This is a continuation of my 2014 Country Music Marathon recap. Read the first post here and read all of my running posts here.
Even though I tried to tell myself the night before that marathon day was just like any other long-run day, adrenaline kept me from sleeping very well. How many of these must I run before I can sleep the night before? I had read that unless you have three hours to digest before running, skip breakfast. Instead, have a good meal the night before and a fueling strategy during the race. The race started at 7:00 am, so I got up at 5:00 and was out of the door around 5:30 without breakfast. I’m usually about 20 minutes from the parking lot at this hour, but this morning it was close to 6:30 before I parked the car. Tip: plan on an hour’s travel time within Nashville to get to LP field on marathon morning.
Prior to the day of the race, I stopped at my local Thrift Smart and bought a lightweight windbreaker and flannel pajama pants for $6. This is a great idea for the chili mornings when you’re standing around waiting for the race to start. I wore these over my running apparel. I took them off a bit too soon, because I was concerned that I was late. In the future, I don’t need to shed these clothes until my corral is next in line to start. Truth is, I could even start the race with the jacket and toss it en route. Tip: have layered clothing you can throw away as needed.
The race had a new starting line this year and there didn’t seem to be as many porta-potties as in years past. There were HUGE lines for a group of four porta-potties at the parking area and another by the gear check. After standing in line for 20 minutes or so, I made the best discovery to remember for next year. Tip: Hilton hotel, mezzanine level, no waiting for the bathrooms.
By now, it was after 7:00 and I was concerned that I was late. I was planning on running with a pace group, so it was important that I start in the right corral (24 for me this year) and on time. I needn’t have worried. I waited on my corral to catch up to me (and got chilled) before I joined the masses. I actually started around 7:45. Tip: assume a start time 30 – 45 minutes after the gun if corral is 20 – 30.
I’ll share more about the day in subsequent posts. In the meantime, what tips do you have for running a marathon?
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