London Marathon: Four mistakes to avoid as the big day approaches

For those who have been training for this year’s London Marathon, now is a crucial time.

While much of the training is now complete, there may be more to consider than ever before for the nearly 50,000-person run on April 21.

We spoke to a sports therapist, a nutritionist and someone who has run every London Marathon to find out the most common pitfalls before and during the race – and how to avoid them.

“This is a time when a lot of people lose their minds,” warns sports therapist and physical therapist Gabriel Siegel.

So how much should you run now? Should you change your diet? What should you eat before a race – and how can you avoid the dreaded wall?

Gabriel says marathon preparation can be broken down into three main categories:

• training load
• recover
• diet

He said the training load should be mostly complete by now, with all the grueling test runs completed before the 26.2-mile challenge.

Participants want to try to run 20 to 23 miles in training, he said, because it gives their bodies “a taste of what it’s like to be under stress” and gain some muscle memory when it comes to handling a marathon.

But the week before a marathon is critical, and people often make mistakes that hinder their success.

Mistake #1 – Improvising

Cramming things at the last minute like you’re studying for a test won’t work. In fact, it could hurt your performance, warns Gabriel.

“If you keep pushing and training too hard, a lot of people get injured or get sick because they don’t give themselves enough time to recover. That’s where people can struggle.”

Gabriel, a four-time marathoner himself, recommends accepting your training situation and adjusting your target finish time accordingly.

Chris Finill is one of only seven people to have completed all 43 London Marathons since its inception in 1981. He and his wife (who has also competed in every event with her husband, either supporting him, hanging medals, or competing herself) have seen many runners come and go over the years and unrealistic goals lead to The failure of many people.

Speaking to Sky News on the eve of his 44th birthday, the 64-year-old said: “People tend to choose an unrealistic goal and be too optimistic about the time it will take to achieve it. Once they set their pace, they will Needing to run into the right spots to hit that unrealistic time, they ran faster than they had in the early stages because they felt fresh.

“So the golden rule is to maintain your energy and hold back on how excited or exuberant or energetic you feel for the first few miles.”

Mistake #2 – Not relaxing before the game

Gabriel said people should gradually reduce training and focus on recovery, which is called tapering.

Chris, who hopes to finish the race in under three hours, said he will “barely run” in the last three or four days before the marathon, although he may complete a two-mile jog the day before.

“The taper period is a time for the body to relax,” says Gabrielle. “You’re not going to see a huge improvement in your health or performance over the past few weeks.”

He highlighted the Recovery Pyramid, which outlines optimal recovery strategies for athletes, arranged in order of importance from bottom to top.

He also warned against being overly influenced by social media during preparation.

“You’ll see a lot of athletes and running influencers online talking about the best ways to recover,” he says. “They seem to go out and run really hard, using all these products they can influence and offer you discounts, and then they go out for a bar night and get two hours’ sleep.”

Gabriel says this form of training may look great, but it’s not realistic.

“There is one true method of recovery — and that’s sleep,” he said. “Sleep is your absolute best way to recover.”

Chris, who is retired, said he tries to go to bed before 11pm and won’t get up earlier than 7.30am if he can help it.

Gabriel says that in addition to sleep, “active recovery days” are becoming increasingly popular, where you engage in some form of low-impact exercise, such as walking, stretching or similar activities that relax the body.

Mistake #3 – Carb intake errors – and last-minute dietary changes

Nutritional therapist Monica Price says a runner’s diet is different from what you typically think of as a healthy diet, as we all know the most important thing is carbs.

“It breaks down into glucose and we store it in our body as glycogen, which is then stored in our liver and muscles and our body uses it to give us energy,” she told Sky News.

These workouts should have significantly increased their intake, she says, and heading into the last week “at least 70 percent of the diet should be carbohydrates.”

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So if you’re hungry and want to reach for an apple, trade it for a piece of toast or scone, she says.

However, not all carbohydrates are created equal, and there are cases of overconsumption.

Eating too many carbs when your body isn’t used to it can mean you feel like you’re running “after Christmas dinner.”

Monica recommends “simple” carbohydrates such as bread, pasta with tomato sauce, rice, potatoes, chicken, fish and tofu. Monica says that while nutritionists often encourage eating brown carbs because they’re rich in fiber, for runners, they’re more likely to upset your stomach.

She adds that it’s important not to make too many changes to your diet before the big day, as changes should be largely “tried and tested” beforehand.

Mistake #4 – Improper refueling = hitting a “wall”

The wall has long been part of marathon folklore. Also known as “bonking,” Gabriel explains, it’s “a wall of fatigue.”

“Some runners, not all, just hit this wall and there’s nothing they can do about it. This can happen for a variety of reasons, but usually it’s from not fueling properly.”

Monica added: “Your body is exhausted. Your legs can’t move, your muscles are cramping, they’re spasming and you see, you’re dizzy, you’re completely broken – while your brain is saying ‘no more’ ”

“This happens because your body is depleted of glycogen. In other words, you don’t have enough carbohydrates in your diet.

“That’s why you see runners slumped to the ground. It’s also important that you have enough fluids, including sports drinks, during the race.”

Gabriel says pacing yourself reduces the chance of hitting a wall, and Chris proves it.

“I wouldn’t say I ever hit it [the wall] In any way that matters. I’ve had good races and bad races, but I usually manage it by taking gels, drinking energy drinks and not running too fast,” Chris said.

It can also have an impact on you mentally, Gabriel says, because the brain needs glucose, and if you’re not fueling properly, the brain can’t get glucose.

While energizing and pacing yourself is necessary, mental fortitude is just as important, he said.

“Focus on why you want to run and the strategies you learned in training,” he says. “Believe in yourself and the work you put in. This is just the final push.”

So how should you prepare the day before?

Monica says runners typically eat small, digestible meals every few hours the day before a race, keeping carbs in mind. Think bread, sandwiches and bagels, as well as things like chicken, rice and noodles.

“And keep drinking water,” she said. “That’s always necessary.”

Chris added: “I always advise people to eat relatively early so you don’t go to bed too full – say 7pm. But don’t go to bed too early.

“It sounds a little counterintuitive, but I think if you go to bed early because you have a big day ahead of you, you’re going to lie there tossing and turning. If you didn’t get a good night’s sleep the night before, if you had a good night’s sleep , that’s not important.

“If you wake up on Sunday morning and feel like you only slept a few hours, I really wouldn’t worry about it. Try to put it out of your mind and just focus on the day ahead.”

What to eat on Sunday morning

Monica recommends a bagel with peanut butter and banana as it contains the carbs, protein and potassium you need – although she admits most runners tend to go with porridge or Weetabix.

However, it’s not uncommon for nerves to prevent you from eating anything at all.

“Most runners get nervous—whether they’re a pro or a novice,” she says. “So don’t panic if you can’t digest your breakfast or you’ve tried to bring it back – it happens.”

It’s more important to start stocking up on carbohydrates in the hours and days leading up to Sunday, she said.

Accept that things may go wrong

Gabriel says most runners know running 9/10 “isn’t great.”

“You can do all the training you want for months on end, but sometimes it doesn’t work. You don’t have a good day. Your legs might feel bad, or your breathing might not feel good,” he says.

“No matter what happens, don’t panic or stress,” says Gabrielle.

“Take a moment to collect yourself if you need to. Have a drink, a gel, and remind yourself why you’re doing this.

“It really helps you finish the race and the beauty of the London Marathon is that you are surrounded by so many runners who are all on the same journey.”