With the New York City Marathon quickly approaching on November 2nd, there are so many ways you can prepare for a great race. Aside from it being one of the most popular races in the world, it's also one of the most challenging. The NYC Marathon is not shy of hills and if you're not prepared you can burn out early. The crowd also can bring you to push yourself further than you even knew was possible. One word for the NYC Marathon is AMAZING, but don’t take my word on it! Consider training to do this great race! For those lining up at the start on the Verrazano Bridge, here are some New York City Marathon race tips to help you get ready to have a great race!
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1. Analyze the Course
With the many bridges, the NYC Marathon rolls with hills, so be prepared. Check out the course elevation map and be ready to take it easy on the hills. Allow yourself extra time on hilly miles and take it easy on the flat straightaways, although you may feel like you lose time going uphill you will gain it all back as you go down. This is one of the best tips to help you get race ready for the New York City Marathon!
2. Set a Plan
A pacing band is one of the best tools to use in a race; you can pick this up at the race expo the day prior to the race. A pacing band is a wristband that lists out each mile and the time you should aim to run. You choose the overall goal time and the band breaks down your time, mile by mile. This will help keep you in line with your target goal.
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3. Taper
A week to two weeks before your marathon, begin to scale back with your mileage to allow your body sufficient rest. In order to be race ready, tapering is key so take it easy. Enjoy this time to prepare both mentally and physically until your race day in NYC!
4. Be Prepared
It can get pretty cold with the wind on the Verrazano Bridge at NYC Marathon start so be prepared and wear layers. So what will you do with your layers as you get warm, you can toss your clothes and this will get donated to the homeless! So stay warm and help a good cause! You may also want to check a bag so that you have warm clothes when you finish the race. It will take some to find your friends and family due to the large number of runners so be prepared!
5. Get Focused at Start
As you line up at the start, get focused and think about why you started to train for this race. Think about all your training in preparation for this event and review your course plan in your head. Visualize crossing the finish line and picture your goal time across the clock. If you get in the moment, you'll be more likely to succeed!
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6. Pace Yourself
Try not to get too caught up with adrenaline and go out too quick in the NYC Marathon. This is difficult because you do get lost in excitement... but if you pace yourself, you'll do much better in the marathon. Take it mid pace the first half and push in the second half; the true race does not begin until the second half, as this is where you channel your strength!
7. Have Fun
Enjoy this day! 26.2 miles is a long way to go, but the experiences of the NYC Marathon are incredible. Between the supportive, cheering crowd, beautiful views of the five boroughs and fellow runners; NYC Marathon is an incredible race. So make sure you enjoy this experience because you cannot relive this very day!
So stop and enjoy your NYC Marathon experience, pace yourself, be prepared and have a great time! And I hope to see you out there... I'll be running this year too! Are you ready for an experience of your life?
