going to want to just throw in the towel, but don’t. if you get off track with your scheduled runs…that is ok — just hop back into the game and keep training. i am telling you — it is all worth it in the end!
as you continue to train and look forward to your race day i wanted to share with you some helpful info from my first marathon experience.
…race week is finally upon you // holy crap!
i know there are many thoughts going through your head as you get closer and closer to race day. the butterflies are tickling your belly and your are trying to figure out what you got yourself into. you’re also trying to figure out how to dress the day of the race [or at least i am — because when you run/live in the windy city aka chicago — it is no telling what the weather will be in october — you literally can experience 4 seasons in a matter of 1 hour]. in addition, you’re in the midst of making sure you have all your fuel and go-to’s to keep you going that day.
what to pack on race day?! // here is what got me through my first successful attempt of 26.2 miles!
see below for full list of items
1. footwear: nike pegasus running sneakers
2. apparel: nike running tights / nike customized “April Lynne” dri-fit tank / sprot bra / dri-fit socks & head band / gloves
3. knee braces / toe guards / bunion cushions
4. nike hydration fuel vest [this item was amazing as it had several pockets to store all of my snacks, chargers, id’s, cash, etc.]
5. snacks: cliff bars / rx bars & butters / dried apples / fruit strips / nuts
6. drinks: maurten sports fuel drink mix & BC powder
7. body glide
8. rain poncho [or trash bag]
9. biofreeze
10. cocoa butter chapstick
11. headphones / phone charger + cord
Note: not pictured
12. long sleeve shirt to help keep you warm until start time // usually people take this off and toss it while they run so it can be donated to a local organization
13. hand & foot warmers [i am always cold no matter what the weather is — s0 having these handy is a huge help!]
8 tips // lessons learned during my 2018 Chicago Marathon Day:
give yourself time in the morning
stretching is major key
prepare for any unexpected traveling delays getting to the race and your corral
remember your why
there will be so many people and so much going on that morning that you may lose focus. so please try to remember your purpose for taking your body through that dreadful 26.2 miles.
while tempting — do not jump the corral gates / fencing
ok this may sound crazy, but i watched soooo many people climb over the gates because they were late getting to their corral. some made it over successfully while others may have left with a few injuries prior to the race even starting. trust me it just isn’t worth it. i mean…how would you even explain that to all your family and friends cheering you on. lol!
cell phone reception failure
there are more than 1.5 million people in the surrounding area so reception will be a lack thereof. if you’re like me and want to start you nike+ run club app as soon as you’re about to cross the start line — prepare to be disappointed! however, keep trying during your first mile as the crowd loosens up a bit — you should be able to get some good reception by then.
bio-freeze does not taste or feel good
HA!, go figure — i made a huge mistake of applying bio-freeze to my body and then using the same hand to grab a water cup from the hydration station. my hand was placed around the rim so instantly as a took a sip my lips were cooled and the aroma and taste of bio-freeze filled my mouth.
listen to your body
check in often with your entire body. you want to make sure that you are not in any pain. if you need to stop and stretch it out — do so. if you need to walk a mile or two or three — do just that. just keep moving towards the finish line!
take it all in
you’ve trained hard for this day so don’t let it be a miserable blur to you. pause and snap a few photos. give high fives to several of the millions of people lined up along the race course that came out to support you and cheer you on!
relax and enjoy the 26.2 mile journey!
you’ll become addicted — Once you finish you’ll be ready to sign up for your next marathon!
BEST WISHES AND CONGRATS IN ADVANCE!
-xo mzaprillynne