60 years old, from the States, and running my first ever marathon in Frankfurt (Mom's home town) in 5 weeks. I've been following my Ben Parkes training plan. Yesterday's 20 miler was tough but I'm getting it done. When I finish I'm guaranteed a PB.
Good luck in Frankfurt!! It's such a great race. We all wish you an amazing time out there getting your first marathon done. Let us know how you get on!
I ran my first marathon when I turned 60 (62 now and mostly run mountain ultras). Although I had practiced drinking from small cups while on the run (like famous RUclipsrs do), during the race I just splashed water into my face. Needless to say, I became dehydrated toward the end of the race and cramped. I now go to the far end of the water table and just slow down or fast walk. I'll take two cups if I don't think I'm getting enough water. The other thing I have to (still) watch for is my "survival brain" trying to get me to stop. I got tripped up by this at NYC last year and slowed down too much when I got to First Ave (about 16 miles). Although I picked up the pace near the end of the race, I ended up hitting the finish with energy to spare. Your training should be your guide on expectation, not your brain. Don't give into it. Have a great race!
Don’t always trust the pacer! I’ve run multiple races where the pacer went out much faster than the pace they were expected to run. Have the self control to trust your pace.
I wanted to post the exact same Thing! A lot of people suggest using the Pacer but after last race we spoke in our running club about that topic. Both in Marathon and Half there where Pacer way to fast. For us in the club, the experience is more that a good pacer is the exception... I really wonder if that is a "German problem" or if that is something normal. Maybe Ben can use his network to start a survey?
@Mike0 but that is exactly the job of a pacer, to count that in. Everybody can just run a exact pace on a flat course, the pacer should know the hills and how to counter them.
Great video Ben. I did break the cardinal rule one year at Houston. On my last two long runs before the marathon, my shoes suddenly started to hurt my ankles to the point of making me walk the last several miles. Bought a pair of new shoes at the expo and had a great marathon. Very lucky, certainly not recommending it, just had nothing to lose. Don’t think I violated any of the other tips you discussed. Thanks.
Well done in your race!! Of course you can still run a great race in new shoes.. sounds like the risk paid off, which is great. Would love to run Houston one day. Congratulations!!
I ran my first marathon yesterday having trained according to your program for a few months. Some background: I’ve never run consistently in my life, concurred my first 10k just a year ago. With your training program, I managed to finish in 3 hours 45 minutes with negative splits for the last 7k at around 4:54/km. I want to say huge THANK YOU for everything you do, for the knowledge you share, for the programs you offer. You’re incredibly motivating and inspiring person. You should never forget that you’re literally changing the lives of thousands for the better❤️
Ran Sydney last week. I was on the waiting list, so my wave was group F, the final wave. You are correct about starting at the back and weaving. I ran at 4.56km according to my watch, but finished in 3.31, because of the extra distance I ran. It's still 47 mins faster than last year. Realised also that I don't need a drink at every water station, so that improved my time for marathon number 2.
All great advice Ben. I have been running marathons since 1986 and have made all of the mistakes, at least once. (slow learner😆). The one I continue to struggle with is pre-race and race fueling and getting the fluids, in particular, dialed in just right especially as I have aged and gotten slower. Always an adventure.
I ran London Marathon in 2018, hottest London in history. Berlin Marathon 2019, apocalyptic storm! I don't have much luck with weather, but it's all good fun! 😂
I can relate to bad weather on race day. I did the GNR this year and it was lashing down throughout, actually done the run just fine, but didn’t have a change of clothes afterwards. Ended up with hypothermia, passing out twice and vomiting whilst unconscious because I walked to South Shields metro, which is an absolute trek from the finish. So anyone reading this, take a change of clothes for afterwards, regardless of the weather!
Ah, that sounds so bad. Sorry to hear your experience.. the post race of GNR has always been something that needs to be improved. Hope you're all ok now and well done for the race.
@@nrjonesy yeah I was an idiot for not taking change of clothes nor planning my route back to my hotel afterwards The weather this besides the rain was ironically perfect. If it hadn’t had rained I think I would’ve been okay afterwards
100%. If you can have a non running race buddy with your gear and to check your ok. They should know your estimated finish time and other important data. You do owe them coffee and or beer as well as nice food but they are a game changer.
