How to Improve Your Run After a Bad Marathon
The marathon is a fickle beast: at 26.2 miles, the chances of failure are enormous. This uncharted territory can bring all sorts of unforeseen problems, reducing your target pace to random or worse, but it is from these problems that you learn to improve.
This post was originally published on the Strength Running website .
I experienced this firsthand in 2014. Murphy’s Law hung over me like a rain cloud, cursing me with every marathon failure imaginable:
- I started too fast (my second mile was 5:41 oops).
- There was no opportunity to warm up properly.
- The temperature was too hot for ideal marathon races.
- Gastrointestinal problems required two toilet stops.
- Due to the aggressive descents, my old IT group trauma came to the surface again.
But that’s the beauty of the marathon. The element of obscurity is seductive, making us return again and again (and again … and again …) to the race that repeatedly beats us , breaks us and makes us scratch our heads and wonder why we continue to obey ourselves. this is torture.
No matter how many times you run a terrible marathon, you always think I know I can do better …
This is how every runner should feel about racing. After a few days of feeling unwell, it’s time to focus on what you can learn from a bad marathon.
Amanda Laudin , mom, writer, RRCA certified running coach and author of the MissZippy1 blog, recommends learning from bad marathon experiences:
“You can learn so much from a bad marathon. Do you want to change your diet next time? Your taper? What is your approach to rhythm? Examine everything and determine what went wrong.
“Next time, change the situation for the better. The 26.2 mile distance sometimes takes a little trial and error before you get it right. Use the bad ones to create good ones in the future. “
Instead of thinking of your race as a failure, think of it as a learning experience. Anything that went wrong was just feedback that could improve future races.
There are bad races; this is the nature of our wonderful sport. They are objective, set you up for the time. And the clock never lies.
To truly excel at running – to be the best runner you can be – requires a different approach to bad races. You can of course get upset about a marathon, but in a day or two, have a pity party elsewhere. It’s time to focus.
Three questions to ask yourself after a failed marathon
Instead of completely forgetting about bad races, it is helpful to do post-race analysis as you learn from any mistakes and improve your strategy next time.
And the marathon is one of the best opportunities for this analysis because of its length: flaws increase with distance, so you can learn from even the smallest mistakes.
Did you train correctly?
This is the most important question. Without proper preparation, you cannot count on a good race.
When I write custom marathon programs , I look for three training factors to ensure that you are ready for the marathon:
- Enough Time: Make sure you have at least 12 weeks to prepare for your marathon.
- Adequate Long Runs: Long runs are your # 1 priority, so make sure it’s already in double digits when you start training for a marathon.
- Injury Free: You cannot prepare for a marathon if you are treating an injury.
With enough time and a long double-digit run, most healthy runners can safely prepare for a 26.2 mile run if your goal is simply to finish.
But, if your goal is to achieve a personal best, the ” basic training ” should already be completed. Fans of personal records should consider:
- Weekly Run: Your total running weekly volume should be “high” (relative to your ability).
- Workouts: Running fast at least once a week is a must, so you should already be comfortable doing some workouts every week.
- Longer Distances : For runners hoping for a personal best, just running 20 miles is not enough – it has to be more race specific.
These aspects of the training must be completed prior to the start of the marathon training cycle. In other words, you can’t start from scratch and count on a good marathon. There is a reason there is no Sofa to Marathon program!
Was your race running properly?
Even if your training went well, you can still run a bad marathon if you don’t have a sound racing strategy .
The most important question to ask yourself is, “ Was I running too fast, too early? »Most marathon runners must follow these rules:
- Start a little slower than your target pace to warm up. Don’t let the racing atmosphere drag you into a faster pace!
- After 1-3 miles, slow down until you reach your goal, and then try to run as evenly as possible.
- If the trail is hilly, maintain even force on uphill and downhill slopes (ie. Drive a little slower on uphills, but a little faster on descents).
- If you are feeling well, do not increase your pace for 17-20 miles. Wait 22 or 23 miles for the marathon to get really tough.
Remember, you can’t win a marathon in the first few miles, but you can lose! Pick the right pace so you don’t fall too early.
There are other things to keep in mind:
Run tangentially! Headings are measured tangentially, so don’t wobble around corners. Squeeze the corners as much as possible.
Start in the right paddock. Don’t waste time behind slower runners or walkers by starting at the correct pace group.
The fuel is correct. Carbohydrate loading for the marathon begins two days before the race. Find out more about refueling here .
Any of these factors can ruin your marathon experience. Because of its length, a marathon needs to be approached strategically, so be sure to plan for each of these variables.
Were there external factors affecting your race?
Even if you do it right, there is still a chance that you will have a bad race. As a marathon increases the obstacles between you and a successful race, it can be difficult to plan for those challenges.
Weather is the biggest problem you can face on race day. Amanda agrees:
“Weather is a huge factor – remember Boston 2012? But even the weather can for the most part be mitigated by choosing the right race at the right time. I fall apart in the heat, so I decided my best months for marathons were November and March, hoping to avoid the high temperatures. “
My 2:25 marathon friend (and author of the Boston course guide) always reminds me that “ I’m not competing in the heat! “ You don’t need to adopt this extreme stance, but it does show that fast runners are very strategic in their races.
But high temperatures aren’t the only weather factors to consider. Humidity and wind play a large role in how your body will respond to a given pace, so choose your race carefully.
Finally, the track itself can be an obstacle . Is this a clean uphill climb ? Are there any big hills in the worst places (like Boston)? Are there many tight turns that undermine your momentum? If your goal is to run a fast marathon, avoid hilly trails and trails that have too many 180-degree turns. The fastest tracks will be smooth with fewer turns.
Bad marathons are not the end of the world
After finishing a lackluster marathon, it’s only natural to feel frustrated or even depressed. After all, you’ve just spent five months preparing for a grueling event and it hasn’t even passed!
But the best joy is that you now have a lot to learn and how to improve your next marathon. Amanda cannot agree with this:
“There is no doubt that a bad marathon can be difficult to overcome because you have spent so much time preparing for it. But after a week, it’s important to pull yourself together, brush off, and figure out how to make the next marathon better. • Start channeling your energies into the next event and focus on getting it right.
“Finally, at the end of the day, imagine some perspective. Yes, running is a big part of our life, but if we are not the elite it shouldn’t dominate our happiness. We run because it brings us joy and letting a bad race kill this joy kills us for a long time. “
I like this perspective. For more advice from Amanda, be sure to check out her running blog . And thanks to her for participating in this article!
If your goal is to run a fast marathon or have as much fun as possible, remember the following rules:
- Train smartly for a few months before a race.
- Keep yourself at the right pace.
- Take an easy course without monster hills.
- Choose a race that doesn’t run during high summer or high winter.
Follow these “rules” and you will increase your chances of running a great marathon.
And if something went wrong for you, you now have the opportunity to analyze your race, figure out what went wrong, and be more strategic about your marathon approach next time.
In defense of dirty, rotten and bad marathons (or how to learn from bad marathons) | Power running