The Night Before and Expo Tips

"You can't run a million dollar marathon with ten-cent training" - unknown, but supported by every coach

Ok guys, here we are, just a few days before the big day. I know what you're all thinking - "If I just had 2 more weeks, I could whip myself into shape". Well muchacho, that thinking won't work, so just relax and prepare yourself mentally. You've trained hundreds of miles for this day, and now you only have a few days left to really screw it up. I like to break things down to the ridiculously simple, so essentially, all you have left to do is rest, eat, drink, dress yourself, and run. Oh yeah, you do have to get yourself down to Boutwell Friday or Saturday...

When you go to the expo to pickup your number, be careful if there is free food out there. You don't want to be loading up on Metamucil samples the day before the race! Tasting is fine, but keep it to a minimum.

When you  go to the expo the day before the race, it'll be like Christmas morning with all the shoes and clothes and food and drinks and gadgits, and it's great to buy them all (me and Ken usually do), just don't convince yourself that this new gizmo is the missing key to your running success the next day! Have trust in the months of training that your good ol' whatevers got you through hundreds of miles and it won't fail you on raceday.

Do not confuse "carbo-loading" with "carbo-stuffing". Don't wait till Saturday night and try to stuff a pound of Rigatoni into your gut. During this week, you should try to eat some healthy carbs (pasta, rice, veggies, you know the routine), and don't force feed. You're going to be cutting down your miles run so the body will have no trouble storing the "extra" carbs for fuel. Be sure to drink often during the week. I try to be sure to have a bottle of water on my desk all the time AND during race week, I try to drink at least one energy drink a day (gatorade or powerade, NOT RED BULL!!).

On the day before the race, lay out all your race clothes, pin on your race number, and have your race chip on your shoe so you don't forget it.

Arrive at Boutwell Auditorium early. You're going to be nervous enough - why add to it by getting to the start late?

Right now (like that carries a lot of weight) it looks like it might be pretty cold. "Cold" at the start might become "hot" by mile 20. WEAR LESS THAN YOU THINK YOU NEED. Now go back and read that last sentence again! OK, one more time...I'll wait. Wearing a 55 gallon garbage bag waiting at the start may be your best running gear purchase (sorry, Val). It's waterproof, it's windproof, BUT IT IS NOT BREATHABLE, so don't run too far in it. You can just rip it off at the start and be sure to toss it on the sidewalk or better yet, hold it till you see a wastecan. DO NOT throw it on the course where some running coach (me!!) might trip over it! Dress in layers, so you can shed some clothes if needed. Wear gloves and a hat to keep the heat in. If you're undecided whether to wear long or short sleeves, you probably need short sleeves, but will have a hard time convincing yourself. So, what you do is wear shortsleeves and then cut the toes out of a pair of long tube socks, and wear them like arm socks (soccer socks will pretty much go all the way up to your armpits! When you get warmer, voila! Chuck them away, and your 99 cent investment has served it's purpose.

Be sure to position yourself at the start based on your pace. If you're walking, don't get in the front, because you'll get run over by some guy trying to win the race in the first 50 yards. There should be pacing signs at the start so you have an idea where to begin. We will have pace groups up to about 11:30/mile. They are based on finish times for the full marathon, but you don't have to be a UAB Grad to figure it out which group to join for the Half Marathon.

Before the race, be sure to try to learn the course so you have an idea what's up ahead. There are some hills on this course, but this is Birmingham and we're only going to worry about the things we can control. Knowing your opponent (the course) is the first step in winning (finishing).

Thank all the volunteers and Police out there. They don't get big bucks to keep you safe and happy, and they're there for a long time.

Try to have a great time, and remember, when you cross the finish line, they will be taking your picture, so smile, hands up, and for goodness sake, DON'T BE HITTING YOUR WATCH - it makes a lousy 1st marathon finishing photo!
If you have any concerns, email me.

Sunday, I'll see you all on the roads. Mercedes, here we come - AL