This experience happens to virtually every runner. No matter how well your training cycle went, race day doesn’t go as planned. You get sick on race week, the weather forecast looks sub-optimal, you have a lot of work stress, or you just don’t feel great on race day. We draw on our coaching experiences as well as a basic understanding of race day physiology for this episode.

Before all that, we answer a listener’s question about what to do in the couple of months before starting a marathon training plan.

Discussion points include:

• How to adjust for illness on race day
• What do you do if you get injured before race day
• Race day adjustments for weather
• What to do if goal pace feels too hard on race day
• How do you deal with GI upset during a race
• How to adjust if you get your period on race day

If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like:

15: Running in the Heat

42: Your Guide to Cold Weather Running

44: Why Do You Get Muscle Cramps?

58: How to Pace a Marathon [Updated]

Are stability shoes outdated or the magic key to preventing injury? It’s actually neither - for some runners, they are the appropriate shoes, but they aren’t for everyone. We discuss overpronation and stability shoes in this episode.

Discussion points include:

Understanding pronation and supination in the running stride

Is overpronation bad?

What are stability shoes and how do you if know you need them?

Will stability shoes prevent injury?

How do you know if you are wearing the right running shoe?

This episode is sponsored by Boulderthon! Use code RUNTOTHEFINISH for $20 off the half or full marathon at Boulder’s premier road race on Sept 29, 2024. Register at https://www.boulderthon.org/

References

• PMID: 30599386

• PMID: 33306927

The big marathons including Boston and New York are ubiquitous on social media - but do they live up to the hype? We take a different format in our episode today and provide you with a nuanced hot take (as paradoxical as that sounds) on the most popular marathons.

First, we answer a listener’s question about taking Tylenol or Advil before a race. Then, we dive into a hot take: are the World Marathon Majors, including the Boston Marathon, overhyped on social media?

Discussion points include:

• How Boston may have oversaturated running news over the past year
• Why Boston should keep spots for charity runners
• Should Boston change their entry process/qualifying standards?
• Is it too easy for women to qualify for Boston?
• Why are the World Marathon Majors (New York, Chicago, etc) so special?
• Why you should embrace your own running journey no matter which races you run

References:

PMID: 37075050