By David L Parker, Ph.D.

Try to wear shorts that do not irritate and rub on the inside of the upper legs. Lycra tights or shorts or quick-drying nylon supplex are good choices. If necessary, vaseline can be applied to trouble areas. These not only include the inside of the upper legs, but also the back of the armpits. Nipples can be irritated by the continual rubbing of a perspiration soaked wet shirt, so vaseline or band-aids here are also helpful. Also remember to clip the toe-nails as they can rub against other toes and ultimately cause you to stop before the end of the race. Prevention is by far the best approach when preparing to run a marathon. If it’s not cold enough for a knit cap, a head-band may be a must and a dry spare one is always a good replacement for a soaked one at the 15 mile mark.

Wear clothes to fit the weather of the day. If necessary you can have someone meet you at the 10 mile mark and you can give them the sweat pants, etc., if at that point of the race you desire to discard them.

Drink plenty of water before the race and rehydrate yourself every couple of miles at water/electrolyte drink stations. Don’t worry about drinking too much, because you’ll find places during the race, if necessary, which will provide an opportunity for nature’s calling. If you plan to drink Exceed or another glucose containing fluid, experiment with the product and proper dilution during your workouts prior to the race.

The day of the race, eat a very light complex carbohydrate meal three hours ahead of time. You can take a package or two of lifesavers along during the race for additional energy. Glucose polymer solutions can help to provide energy and spare your own glucose during the race. Try to void yourself as much as possible before the race.

You can start the day by taking a warm bath or shower, followed by a complete stretching program. Stretching of the lower back, hamstrings, groin muscles and calf muscles is essential. If you decide not to wear warm-ups during the race or during the first 10 miles, be sure to at least wear them to the race and keep them on as long as you can, right up to the start of the race, if possible. Lycra/Polypropylene tights can keep you dry and warm during the race and are an excellent alternative.

If you warm-up and stretch before the race, and then stand around in shorts and get cold, the warm-up effort was entirely wasted.

During the race, pace yourself 30 to 60 seconds slower per mile than your trainingspeed. Don’t get caught up in the fast pace that everyone usually begins at any race. If you feel that you are not quite in shape for a marathon, but nonetheless, you are standing there at the starting line, there is some further advice that you may want to heed. Slow down 60 seconds/mile from your usual training speed as well as walk for 10 minutes at the 10 mile mark, 15 mile mark and the 20 mile mark. Walk again for 10 minutes at the 23 mile mark.

By following some of these suggestions, everyone that starts the marathon should cross the finish line 26.2 miles later. If it’s your first, don’t worry about the pace or overall time but use good common sense, and run to complete, not to compete. If you make it out to the 20 or 23 mile mark, you will finish even if you need to walk the last miles. Also, if this is your first marathon, you might want your spouse or a friend at the finish line to take a picture of this monumental achievement.