Hi Ben - thanks for this - love you videos - I have ran a few marathons and still wonder how to find out my goal pace for the next one based on my current fitness, and then how to adjust my pace when running uphill/downhill during the race. Just a suggestion for your next video. Cheers
Great reminders Ben and perfect timing! Have been following your channel the past year and running my first marathon on 10/20 while soaking up all the tips I can. The big 20 miler is coming up this weekend 😬 Appreciate all the time you put in and the experience and knowledge you’re offering up! The full loo stop with sound effect was 😂
Great tips. Pacing is the big one over a marathon, most people set off too optimistically……hopefully I can get it right this weekend at my 2nd marathon. Nagging issues is an interesting one. During races it seems wrong to stop and sort anything but you’re probably right, ignoring them likely won’t help!
The running watch can also contribute to the risk of starting too fast. My watch predicts a time that is maybe as much as 10 to 15 minutes faster than what I can probably run. On the one hand, you know you have to start sensibly, on the other hand, if the watch 'thinks' I can do it, maybe I should give it a try anyway..?
I was just thinking about the new shoes thing today - I know I shouldn't do it, but I still felt the "itch" to purchase a new pair for race day. I didn't do it but it's still refreshing to hear the advice from you. Thanks, see you in Berlin!
I still use your training plan and you've been kindly answering my questions via Facebook. Thank you for that. First marathon this year was in heavy rain^^. I did tie my shoe too quickly and to tight last year in Berlin and reacted too late... that sucked in the second half. Very good hint ;).
Nagging issues is a thing NOT TO IGNORE! and deserves a place in this list. Ran my first marathon 3 weeks ago and got a small pebble in my shoe. Decided to have a short stop to pick it out. Worth it! Also, if nature calls, GO! Personally, thinking of the need to go and the energy used on the thought and preassure takes away far to much energy from the actuall running. (you also getting lighter!!) That's also why having a pace plan is key if you have a time goal. Slowly build a small gap so this sort of things doesn't ruin your run! BTW! Ran with the shorty running cap. Best running cap ever! (for me) Thanks!
Just today ran my first marathon! 3:45:45 chip time, which im pretty happy considering it was warm and super humid, i had to deal with a knee injury that prevented me from running the 2 weeks leading up to the race, and i had to take 2 bathroom stops.
Man, you shouldn't be "pretty happy"! You should be so damn proud of yourself because for the first time you covered 42 km! And not just that, you spent months and months, soo many hours and training sessions just for that one peak race. So really, time does not matter! I am going to run my first one on sunday and I am super hyped. Really, we are all just there to celebrate our months of training before 🥳 (ofc unless you're insanely ambitious and keep wanting to shave off minutes from your PB) but still, be insanely proud of yourself, even with a prior injury you were able to complete the race!
Great video thanks. I drank a cup of Red Bull during the Copenhagen Half, never tried it before, not a good idea! 🤢I’ve been back time and time again to watch your Valencia 2023 video for inspiration, so magical! Hoping to see some “Getting it done” long sleeves coming in the Autumn release 🤞
Great tips. Didn’t adjust my pacing for The Big Half (25°C) and ran out of steam at 16km! Also love the tip about not ignoring nagging issues during the race.
I think not practicing in-run fuelling is a big common mistake too. You don’t want to find out at mile 22 that you haven’t been taking gels regularly enough. Happened to me in my first marathon.
Training for my eighth marathon and feel that the ones I have run before have not gone entirely smooth. Long time to be out there for something to go wrong! I have definitely made some of the mistakes that were listed in this video, hopefully not to be repeated in two weeks when I run the Portland Marathon!
Good stuff Mr. Parkes! My race is next Sunday. I’m using your intermediate plan. Had a really good run today better than expected. I’ve haven’t tapered properly before so maybe that is the secret sauce. I felt I had overreached with this plan trying to go sub 4:00. Up to now I would have said I can’t do it. Or can I? After today there is new hope. Either way I have enjoyed the process.
