The City of Los Angeles Marathon
THE WEEK BEFORE THE RACE
Stay as relaxed as you can. Most first-time marathoners seem to gradually come "unglued" as the day gets closer. Remember, you've trained for eight months. It's just another long run. Be smart, stay off your feet and rest as much as you can this week. Sure it's hard, because you are used to running a lot, and now you have to cut back while at the same time upping your carbo intake. It's not surprising you have a lot of excess energy. Simply resist the temptation to be too active. You'll need that energy on Sunday.
Drive the course if you can. That way you'll know exactly what's around every corner and what landmarks to look for on Sunday. In fact, while you are resting at home, try visualizing yourself running the course and finishing the race. Take out your map and imagine you're on Wilshire Boulevard and turning the corner onto Catalina. You can do this best if you've driven the course, but if you can't, consider going to Dr. Sonny Cobbles' slide show of the Marathon course Wednesday night at Orthopædic.
You've probably been besieged by friends who say they will be looking for you on the course. Make it easy on everybody. Friends always want to know when you'll be at such and such a point... and you hate to make a promise about how well you will do. Better idea: You find out where your friends will be standing and promise that when you come by, you'll get their attention. You know, it's a lot easier for you to find your friend in a crowd on one corner, than for them to find you in a moving pack of 20,000 runners. And depending on how nice your friends are, have them stand somewhere on the second half of the course - that's where you will need moral support. And while you’re at it, maybe they could bring you a change of socks. A fresh pair of socks can be a real pick-me-up on a hot day.
Being fidgety and nervous the week before the marathon can get you into trouble. Runners get antsy. One of the most popular pastimes is clipping the toenails and making them nice and short for race day so they don't push up against the inside of the shoe. If you must trim your toenails, don't trim them too short or leave sharp edges. Those sharp, newly cut edges will surely pierce your skin on Marathon Day. Ouch!
Go to the Expo, of course, but don't expend a lot of energy doing so. You need to stay off your feet. The expo is like a three-ring-running circus. There are giveaways and demonstrations everywhere. How to do the expo? - Get in, Get the goodie bag, Go through once. If this is your first marathon, you'll want to stop everywhere and pick up the handouts. That's okay, but don't spend hours on your feet. If you do want to pick up a gift, Marathon coffee mugs are nice. Imagine sitting in front of a hot mug of coffee on a Saturday morning years from now (or even just weeks from now) and thinking about that sleet in Santa Monica. Ahhhhhh.
Carbo load? Sure. Carbo Explode...I don't think so. Don't eat too much pasta two to three days before the race. Remember, you don't want to do too many crazy things to your body this week - like crazy carbo potions or energy bricks that you've never tried before. This is no time to experiment!
MARATHON DAY
This is no time to put on a new outfit either. It's a marathon, not the Senior Prom. You want to wear clothes that you've worn before. You can wear the Marathon T-Shirt to one of our Spring Disorganized runs. For now, wear something white for a top and make it a full shirt - not a singlet. You're going to be out in the sun a lot on Sunday, a T-shirt gives you more protection from sunburn. The Roadrunners T-shirt or the In-Training T-shirt would be perfect so that your fellow Roadrunners could recognize you and cheer you on during the race. Leave your dry after-race clothes in a well marked bag in the Roadrunner Tent. Tie a colorful ribbon to it to make it easier to find.
Getting to the start line will be like getting squeezed through a tube of toothpaste. About 30 minutes before start time swarms of people squeeze their way through the staging area: a series of plastic gates. Colors on your bib number indicate how far forward and through how many of these gates you can move. The comforting thing to know is that as soon as you get to the proper block, there will be plenty of room on the street to move around.
At the start of the race everybody is quite close. Imagine the excitement. Everybody wants to start out fast - afterall, you probably haven't run much the previous week and you are anxious to get going. Unfortunately, the start is more of a run/walk affair. Be careful of people cutting in front of you who really want to run faster than the crowd will permit. Watch your footing. You'll have plenty of room to run as soon as the crown thins out. Your performance won't be affected by what happens in the first six miles. It's the last six miles that count.
ALONG THE COURSE
The streets will be lined with thousands of spectators anxious to "Slap you Five" as a show of support. Don't get slap happy! You've got a long way to go. Conserve your energy! Run on the shady side of the street. This is a race of endurance and you want to run in the coolest areas as much as you can. Try to run on flat surfaces. The road tends to peak in the center and then slope considerably towards the sidewalks. Stick to the asphalt streets, not cement sidewalks. Cement is a lot harder on your legs than asphalt.
AT THE FINISH
Be prepared for the fact that you won't see the finish line until the very last turn at the Coliseum. Try to look decent. Photographers will be taking your picture! What else? Don't worry, you'll see it Sunday first hand. Enjoy every minute of it!