The Top 7 Marathon Mistakes I’ve Made
By: Yana Hempler
Tags: Running Tips, Running, Marathon, Run, Marathon Running

The Top 7 Marathon Mistakes I’ve Made

And what I should have done instead

Photo by Francesco Gallarotti on Unsplash

If you are training for your first (or next) marathon, you may be looking for ways to learn from other people’s training and racing mistakes. As someone who has done eight official marathons, including Berlin, Boston, New York, Victoria, and Vancouver, as well as ran 12 marathons in 12 days for a local charity, I definitely made my share of mistakes.

When it comes to running marathons, we can never really predict how the race will go. For example, I didn’t think I would qualify for Boston on my first attempt at the distance, but the race went surprisingly well and I ran a 3:28. Then, years later, I expected to break 3:15 at the New York Marathon in 2018, but I ended up having to walk several of the final KMs, struggling to finish in 3:34.

Me at the 2018 New York Marathon

With every marathon, I learn something about myself as a runner. I’ll be one of the first people to admit I could have done better. When I ran New York, given the number of marathons I’ve done before then, all I can say to myself is “what was I thinking?” (I’m sure we’ve all had that thought during a race).

Here’s my list of marathon mistakes and what I should have done instead:

Running too fast at the start. Although I ran with my pace group for the first 10k, I felt the pace was “too easy,” so I sped up when I really should not have. As you may already be aware, adrenaline+big crowds=sensible strategy out the window. Instead, I should have stayed with my pace group (or even behind them) for a large portion of the race (or even for the entire time). If I had done that, then I probably would have finished under 3:20 (and not 3:34). Not recovering properly during my training cycle. I definitely didn’t take enough rest days and, at the time, I was working four jobs while trying to run 80km per week and do regular strength training. For over six months, I wore my exhaustion as a badge of honour and was proud of myself for being able to fit it all in. I would run on tired legs and sometimes cut back on my sleep in order to get it all done. Instead, I should have waited to train for my next marathon when I no longer had to work four jobs and when I could go to bed at 9 pm and wake up at 5:30 am. I also should have taken more rest days, particularly when I was seeing diminishing returns from my training, and struggling to hit my “race pace” during some shorter training runs. Training for a marathon is a big commitment that requires a lot of focus. Unfortunately, I did not focus on listening to my body, but on how much more I could cram into the schedule. Doing an interval workout a few days before the race. Part of the reason I did the interval workout was to see “what my legs could do.” You better believe I “crushed” the workout, so I was quite proud of myself. Interval workouts have their time and place, which is certainly not a few days before a marathon. Instead, I should have done the workout a month before race day. It would have allowed me to test myself without negatively impacting my race. Not feeling confident in myself. Since I didn’t feel confident in myself, I tried to “bank time” by running too fast at the start, which, if you’ve ever tried it, rarely ever works. Another reason I wanted to test myself during the interval workout I discussed in point #3 was because I wasn’t confident going into the race. Instead, I should have trusted that the work I did to prepare for the race was enough. Walked around the city too much the day before the race. I was in a new city, so I wanted to explore my surroundings. Walking around New York was super exciting because it was my first time there. However, my legs were pretty tired that day. Instead, I should have waited until after the race to tour the city. After the race, my legs weren’t sore, so I could have explored then. Being too complacent with my fueling strategy. I did not take in enough gels, so I ended up depleting my glycogen stores a bit earlier than I thought. As a result, the last three miles of the race were not fun. I didn’t want to take too many gels with me because I hate carrying things around my waist. Instead, I should have monitored my caloric intake throughout the race to ensure I was fueling properly. If you are also someone who hates carrying things around your waist, then you should find out what kind of nutrition will be provided at the race. Then, use it in your training to see how your body responds to it, and to get your body used to fueling this way. Drank too much during the race. I recall the weather was a bit weird that day. For some reason, my mouth felt dry. So, I took a small glass of Gatorade and water at every aid station. Unfortunately, that didn’t end well. The water and Gatorade just kept sloshing in my stomach and it was super uncomfortable. Instead, I should have skipped every other aid station and my stomach would have probably felt better. Also, I wasn’t used to drinking that much during my training, so I should not have treated this race any differently. Therefore, it’s important for you to experiment with hydration (and nutrition) during your training.

I’ve talked to many marathon runners and they admit that they are all guilty of making at least one of these mistakes. What else would you add to this list?