Whether it's the first or the tenth time you've run it, the marathon is not to be taken lightly.
42 kilometers and 195 meters... At the idea of covering this mythical distance, the stress increases somewhat.
Don't panic, the worst is behind you.
And for D-Day, follow the advice of two experts.
Eat well two days before
To run well, you have to eat well.
But be careful, you don't need to empty the pasta section of your supermarket for your marathon.
Eat it yes, but in reasonable quantities.
"From three days before the race, we start eating pasta, rice, quinoa, for lunch and dinner, to optimize our muscle glycogen reserves, one of the fuels of the effort, which the body will use. during the race,” explains Olivier Gaillard, coach and development manager at Urban Running.
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For Pascal Silvestre, founder of the Runners.fr site, which has more than 50 marathons to its credit, one should not go overboard.
“The two most important meals are dinner on Friday and lunch on Saturday.
We eat to satiety without going to the feeling of bloating, ”he advises.
To avoid digestive disorders, Olivier Gaillard advises limiting the intake of green vegetables and raw vegetables.
"These fiber-rich foods can be upsetting," he says.
You will therefore accompany your pasta (without sauce) with a chicken breast or fish to provide the amount of protein essential for the development and repair of muscles.
Don't skip hydration
“You have to hydrate well the last two days by drinking regularly even if you are not thirsty.
It is important to avoid injuries but also because glycogen needs water to be stored”, underlines Olivier Gaillard.
Wake up muscles the night before
If you've done it right, you've followed a training plan, so you're not going to improvise a ride 48 hours before the race.
However, you can do a short session to revive the muscles.
“A muscle toning session on Saturday morning can energize the body after a week of rest.
We run 20 minutes at a comfortable pace before ending with four or five gradual accelerations of 15 to 20 seconds,” suggests Olivier Gaillard.
get enough sleep
A bad night the night before, won't affect your performance
Olivier Gaillard, coach and development manager at Urban Running.
You must arrive at the marathon well rested.
But we warn you, you risk having a bad night the day before the race.
Anxiety from waking up, insomnia, nightmares... All scenarios are possible.
“It doesn't matter, reassures Olivier Gaillard.
If you have slept well all the previous week, that is enough.
A bad night the night before a race is not going to affect your performance.”
A usual breakfast 3 hours before the race
Sunday morning, you will get up early, very early.
"The last meal before the race must be taken three hours before so as not to be in digestion during the marathon", indicates Olivier Gaillard.
For Pascal Silvestre, we avoid anything new during this meal.
"We eat like before a long training session, we essentially avoid fruit juices which can cause digestive problems," he says.
Choose a suitable outfit
Preparing your outfit for the marathon is important and not just for posting it on Instagram.
Think about the weather but also about comfort.
Sunday, April 3, the sky will be mild, so you can wear shorts and a T-shirt or a tank top.
"Against friction on the inside of the thighs, armpits and nipples for men, you can put an anti-friction cream," says Olivier Gaillard.
And above all, do not change your shoes the day before the race.
The models exhibited during the withdrawal of the bibs seem to you, of course, prettier than yours, but tell yourself that loyalty is a virtue that pays off, especially during this event.
Respect your running pace
“We give ourselves a pace to follow throughout the race and we stick to it.
The main pitfall is to leave too quickly because of the euphoria and the atmosphere, but the seconds you gain at the start turn into minutes lost at the end,” warns Olivier Gaillard.
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Stop at each refueling
Do not skip the supplies, they are essential to finish the marathon.
“Citrus fruits can cause stomach problems and the piece of sugar puts us at risk of hypoglycemia, so it is better to take a small piece of banana or raisins,” advises the specialist.
Above all, don't try anything new, stick to your training refueling routine.
Avoid the wall
The marathon is a gift you give yourself, you have to take advantage of it
Pascal Sylvestre, founder of the Runners.fr website.
Difficult to advise you to avoid the wall but also difficult not to mention it.
If it's your first marathon, everyone has told you about this famous wall that stands on your course around the 30th kilometer.
You therefore imagine it to be inevitable and impassable.
Depletion of energy reserves, muscle breakdown due to too many impacts on the road, the "marathon wall" is the moment when the body says stop.
If the imaginary obstacle exists, we can face it and push it away.
As proof: the number of marathon runners which increases every year.
For Pascal Silvestre, if we take this wall which prevents us from putting one foot in front of the other, it is that we have badly managed, either training or the race.
“We may have left too quickly or we did not eat properly at the aid stations,” he underlines.
“The Anglo-Saxons say that a marathon is 12 km after a long jog.
We are already trying to get to the Eiffel Tower without damage and then we manage as best we can, it's difficult for everyone.
You have to have the humility to agree to run more slowly, or even to walk”, advises Pascal Silvestre.
According to him, the first 30 kilometers must pass like a letter in the post office, then your mind will take over.
Have a plan B
If it gets too difficult, pull out plan B rather than giving up.
"Many set a goal and when it begins to elude them, they give up when there should be an alternative goal in case of difficulty," said Olivier Gaillard.
If you wanted to finish the marathon in 4 hours, you can plan an alternative scenario at 4:45 and then if it escapes you too, set yourself the goal of crossing the finish line.
be proud of yourself
Do not worry too much and be proud of yourself even before the starting line.
“The last two days, you have to be as calm as possible, to feel almost proud because it's not nothing to take the start of the Paris marathon.
We did the hardest part, we changed things in his life, we gave up moments of relaxation to train.
The marathon is a gift that you give to yourself, you have to take advantage of it,” concludes Pascal Silvestre.