Marathon Running, what not to do…

Once I decided I wanted to run a marathon, I dived into learning as much about the race as I could.  And after 11 years of researching, reading, understanding and experiencing five marathons (best: 4h10m) I feel like I know a little about what I’m doing.  Even thou I have stayed at a few Holiday Inns, I’m not a coach and in no way do I claim to be an elite marathoner but I do claim to be a pretty fast “Back of the Packer.”

Now realizing that knowing what to do and doing it is always the struggle of getting maximum performance out of any athlete.  I figured I would share with you what I’ve learned that I should NOT do before my next marathon, but can’t seam to stop myself.

Diet Mountain Dew, there has got to be a better drink then this leading up to a marathon, but try as I might to get on a good hydration plan I always find myself downing large quarantines of dew.

Stretching, I know I should and I do sneak in a few good toe touches and deep knee bends before a race but can’t seam to fit a stretching routine into my regular workouts.

Chocolate Fudge Covered Pop-Tarts, Yes I know Power Bar has spent thousands, maybe even millions on sports nutrition, but nothing tastes better race morning.

Core Body Workouts, Again I’ve read and understand that overall body fitness will improve marathon performance, but I’m not a sit-up and weight lifting guy…I like to run.

Oreos and Milk, The best recovery feeding time is within an hour after your long run…and boy do cookies and milk taste good about then!

Ideal Body Weight, last but not least…my ideal body weight (5’7”) is 147 pounds.  Okay I’m not ready for the Biggest Loser yet but I have not weighed 147 pounds since graduating from High School back in 1982.  I need to lose a few pounds but I’m afraid I’ll never see nor want to see 147 pounds again…thinking 160 would be a improvement. 

So there you have my keys to avoiding peek performance and remaining at the back of the pack.  In all honesty, I really need to stop some of these habits to not only run a better marathon but also to live a healthier life.  But at mile 25 the promise of a handful Oreos is just the right motivation to keep me going!

I’ll try to do better…

“This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” 1 John 4:10 NIV