Five last minute tips for first time marathoners tackling the Auckland Marathon

Runners cross the Auckland Harbour Bridge during last year's Auckland Marathon. Photo / NZ Herald

With thousands of people gearing up to run the iconic Auckland Marathon this Sunday, there'll be a lot of pasta-eating and nervous scrambling happening in Kiwi homes on Saturday night.

You've done your training, now it's time to relax. Trust the hard work you've put into this over the last few months.

Here are five last minute tips before you toe the start line on Sunday morning.

1. Visualise yourself finishing the race

Your training is done, there's no more running to do before Sunday. All you can do now is work on your mental stamina. Running a marathon is a mental effort as well as a physical one. Actually visualising yourself crossing the finish line has been proven to help you succeed at a race. It's kind of like that old maxim of "believe in yourself and you're half way there" (except it's a pretty crappy kind of "halfway" that still involves you running the whole way).

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2. Don't do anything different

Don't eat anything on Saturday that you wouldn't usually eat before a long run. If you've never had an energy gel in your life, the marathon is not the place to try it. Don't wear new shoes or any kind of new clothing to your marathon. By now, all your gear should have been well tried and tested.

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3. Get proper sleep

Make sure all your race gear is ready on Saturday night and get yourself to bed nice and early. Your body needs to be relaxed for the big day.

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4. Have a post-finish line plan

You will be tired and possibly even cold as your body temperature will quickly go down once you stop running. A drop bag at the finish line with warm clothing is a good idea. If you're driving yourself home, try to leave your car as close as possible. Otherwise, get a friend to pick you up from the finish.

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5. Have a blast!

You're doing something only a very small percentage of the world population ever gets to do. Soak it all up.

On Monday morning, get out of bed (slowly and carefully) and bask in the glory of finally being a marathoner. Remember: if your feet hurt, it's only because you've kicked so much ass.

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BONUS TIPS:

Cut your toenails
You want your feet comfortably in those shoes for those 42km of pavement pounding. Don't cut them too short but make sure they are trimmed.

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Lube is your BFF
Do you have a tendency to chafe in awkward places? You're not alone. Lube up! Get some Vaseline on those nipples, under your arms, between your legs. Lather yourself in the stuff like your skin depends on it. Because, in some cases, it probably does.

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