The Chicago Marathon is coming quickly. Have you been training? Looking at the official web site this morning, I see that there are only 65 days until the Marathon.
How is your training going?
Hopefully you have not been having problems with any injuries and you are feeling motivated. This is the time to keep up your training both in frequency and duration of training runs.
While I am sure that you have the running part of the training under control, I would like to talk about some of the other parts of your preparation. Let’s talk about your clothing and shoes. Yes, your clothing and shoes. I am not talking about how cool looking your appearance is, I am talking about how your clothing can affect your run.
If you have read this blog before, you might know how I feel about cotton socks. Well, I feel that same way about cotton clothing as part of a runner’s wardrobe. I know that you might have a favorite cotton tee shirt that you like to wear or you may have a charity shirt that you think you should wear for the marathon. I am here to urge you to wear a wicking shirt for the big run. I think that you will find it more comfortable. The fabric will pull the sweat away and really keep you cooler. BUT… I want you to think about this now because I want you to wear your race clothes before the race so that you know that you will be comfortable during the race. The last thing you need while you are running is to have your clothes be uncomfortable. Clothes that chafe will make that race really long.
Another really important part of your race is your shoes. You need to have shoes that fit and are ready to race. I am sure you know that race day is not the day to break out a brand new pair of shoes. But it is also not the day to wear your old worn out shoes either. Are you happy with your shoes? Are they comfortable? Do they fit well? Are your legs tired at the end of your run? If your recovery from a run is taking longer than you would expect, it could be that your shoes need to be replaced. If you have any question about your shoes, go to a running shoe store where you will be fitted correctly for a pair of shoes by a knowledgeable staff member. I know that shoes can be very expensive but now is not the time to scrimp. Your race can depend on it.
The other thing that you should consider is how your feet feel during and after the run. It could be that you need to see your friendly local podiatrist and have them check your feet to see what can be done to improve your comfort. It could be that you need a pair of orthotics to help with your run. Go ahead and make an appointment. Be sure to bring your running shoes with you when you go to your appointment so that they can see how the shoes fit and how your feet look when running. Your time is running out (ha ha) for this option. Orthotics are made from a mold of your feet. This takes some time after the mold is made to get your personal orthotics and then you need to break them in correctly.
Good luck with your preparation for the Marathon. We wish you the best!