Races/Marathons- looking for advice

Training for a marathon is like a part-time job, but its very rewarding...I would run a few 5ks, 10ks, etc...I never ran a half, just because there werent any local, and to travel didnt fit my schedule...I did 2 marathons in the mid 90s, however...How far do you run in training now? I wish you luck!!!

I hadn't done any races 5 10 or whatever, decided to do a 1/2 marathon gave myself a year to prepare and then did the biggest race in the country...

It worked for me.. probably not the best way of doing it. I carried too much, I shouldnt have bothered with water bottles and if I did it should have just been one I could throw away, there was plenty of water stations available. There were baggage buses but I carried my wallet and stuff on me, I think I carried too much, and next time ill probably cut down to just my iphone on a sling on my arm, my credit card slipped into something and thats it.

Most excellent! participating in races is very fun and rewarding!

www.runningintheusa.com is a great website to find local races around you.

My advice is train well, race hard, but most of all have fun!! I run local 5ks,10ks,15ks, and a 1/2M once or maybe 2x a year. Very fun and often for some great charitable causes. Depending on the length of the race and the weather mostly determines what I carry, like ipod, snack, water bottle, etc. Some races allow you to listen to music, others don't. The best thing to wear is good fitted running shoes and comfortable running clothes akin to the weather conditions on race day.

Depending on the venue and the length of race will determine race-end procedures. A lot of races are in a loop so the start and finish are the same location. Straight distance races often will shuttle racers to and from the start/finish lines or you can catch a ride with family/friends who came out as spectators.

Congratulations on deciding to run a half marthon ! Please remember to have fun. Run your race and don't worry about what other runners around you are doing. Your coach will probably tell you the same thing.

For race day, you don't really need a water bottle during the race. There are always plenty of water stations. The only thing I have ever carried is the key to my truck, and gu/gel packs that I would "eat" during the race itself. It was said earlier that most races are a loop and that is right, If it isn't then most places will offer a shuttle bus back to the start.

Just remember to get a good nights sleep the night before, eat smart that morning and enjoy it. You will be amazed at how easy it is stay motivated to run when you have others running with you.

I have run 4 marathons. Chicago, San Diego, Marine Corp and Disney. Most marathons major ones anyway have a check in point where you can check in your race bag. It is usually based on your bib number. Most marathons have an expo days before the race when you go and pick up your race bib, important information, goodie bag and T-shirt. The expo also has lots of retail things to buy. It is best to get involved with a running group to train with. I have done Team in Training and they are a wonderful organization. You do have to fundraise and depending on your situation this can be just as difficult as training. You do have a running coach for support and a fundraising mentor to help you get creative in finding ways for donations. Training is different for everyone but TNT only does their longest run at a 20 miler. They figure if you can do 20 you can do 26.2. It does take your body about 2 weeks of recovery after a marathon so I think its best to not run the 26.2 until the race. Marathons and TNT changed my life. It made me believe in myself and it proved that if you set your mind to it you can do anything!! TNT also has training for other events (half marathons, tri's) And yes, training for a marathon is a lot of work! Be prepared to train 6 days a week for about 5 months and as you get up in mileage you will spend more time out there of course :-). I would advise to do the majority of your miles outside and not on the treadmill. Especially your long runs. Hope this helps! Good luck!!

So for those of you who are experienced with this, what advice can you share? I have a few silly questions, like once you reach the end- how do you get back to your car? What do you carry on you during a race/marathon? Any advice is greatly appreciated! thanks in advance everyone!

1) Find a training plan and stick to it (within reason and never skipping a long run). A lot of people here like Hal Higdon's or Jeff Galloway's; I've never used either (had my own put together by a coach, which sounds like what you might be planning on doing). I like having literally every day mapped out from now to the race.

2) As others have said, most races tend to end where they started; if they don't, they will provide (or advise upon, in advance) transportation back to the start area.

3) While you don't need to bring water with you during your race, as there are usually water stations every 3 miles or so, you will most likely want to bring water on your training runs. I use a Fuel Belt by Nathan, since I hate carrying anything in my hands. There are a number of different options; my Fuel Belt has four 10 oz bottles that I fill with water, which is plenty to get me through any training runs up to ~16 miles or so (anything more than that and I carry extra water bottles, but I'm a thirsty kinda gal). Others use Camelbaks for hydration; I prefer the belt, but it's a personal preference kind of thing.

4) During the race itself, I carry nothing but my car key and, for longer runs, Gu packets (I eat one every 3 miles or so with 8 oz of water). They'll give you a race bib (your number), so you'll have that; I either leave everything else in my car or use the bag check at the race for extra layers of clothes, etc. If you're running somewhere cold, you can even buy super cheap sweats and just leave them at the start line or shed them as you go; some races collect them and donate them to homeless shelters.

Feel free to ask if you have any other questions; I'm certainly no expert, but would be happy to share my experience/ideas with you.

Happy running!