Great advice, Ben. Was that the Verrazanno Bridge at 12:40? NYC was my only road marathon back in 1998. Since then it's been Trail running. Some advice applies, except easier to take toilet breaks 🙂
I just recently completed my first official 10K race. I tend to do my training runs first thing in the morning and in a fasted state. The morning of the race I woke up super early, so I decided to drink some smoothies (yes, more than one). I drove to the race, and by the time I parked I was in emergency mode. The start/finish line of the race was about 15 minutes from where I parked, there was NO WAY I was going to make it there before before hitting the bathroom. It was early in the morning, and I was crossing through a college campus. All of the buildings were closed. Thankfully for me, some fellow students had some kind of athletic event going on that morning and I managed to flag them down to let me in to the facility. I almost didn't even make it to the race.
advice from my todays long run LOL: 1. DO NOT RUN ON UPSET STOMACH. eat your normal food and do not deviate the night before... instant regret for a race you trained an entire season for 2. HYDRATION: these hot days you lose a lot of water sweating... even if its for just a tiny sip, hit up the stations. Good luck everyone running any of the fall marathons! See some of you on November 3rd here in NY!
Ran 10 english miles yesterday, was 7 degrees warmer then the average temperature this month. Full out in the sun, had to adjust my 1:20/1:25 goal to 1:25/1:30 🥵
I ran away from a pacer at my local Parkrun at a pace I wasnt capable of.. he had a good laugh with me when he past me later on and I gasped "bloody hell... I was hoping not to see you again!"
Terimakasih Mas Ben, saya dari Nusantara menyimak tipsnya. Saya umur 50 tahun dan hobby running. Saya ingin bisa ikut HM. Kemarin baru ikut 10K. Saya pakai bahasa ya karena easy language. Thanks
Only one I can see actually being way better on race day is temperature (in Texas). I’m used to running in the 80s in Fahrenheit so being in the 50s with a small breeze seems like heaven.
One thing I'm not sure Ben mentioned: Know the course/Go off HR or effort, not necessarily pace. This is a 2 for one. At my first Marathon in Arizona I didn't pay attention to the course profile before the race and realized way too late the first half was basically all uphill. I tried to hold my goal pace of 7:15 which forced me into Half Marathon effort so I was totally ruined by mile 15 :)
I’m running my first marathon ever next week, in Berlin, my training didn’t go as planned due to injuries and illness, and farthest I’ve run was 25km and found it a bit challenging. I’m an anxious person and I’m thinking of not running the marathon but I don’t want to disappoint my family wife, daughter …. Any advices or tips on how to be able to finish the race 😊 thank you
My wife ran her first marathon last year and I ran with her to help pace. Goal was to break 4 hours. We were spot on until mile 20 but she hit a wall. We agreed it was okay to walk. But we set a goal to run 4 minutes and walk 30 seconds for the next 6 miles. We didn’t break 4 but at her age she still ran fast enough to qualify for Chicago. There’s no shame in walking but we found it helpful to put limits on how long we’d ease off the gas pedal.
Hi Ben, heading to Berlin next week to try for a Sub 3... I've been on your plan for the last 3 months so hopefully I nail it... Are you doing a shakeout run on the Saturday and if yes where and when?
I caried a 100lb pack for a world record in London in 2017. That was some day with the weather! I'll also vouch or the hats having picked one up from Ben personally at LM Expo this year. They're brilliant and worth every penny. Any chance of a Union Jack design being available before New York?
Great tips! I ran the Richmond Runfest Marathon in London a couple of weeks ago. My first marathon, got my sub 4 hours (3.54.19). I did take a sports mixture from a water station by mistake. Thankfully no I'll effect 😅 the training was tough. Please say I don't have to run a marathon again! Can't I just do half marathons? 😭
Help a newbie out here! I'll be running my first ever HM in December and I'm using the level 1 training plan. Understand that for the Easy Runs, it should be easy enough to hold a conversation which I presume is zone 2. Should my Easy Runs be following the recommended pace chart or should I just stick to a pace within my zone 2? I'm a bit lost with this as my zone 2 pacing is about 2mins different from the pacing recommendation for a 2h30 goal time.
4:39 I saw this guy slam about 8 gels in a 5K along with a Hydration pack looking like as if he's doing a UTMB event only to see him take that long course in the porta potty at the end of the race.
During my last marathon in Valencia in which I ran a massive PB, I had to pee after 5K. Before 10K I stopped because it was getting too bad. It was the best thing to do. But, I would rather prevent having to go. I went 2 times before the start already. What should I do? I had 500ml Maurten within 1h before the race. Drink less?
