When I trained for my first marathon, I went in feeling prepared. I received loads of advice from seasoned marathoners and read dozens of training and racing insights from Runner’s World. But when it came down to race day, there were a few aspects of running 42.2km that I didn’t expect, plus an initial surprise in the few days leading up to the race.

These are the five things I wish someone had told me…

These are the five things I wish someone had told me ahead of the start, and what you can learn from my experience to make your race day even better.

1. Carb-Loading Can Feel Like a Chore
When my friend and colleague told me about her carb-loading experience leading up to her first marathon, it sounded like something I would enjoy. She aimed to hit a certain number of carbs each day, and to do the same, I anticipated the week leading up to my marathon filled with an appetite for bagels and sweets.

Instead, it turned into a week of fighting to stomach any food. All my race-day nerves left me stressed and unsettled, which pretty much ruined my appetite.

When I hit this point before the race, I remembered advice from Kristy Baumann, RD, LD and registered dietitian, who encourages marathoners to drink their carbs if they run into appetite issues. While I was still able to stomach gummy clusters and store-bought lemon pound cake, I took her advice by sipping Gatorade, protein shakes, and cold chocolate milk after my runs.

2. You Might Not Feel Your Best on Race Day
I definitely anticipated some taper tantrums in the days leading up to my marathon, but I figured that once I woke up on race day, I’d snap into an excited, well-rested, powerful version of myself ready to nail every mile. Well, that wasn’t really the case.

I woke up feeling scared, nervous, and hesitant to go run 42.2 kilometres. Thoughts crossed my mind like: “What if I just skip it and let down my friends and family who planned to cheer me on?” “What if I injure myself on the course or need to drop out?”

Pulling up to the starting line also felt more mundane than I expected. I got my bib, sat and waited in a nearby vestibule with other runners to stay warm, and pulled up my playlist like any other long run. I didn’t exactly feel like the best version of my “runner” self, but I pushed through, trusting that all I had to do was put one foot in front of the other, and I’d feel better once the gun went off.

I actually didn’t start feeling back to my “normal” self until after I crossed the finish line, greeted by friends and family, and I allowed myself to bask in the glory of finally finishing the race.

3. The Halfway Point Is Actually Really Exciting
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I hit the halfway point. I pictured a mellow cruise through kilometres 20 and 21, your typical slog through long run kays.

When I passed through halfway at 21.1km, and officially entered the farthest distance I’d ever raced, it felt like a true victory. I had felt fairly strong because of my pacing and fueling methods, so I was able to stick to the speed I wanted. I even threw in a slight kick in pace and counted how many people I passed as my favourite songs came on. The finish line still felt like it was well within reach, even when it was more than a dozen kays away.

4. The 32K Mark May Hit Differently Than You Expect
Even though I had fuelled well, my legs turned into bricks around the 32km mark. My heart wanted to keep running farther and faster, but my legs held me back from continuing to pass people, so I pushed myself to maintain a consistent, slightly slower pace.

I didn’t expect that to happen because I figured “the wall” runners often face at 30 kays stems from not fuelling well enough. And I took in all my gels (or as much as I could stomach) at a consistent rate throughout the race, opting for one gel every three to four miles with sips of water.

My fight during those final miles wasn’t an empty tank; it was trying hard to maintain my form while picking up my heavy legs with every step. I focused more on the parts of my mechanics I could control, like maintaining a tall posture and strong arm drive.

5. The Final Miles of the Race Fly By
From everything I’ve heard about what to expect from the final kilometres of a marathon, I thought the 32 to 42 kilometre stretch would feel like the longest, most excruciating ones of my life. After I hit 32K, though, the struggle with my legs made me mentally lock in way more than I expected, and I felt faster despite running a slower pace.

Instead of thinking about wanting to stop running to give my legs a rest, I leaned into every sensation and pushed through. Mike Gross, PsyD, a clinical and sports psychologist at Princeton University and founder and director of TriState SportPsych, told Runner’s World something that resonated with me. He explains how to deal with discomfort by being a quiet observer of the pain, instead of trying to fix it or make it go away.

Instead of wanting to get rid of the heaviness in my legs, I accepted the state they were in and focused on how close I was to the finish line. I knew the race was almost over, and I could handle every feeling the marathon brought. After all, it was my last “first marathon,” so I wanted to remember it well.

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