Living in the Bay Area can be a running fanatic’s dream. What the area lacks in opportunities for altitude training is made up for in near-pristine running weather year-round and stunning scenery to get you out of bed when the rest of the city’s still asleep. Not to mention the soft surface trails that crisscross the little mountains just north of the city—also known as the Marin Headlands—and the wonderfully flat Embarcadero (stoplight-free!) for when your legs need a fast and flat run.
If you live in the Bay Area and you’re a runner, chances are at some point you’re going to be compelled by the mysterious forces of nature to try your hand (or more accurately, your feet) at conquering the holy grail of distance running: the marathon. The first poor soul to run a marathon, Pheidippides, didn’t have the luxury of energy bars or water aid stations or cushy Nike flats, and he, to say the least, struggled through all 26.2 miles. But as Isaac Newton once said, “If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” If I may rephrase Newton: “If I can run farther, it is by using the luxuries of modern running technology.”
Don’t be fooled—running a marathon, even with modern luxuries, is still as hard as getting into Zazie for Sunday brunch. But with a few of these tips below, you could be off to your best 26.2-mile race yet.
Create a training plan
1. Try to give yourself at least three months of training time prior to the race.
2. Set a realistic goal for yourself. Whether your goal is to break the 3:30 barrier, reach the finish line with a smile on your face or set a new personal record, set your sights on what you want to achieve early on. It’s OK to adjust your goal through training as needed.
3. If you’re new to running or just coming back from taking time off, start your mileage low (as low as 10–15 miles per week). While you’re probably chomping at the bit to run laps around the city, starting off too aggressively can lead to injury.
4. As a rule of thumb, try not to increase your weekly mileage by more than 10% from the previous week. (See number 4 about not biting off more than you can chew.)
5. Test out different foods, energy bars and electrolyte sources on training runs. Find what makes you and your stomach happy, and stick to it on race day.
6. Training plans aren’t cookie cutter. What works for one runner might not work for another. When calculating your target weekly mileage, longest long run and workouts, check out trusted resources like Runner’s World. Or if you have the budget, work with a personal trainer in the area.
7. One to two weeks before the race, begin to taper—meaning, decrease your mileage so each run is a “feel good” run.
8. Visualize your race in the days leading up to the big day, and imagine yourself running the race. It might sound silly, but focusing on the parts where you know you’ll hurt the most, and creating a mantra to help you get through it in advance, can help you push through the toughest part of a race.
The little things make a big difference
1. Having a strong core helps make you a more efficient runner (read: you waste less energy flailing, which means you run faster). Try to do three core sessions per week—typically, this consists of doing two to three reps of an abs exercise, two to three reps of a back exercise and two to three reps of a stability exercise.
2. Stretch. This cannot be emphasized enough—after you run, hold yourself to a 10-minute stretching session. Injury is a major bummer, and stretching is one simple way to help prevent it.
Finally, do what makes you happy on race day. Break out that Bay to Breakers costume from two years ago; book yourself a post-race spa session at Zazen; or eat two large pizzas at Delarosa. You’ve earned it!