Hi Ben, one question, I never followed a pacers group before, and I am planning to follow them in Berlin, my question is.. do they start easy and then increase the speed, or they start the marathon pace and stick to it all the way through? And thanks for all the tips..love u and Sara ❤
100% stop if there is something bothering you. You are not going to lose time relative to ignoring it. I almost always stop to pee early on, in fact I kind of expect it and do not care since I know I will be more relaxed.
I've been experimenting with different fueling methods. Gels, flapjack, bars, chews, andy thingys, just seeing what works and what doesn't. Didn't really need to worry about fueling when I was only doing 5-6km max per run. Now I'm doing 10km regularly during training so definitely need the fuel. So far GU and TorQ have been great. Tried cliff bars but I found the packaging kinda tricky to get into while running. Chews I need to slow down to a walk to use properly so they would be better for distances where you would be slowing down. All in all so far the experimenting has been going well, haven't found anything I've had to write completely off as an option yet. Though there is a fair number of products and brands i haven't gotten around to trying.
heya Ben, doing my 1st ever HM in less then month, in Slovenia capitol, Ljubljana....we start at 9am...seems i will need to wake up at 6am max, get ready - 25km away from city....what should i eat before 21km? hehe, thanks.
60 years old, from the States, and running my first ever marathon in Frankfurt (Mom's home town) in 5 weeks. I've been following my Ben Parkes training plan. Yesterday's 20 miler was tough but I'm getting it done. When I finish I'm guaranteed a PB.
That’s awesome. I am 41 years old and I’ll be running my first marathon next weekend. Best of luck in Frankfurt! You’re going to do great!
Good luck in Frankfurt!! It's such a great race. We all wish you an amazing time out there getting your first marathon done. Let us know how you get on!
All the best for the Race! I'll be there running my first marathon too, flying over from Ireland to do it
I ran my first marathon when I turned 60 (62 now and mostly run mountain ultras). Although I had practiced drinking from small cups while on the run (like famous RUclipsrs do), during the race I just splashed water into my face. Needless to say, I became dehydrated toward the end of the race and cramped. I now go to the far end of the water table and just slow down or fast walk. I'll take two cups if I don't think I'm getting enough water. The other thing I have to (still) watch for is my "survival brain" trying to get me to stop. I got tripped up by this at NYC last year and slowed down too much when I got to First Ave (about 16 miles). Although I picked up the pace near the end of the race, I ended up hitting the finish with energy to spare. Your training should be your guide on expectation, not your brain. Don't give into it. Have a great race!
Good luck!
Don’t always trust the pacer! I’ve run multiple races where the pacer went out much faster than the pace they were expected to run. Have the self control to trust your pace.
Wow, that’s a good one, very unprofessional by the pacer - that’s literally their job to run the pace they claim to be pacing. Geez.
I wanted to post the exact same Thing!
A lot of people suggest using the Pacer but after last race we spoke in our running club about that topic. Both in Marathon and Half there where Pacer way to fast. For us in the club, the experience is more that a good pacer is the exception...
I really wonder if that is a "German problem" or if that is something normal.
Maybe Ben can use his network to start a survey?
I've had the opposite, where the pacer was too slow. I stayed with them for a bit but had leave them behind
even if the pacer holds pace dont follow them. You need to be running downhill faster, take it slower on the uphill
@Mike0 but that is exactly the job of a pacer, to count that in. Everybody can just run a exact pace on a flat course, the pacer should know the hills and how to counter them.
Running a 2:40 marathon with a full loo stop in the middle is nuts 😂
Watch some pootorials. Can bring your PPPB (Porta Potty Personal Best) down to 30 sec.
Great video Ben. I did break the cardinal rule one year at Houston. On my last two long runs before the marathon, my shoes suddenly started to hurt my ankles to the point of making me walk the last several miles. Bought a pair of new shoes at the expo and had a great marathon. Very lucky, certainly not recommending it, just had nothing to lose. Don’t think I violated any of the other tips you discussed. Thanks.
Well done in your race!! Of course you can still run a great race in new shoes.. sounds like the risk paid off, which is great. Would love to run Houston one day. Congratulations!!
You would love Houston. It’s run mid January. I’ll keep watching to see if you put it on your schedule.
