Bournville Harriers: Birmingham's only Flora London Marathon Partner Club! : Marathon Centre

Well last weekend was a scorcher! Fortunately next Sunday is predicted to be milder; though the long range forecast has been a bit erratic ranging from 11oC to 19oC. Keep an eye on the following as the week progresses.

This all goes to show that with the marathon the golden rule is to be prepared for everything. Here is a list of things that I make sure I have packed for the day and rules that I try to follow.

1) Pack light!

a. We tend to forget that as soon as you cross that finish line the majority of us are frankly shattered. It’s quite a long walk round (or it can take longer than you think) to the recovery area and the last thing you want to do is pick up a heavy kit bag at the end.

b. So it’s a light tracksuit, a small pack-mac to keep off the showers and a spare t-shirt, underwear and socks for after the race.

c. Other essentials include Vaseline (smear up those delicate areas), sun tan cream (3+hours of sun and you will burn), blister plasters (just in case), toilet paper!

2) Golden feet!

a. A lot of us like to potter in training shoes and then slip on those go faster shoes just before the race. Well on this day just wear your race shoes as that’s less to carry and you will have a good 15 min walk from the stations to warm up and feel comfortable.

b. Make sure that your toe nails are trim and that there are no sharp edges.

c. Pack a spare pair of socks for the end of the race. Putting on a fresh pair of socks is like getting into a newly made bed! This might also be the one occasion that you’ve blistered or cut your toes.

d. Tempting though the exhibition is the day before the race I deliberately spend as little time as I can there. With the crowds you end up walking very slowly which is all tiring on the legs especially if you have travelled down the same day!

3) Paris & Milan!

a. Kit yourself out with the latest fashion in bin bags. If it is raining on the day or a little nippy its better to stand around in a black bin liner that you have previously styled (cut holes in). They are easy to strip off and throw away just before the off.

b. If you’ve run an endurance based event before you are likely to have been given a foil blanket at the end. If you still have them consider taping them together to form a super blanket. At the end of the race you will be given another as your body temperature will drop as you adjust to not producing heat through running to self-heating without any fuel inside. The super size one may come in handy if you have to hang around before changing.

4) Manna from Heaven!

a. In your finishing bag you should find some jelly babies and water. I pack spares just in case. As your walking down past the baggage wagons I start the recovery process straight away with a much needed water and sugar kick. You may not feel like eating but jelly babies are good in that they dissolve which is a bonus for a parched mouth.