Starting at 9 pm, the Marathon Pour Tous will pose a new challenge when it comes to building up to the race. Brush up on these last-minute tips to tackle the last few hours before the event in full confidence.
1. Sweet dreams
"Most runners will be finishing after midnight, so the Marathon Pour Tous will be unlike anything you've done before", points out the coach Olivier Gaillard, who wrote up the Marathon Pour Tous training programmes. "Sure, the adrenaline will keep you going at this late hour, but a power nap in the afternoon can work wonders too." What about the morning? You won't be starting at 8 or 9 am, for a change. Is this a good excuse to sleep in? "If you're normally an early bird, your body's not going to wake up at noon just because it can. That's the general rule, of course, but things can change if the nerves have kept you awake at night or you have a sleep deficit. If so, feel free to sleep in and recuperate, but as a rule of thumb you should try and stick to your usual biological rhythm."
2. Fuel up
"Eating at the right time is of the essence", explains the coach. "With such a late start, it's a good idea to have a hearty breakfast, a normal meal at lunchtime and a small meal around 5 or 6 pm, three or four hours before the race." You'll be taking starting orders at a time when you'd usually be having supper, so hitting the wall is a real risk. "In fact, the whole day will revolve around meals", says Olivier.
3. Take it easy
Apart from taking a power nap (which will also keep you from brooding too much), you should spend the day… resting. "Going out for a training run is a big no-no. Just stay inside and chill in both the literal and the metaphorical sense. Going sightseeing around Paris before the race, for example, would be a bad idea…", points out the coach.
4. Get there with time to spare
"To hedge against any transportation hiccups and take into account the need to scout out the site, find your locker and go to the toilet (there's always a queue!), I strongly advise you to get there at least one hour in advance", says the coach. "That should be the absolute minimum, in fact. At any rate, participants must also check their lockers and the schedule sent to them."
5. Warm up… but not too much
"The longer the race, the shorter the warm-up," quips Olivier Gaillard, and the Marathon Pour Tous is no exception. "I recommend joint mobilisation exercises and a 10-minute light jog before starting your usual exercises. This is no time to broaden your horizons, so don't go trying new exercises or doing more exercises than normal." From there, you just need to head to the start line with, if needed, an old T-shirt in your hand in case you need it if the temperature drops or it begins to rain (you never know with early August evenings). If someone can pick it up, you can drop off this T-shirt when you hear the starting shot. In any case, you need to stay active, with joint mobilisation exercises, if you need to wait in the starting pen.
6. No experiments!
Remember: "You must test any equipment, piece of apparel, gel or refreshment technique before the big day", warns Olivier. For example, wearing a new pair of shoes on the day of the race would be an absolute howler. "You need to test them several times beforehand, and not just on short runs!", continues the coach. The same goes for T-shirt and other types of apparel, unless you're a glutton for suffering and looking forward to a night in blister hell.
7. Don't get carried away at the beginning
"The course packs a real punch between kilometres 15 and 32, so you absolutely need to stick to your racing times, especially in the first 15 kilometres, which are faster", advises Olivier Gaillard. "You need to be disciplined even if you feel on top of the world." It would be a real pity to flush all that preparation down the drain in just a few minutes… Once you've finished the first few kilometres at the right pace, all you need to do is run!
Article written in collaboration with the French Athletics Federation.