I ran my first marathon yesterday having trained according to your program for a few months. Some background: I’ve never run consistently in my life, concurred my first 10k just a year ago. With your training program, I managed to finish in 3 hours 45 minutes with negative splits for the last 7k at around 4:54/km. I want to say huge THANK YOU for everything you do, for the knowledge you share, for the programs you offer. You’re incredibly motivating and inspiring person. You should never forget that you’re literally changing the lives of thousands for the better❤️
I just hit a big marathon PB of 3:09 by using one of Ben’s training plans. Thank you Ben for all the great info you share!!
Congratulations Mark, that's fantastic!! Well done with all your hard work and crushing the race! 🙌
Ran Sydney last week. I was on the waiting list, so my wave was group F, the final wave. You are correct about starting at the back and weaving. I ran at 4.56km according to my watch, but finished in 3.31, because of the extra distance I ran. It's still 47 mins faster than last year. Realised also that I don't need a drink at every water station, so that improved my time for marathon number 2.
Great video Ben, I've ran many marathons but I still need these advices ... perfect timing as well, thanks.
most tips also apply to shorter distances. i do agree with pretty much all of them, and that happens all that often. 🙂
All great advice Ben. I have been running marathons since 1986 and have made all of the mistakes, at least once. (slow learner😆). The one I continue to struggle with is pre-race and race fueling and getting the fluids, in particular, dialed in just right especially as I have aged and gotten slower. Always an adventure.
I ran London Marathon in 2018, hottest London in history. Berlin Marathon 2019, apocalyptic storm! I don't have much luck with weather, but it's all good fun! 😂
I hope you’re not running London 25….for my sake 😅
I can relate to bad weather on race day. I did the GNR this year and it was lashing down throughout, actually done the run just fine, but didn’t have a change of clothes afterwards. Ended up with hypothermia, passing out twice and vomiting whilst unconscious because I walked to South Shields metro, which is an absolute trek from the finish. So anyone reading this, take a change of clothes for afterwards, regardless of the weather!
Ah, that sounds so bad. Sorry to hear your experience.. the post race of GNR has always been something that needs to be improved. Hope you're all ok now and well done for the race.
Had to defer my entrance this year.. was very glad given the weather and hoping for better weather next year.. but definately will take your advice!
@@BenParkes I am thankfully, took a few days to recover but otherwise I’m good 🙂
@@nrjonesy yeah I was an idiot for not taking change of clothes nor planning my route back to my hotel afterwards
The weather this besides the rain was ironically perfect. If it hadn’t had rained I think I would’ve been okay afterwards
100%. If you can have a non running race buddy with your gear and to check your ok. They should know your estimated finish time and other important data. You do owe them coffee and or beer as well as nice food but they are a game changer.
Hi Ben - thanks for this - love you videos - I have ran a few marathons and still wonder how to find out my goal pace for the next one based on my current fitness, and then how to adjust my pace when running uphill/downhill during the race. Just a suggestion for your next video. Cheers
Have you tried PacePro on Garmin? It allow adjusting pace to course profile.
Ben! Well timed. Super helpful as always. Thank you
Great reminders Ben and perfect timing! Have been following your channel the past year and running my first marathon on 10/20 while soaking up all the tips I can. The big 20 miler is coming up this weekend 😬 Appreciate all the time you put in and the experience and knowledge you’re offering up! The full loo stop with sound effect was 😂
Great tips. Pacing is the big one over a marathon, most people set off too optimistically……hopefully I can get it right this weekend at my 2nd marathon.
Nagging issues is an interesting one. During races it seems wrong to stop and sort anything but you’re probably right, ignoring them likely won’t help!
Just bought a plan for the website. Looking forward to follow along the training. Great video, Ben.
Absolutely brilliant, Ben. Hope to see you at the Melbourne Marathon. It will be my first attempt at the full.
The guy @ 5:49 made me laugh 😂😂😂😂. Bro just grab the cup
Haha that looked almost intentional after the 3rd time. Just stop and walk for water at that point
Tip #9: If you're gonna try-hard, practice grabbing and consuming water from aid-stations.
Thank you so much for the video! My first marathon is happening this Sunday so your video timing is spot on 😁
The running watch can also contribute to the risk of starting too fast. My watch predicts a time that is maybe as much as 10 to 15 minutes faster than what I can probably run. On the one hand, you know you have to start sensibly, on the other hand, if the watch 'thinks' I can do it, maybe I should give it a try anyway..?
I was just thinking about the new shoes thing today - I know I shouldn't do it, but I still felt the "itch" to purchase a new pair for race day. I didn't do it but it's still refreshing to hear the advice from you. Thanks, see you in Berlin!
