This blog post covers how to prepare well for the upcoming London Marathon.
21st April 2024, a mere 11 days away. Too late to take on some advice? No way! Read on for my top 5 tips to implement ahead of race day, whether it’s your first marathon or your 30th.
1. Taper Smart
You should be beyond your final longest run by now. You can still be running, but you want to take the volume (and perhaps intensity) down a few notches. To be precise, for beginner marathon runners your running mileage should hit no more than 50% of your maximal week in the last 3 weeks of training, and your effort reduced by 10-20%. For experienced runners mileage can be reduced to around 70%, but effort can remain. Your last (short) run should be at the latest 3 days prior to race day.
Running aside, to keep your body in the groove continue to cross-train, preferably with a low resistance choice such as swimming. However, this is not the time to take on a new sport! We don’t want injuries created unnecessarily. If you haven’t been cross-training throughout your marathon prep, active recovery choices such as walking, mobility, yoga, and foam rolling can be equally as effective.
2. Prioritise Keeping Well
The last thing you need is a cold in the week leading up to your big event. If possible, avoid busy public transport and crowded spaces. This will minimise the chance of you falling ill. Having a runny nose may not seem like the end of the world, but the immune system when activated is a huge drainer of energy. You want all the battery power you can get on race day, so it may be worth skipping those after work drinks for the next 2 weeks.
3. One Last Sports Massage
Hopefully you’ve been receiving some treatment throughout your training already, but one last massage from anywhere between 5-10 days out could be extremely beneficial. Designed to lessen muscle tension, improve circulation, enhance joint mobility and increase relaxation, receiving a sport or deep tissue massage is a wise choice to make. Think of it like readying your body for action.
If you’re in the Orpington / Bromley area, click the link below to book in with myself or Gennaro ahead of race day.
4. Consider Your Diet
An important one – do not change anything about your dietary habits over the next couple of weeks. This is not the time to try the new Tandoori down the road, or play with different energy gels. Keep your gut stable by keeping your diet routine the same.
Alcohol, a stress-soother for sure, but an inflammatory all the same. Remember what I said about your immune system and keeping away from bugs? Think of alcohol like a bug, because your body responds to it in a very similar way. Try not to have a drink at the very least within the last week before race day.
It’s not all doom-and-gloom however because… you can eat more! Hooray! An average of 400kcals per day can be added to your final week, so long as you don’t experiment with anything new.
5. Get Those ZZZ’s
If sleep were a pill, it would be the most expensive and sought after drug in the world. Do not underestimate how powerful sleep can be for your final marathon prep. Sleep enables your body to repair tissue, enhance recovery, and reduces your risk of getting sick, all helping you towards peak performance. Aim for a minimum of 8 hours per night in the last 10 days before race day.
I hope you find these tips useful. Good luck to everyone running next weekend, I wish you all a fantastic run. I will personally be there supporting my friends and clients on the day, so if you’re running comment below your name and race number for a shout out!
Fancy booking in prior to your race?