Can you give me any last minute tips for completing the marathon? By Marathon Physio Lucy Macdonald
Last minute tips
- Focus on breathing out slowly, not breathing in. Breathing in is a reflex, breathing out is not. If you focus on emptying your lungs you will enable a maximum reflex breath in, if you focus on breathing in to fill your lungs you could hyperventilate.
- Start steady but not too slow.
- Don’t stop. Keep going even if it is a slow walk. The moment you stop, the circulation in your muscles and joints reduces and you can seize up and find it hard to start again. The exception to this is if cramping literally forces you to stop. The best thing for cramp is to stay weight bearing as much as you can.
- Don’t static stretch before or during the marathon, no matter how tempting it is.
- Listen to the crowds, imagine every one of them is there supporting you personally. Absorb all that wonderful positive energy, let it fuel you.
- Accept that your muscles will be uncomfortable and that you will feel tired, they are signs that you are almost there.
- Lap up the camaraderie of the day. Motivate flagging runners when you have the energy and allow yourself to be motivated by others when you are flagging.
- Enjoy the spectacle and all the variation that the route brings – architecture, people, history, sights, sounds and even smells!
- Don’t let the weather get you down, there are advantages of any kind of weather, try to embrace it.
- Remember you have done the hard work in training, and although it won’t be easy you will complete it and you will enjoy it. We will be cheering you on.
More marathon physio advice
Follow @octopusclinic on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and/or Lucy Macdonald on YouTube to access our latest free videos on marathon training and injury prevention. If you would like our marathon handbook and are running for charity please contact Lucy Macdonald directly on lucymacdonaldphysio@hotmail.co.uk or if you would like to get the video course Your Marathon: Your Physio please click on the link.