I still use your training plan and you've been kindly answering my questions via Facebook. Thank you for that. First marathon this year was in heavy rain^^. I did tie my shoe too quickly and to tight last year in Berlin and reacted too late... that sucked in the second half. Very good hint ;).
Nagging issues is a thing NOT TO IGNORE! and deserves a place in this list. Ran my first marathon 3 weeks ago and got a small pebble in my shoe. Decided to have a short stop to pick it out. Worth it! Also, if nature calls, GO! Personally, thinking of the need to go and the energy used on the thought and preassure takes away far to much energy from the actuall running. (you also getting lighter!!) That's also why having a pace plan is key if you have a time goal. Slowly build a small gap so this sort of things doesn't ruin your run!
BTW! Ran with the shorty running cap. Best running cap ever! (for me) Thanks!
Just today ran my first marathon! 3:45:45 chip time, which im pretty happy considering it was warm and super humid, i had to deal with a knee injury that prevented me from running the 2 weeks leading up to the race, and i had to take 2 bathroom stops.
That’s awesome, well done!
That’s awesome, my first marathon is next weekend. Looking to run sub four hours.
Well done Tomas!! That's such a great first marathon time. Congratulations!!
Man, you shouldn't be "pretty happy"! You should be so damn proud of yourself because for the first time you covered 42 km! And not just that, you spent months and months, soo many hours and training sessions just for that one peak race. So really, time does not matter! I am going to run my first one on sunday and I am super hyped. Really, we are all just there to celebrate our months of training before 🥳 (ofc unless you're insanely ambitious and keep wanting to shave off minutes from your PB) but still, be insanely proud of yourself, even with a prior injury you were able to complete the race!
Great tips here !!! Thank u Ben
Great video thanks. I drank a cup of Red Bull during the Copenhagen Half, never tried it before, not a good idea! 🤢I’ve been back time and time again to watch your Valencia 2023 video for inspiration, so magical! Hoping to see some “Getting it done” long sleeves coming in the Autumn release 🤞
Thanks Ben, great content and great advice.
Great tips. Didn’t adjust my pacing for The Big Half (25°C) and ran out of steam at 16km! Also love the tip about not ignoring nagging issues during the race.
Omg same for me in Big Half this year! It was a hard race but fortunately next one was much better
Been watching lots of your videos and great help. Got my first marathon for London 2025 😬
Great Advice Ben thank you for your content appreciate all of it. You've helped me along my run journey so much. God bless :)
Ben Parkes, you will rock Berlin Marathon 😊! Thanks for all the content, you are a legend 👌
Hey Ben. Excellent video. BTW, how long should you break in new shoes before you run a race, in this case a marathon, in them? TIA.
#9: NEVER trust a fart
lol just had to completely stop coz of this 😂
When practicing travel routes to the start be aware - weekend travel sometimes uses a different timetable
Great video Ben!
The steps the day before are underrated advice. Just a cheeky Parkrun (shakeout) and go home by public transport 😅
I think not practicing in-run fuelling is a big common mistake too. You don’t want to find out at mile 22 that you haven’t been taking gels regularly enough. Happened to me in my first marathon.
Thankfully realised this on one of my long runs. Simple adjustment from 45 mins per gel to 30 mins. Felt so much better on the next long run.
Training for my eighth marathon and feel that the ones I have run before have not gone entirely smooth. Long time to be out there for something to go wrong! I have definitely made some of the mistakes that were listed in this video, hopefully not to be repeated in two weeks when I run the Portland Marathon!
Thank you for this .. running my first half marathon in a few weeks 😊
Thanks for the great video!
Good stuff Mr. Parkes! My race is next Sunday. I’m using your intermediate plan. Had a really good run today better than expected. I’ve haven’t tapered properly before so maybe that is the secret sauce. I felt I had overreached with this plan trying to go sub 4:00. Up to now I would have said I can’t do it. Or can I? After today there is new hope. Either way I have enjoyed the process.
Great advice, Ben. Was that the Verrazanno Bridge at 12:40? NYC was my only road marathon back in 1998. Since then it's been Trail running. Some advice applies, except easier to take toilet breaks 🙂
I just recently completed my first official 10K race. I tend to do my training runs first thing in the morning and in a fasted state. The morning of the race I woke up super early, so I decided to drink some smoothies (yes, more than one). I drove to the race, and by the time I parked I was in emergency mode. The start/finish line of the race was about 15 minutes from where I parked, there was NO WAY I was going to make it there before before hitting the bathroom. It was early in the morning, and I was crossing through a college campus. All of the buildings were closed. Thankfully for me, some fellow students had some kind of athletic event going on that morning and I managed to flag them down to let me in to the facility. I almost didn't even make it to the race.
advice from my todays long run LOL:
1. DO NOT RUN ON UPSET STOMACH. eat your normal food and do not deviate the night before... instant regret for a race you trained an entire season for
2. HYDRATION: these hot days you lose a lot of water sweating... even if its for just a tiny sip, hit up the stations.
Good luck everyone running any of the fall marathons! See some of you on November 3rd here in NY!
thanks for the video it was very helpful.
Ran 10 english miles yesterday, was 7 degrees warmer then the average temperature this month. Full out in the sun, had to adjust my 1:20/1:25 goal to 1:25/1:30 🥵
Great tips!
Most people use pace groups to try to drag them to a result they're not capable of. The proper use of pace groups is to keep your early pace in check.
I ran away from a pacer at my local Parkrun at a pace I wasnt capable of.. he had a good laugh with me when he past me later on and I gasped "bloody hell... I was hoping not to see you again!"
Terimakasih Mas Ben, saya dari Nusantara menyimak tipsnya. Saya umur 50 tahun dan hobby running. Saya ingin bisa ikut HM. Kemarin baru ikut 10K. Saya pakai bahasa ya karena easy language. Thanks
Only one I can see actually being way better on race day is temperature (in Texas). I’m used to running in the 80s in Fahrenheit so being in the 50s with a small breeze seems like heaven.
Omg , practice picking up water cups in races, that guy 😂
Wish Strava would let us all annotate our split times like that!!!! Made me laugh!
One thing I'm not sure Ben mentioned: Know the course/Go off HR or effort, not necessarily pace.
This is a 2 for one. At my first Marathon in Arizona I didn't pay attention to the course profile before the race and realized way too late the first half was basically all uphill. I tried to hold my goal pace of 7:15 which forced me into Half Marathon effort so I was totally ruined by mile 15 :)
I’m running my first marathon ever next week, in Berlin, my training didn’t go as planned due to injuries and illness, and farthest I’ve run was 25km and found it a bit challenging. I’m an anxious person and I’m thinking of not running the marathon but I don’t want to disappoint my family wife, daughter …. Any advices or tips on how to be able to finish the race 😊 thank you
My wife ran her first marathon last year and I ran with her to help pace. Goal was to break 4 hours. We were spot on until mile 20 but she hit a wall. We agreed it was okay to walk. But we set a goal to run 4 minutes and walk 30 seconds for the next 6 miles. We didn’t break 4 but at her age she still ran fast enough to qualify for Chicago. There’s no shame in walking but we found it helpful to put limits on how long we’d ease off the gas pedal.
Do it. Just go out and enjoy it. Don't worry about the time.
The rain during this years Malta Marathon.... If you know you know.... I was absolutely soaked to the skin! 😅😂
That was my mistake this year at Gold Coast marathon 😊!! I will never ever run fast at the beginning of marathon 😬!
Hi Ben, heading to Berlin next week to try for a Sub 3... I've been on your plan for the last 3 months so hopefully I nail it...
Are you doing a shakeout run on the Saturday and if yes where and when?
the Lucozade mistake....haha... been there too, except it came back up.
Hi Ben! I am running the Shanghai marathon in 5 weeks. I have IBS, and gels are a no go for me, I was wondering if white bread would be a good option?
Cheers this helps loads what would you eat night before the race ?
What are your thoughts on taking immodiums for long runs?
I’m pretty sure Ben has used them for marathon races. He mentioned it in a previous video
Can you make a video called 8 common 100 mile ultra mistakes please? Thanks
I caried a 100lb pack for a world record in London in 2017. That was some day with the weather! I'll also vouch or the hats having picked one up from Ben personally at LM Expo this year. They're brilliant and worth every penny. Any chance of a Union Jack design being available before New York?
Great tips! I ran the Richmond Runfest Marathon in London a couple of weeks ago. My first marathon, got my sub 4 hours (3.54.19). I did take a sports mixture from a water station by mistake. Thankfully no I'll effect 😅 the training was tough. Please say I don't have to run a marathon again! Can't I just do half marathons? 😭
Help a newbie out here! I'll be running my first ever HM in December and I'm using the level 1 training plan. Understand that for the Easy Runs, it should be easy enough to hold a conversation which I presume is zone 2. Should my Easy Runs be following the recommended pace chart or should I just stick to a pace within my zone 2? I'm a bit lost with this as my zone 2 pacing is about 2mins different from the pacing recommendation for a 2h30 goal time.
Getting ready to run on Sunday in Odense following Ben's trainings plans. Let's go!
4:39 I saw this guy slam about 8 gels in a 5K along with a Hydration pack looking like as if he's doing a UTMB event only to see him take that long course in the porta potty at the end of the race.
For a 5K??? 😂😂😂😂😂
Thank you..
This guy is like an alternate universe where mark goldbridge is a avid runner
First Marathon (loch ness) in 6 days so his video is well timed 😬
Good luck!!
I noticed you wore a pair of latex gloves while wearing a watch with heart rate monitor. Does it maintain the HR Accuracy?
During my last marathon in Valencia in which I ran a massive PB, I had to pee after 5K. Before 10K I stopped because it was getting too bad. It was the best thing to do. But, I would rather prevent having to go. I went 2 times before the start already. What should I do? I had 500ml Maurten within 1h before the race. Drink less?
Hi Ben, one question, I never followed a pacers group before, and I am planning to follow them in Berlin, my question is.. do they start easy and then increase the speed, or they start the marathon pace and stick to it all the way through? And thanks for all the tips..love u and Sara ❤
Just ask them what tactics they have. I am going there too, and target 4h, but will not cry if I loose them.
@@pdurys thanks.. best of luck over there .. may God bless us
Any plans to run In southeast Asia where it's 30 plus degrees and 89-90% humidity?
100% stop if there is something bothering you. You are not going to lose time relative to ignoring it. I almost always stop to pee early on, in fact I kind of expect it and do not care since I know I will be more relaxed.
Is it advisable to take breakfast on race day, which is usually less than an hour before the race
Always do what you did in practice , not doing anything that you never doing
I've gotten PRs before without even intending to get a PR. The training has just gotten me faster without me really noticing haha.
I've been experimenting with different fueling methods. Gels, flapjack, bars, chews, andy thingys, just seeing what works and what doesn't.
Didn't really need to worry about fueling when I was only doing 5-6km max per run. Now I'm doing 10km regularly during training so definitely need the fuel.
So far GU and TorQ have been great. Tried cliff bars but I found the packaging kinda tricky to get into while running. Chews I need to slow down to a walk to use properly so they would be better for distances where you would be slowing down.
All in all so far the experimenting has been going well, haven't found anything I've had to write completely off as an option yet. Though there is a fair number of products and brands i haven't gotten around to trying.
Yes, I seem to perform best when my A-goal is to have fun. This combined with good training leads to a conservative start and a strong finish!
I will do half of these mistakes in Berlin lol
But it will be fine. That's half the fun
Shave your chest and protect your nipples with plasters.
I recommend aqua plasters. They are thin and will stay on their position even during constant heavy rain.
"My nipples hurt" was the first thing I've ever said after my first race 😂
It’s as if you know my first Marathon is coming up this Saturday and you’re watching out for me. Ben you’re the best!
First lad had absolutely no luck with hydration LOL
Can you plz tell the best running shoes for sprinting and tempo runs
Pegasus plus
Pegasus 41
Rebel v4
Sl2
Or if you can refer plz but without plate
heya Ben, doing my 1st ever HM in less then month, in Slovenia capitol, Ljubljana....we start at 9am...seems i will need to wake up at 6am max, get ready - 25km away from city....what should i eat before 21km? hehe, thanks.
Eat whatever carb heavy breakfast you normally like to eat. Don’t try anything new on raceday
@@markvserik thanks :=)
Use an average 5k split to check pace and don’t focus on 1k splits, how you feel will vary each km, you’re not a robot.
Most common mistake must be not being a better runner at 5k-HM before running one. Guilty myself.
I practice with Jelly babies. Yum yum yum.
2hrs 45min
Did he say 25 degrees is too hot? Bloody poms...
First