3 Mistakes I Made When Training for the NYC Marathon and How to Avoid Them

I could discuss the NYC Marathon forever.  The adrenaline, the endless training, the sense of accomplishments.  This post however, is for the nitty gritty.  The don't you evers, the never ever do this, and the why would you even attempt to's?

Lets begin:

1. Not Taking Rest Days After my Long Runs. 

The way training for any long distance running works for the most part, is you have three days of regular runs, and one long run that increases in mileage weekly, (along with some strength training).  Being a religious Jew resting on the Shabbos (Sabbath)  I used that as my day off.  Fridays are typically hectic which meant I wasn't going to do my long run then. 

What that resulted in is that I'd do two runs in a row,  my long run and a shorter one the day after.   This did not give my body adequate time to rest and recover.  So halfway through my training, my calf began hurting, I was now a patient at Ortho Maryland, and officially had to do PT in order to fix my strained calf muscle.  I lost weeks of training, and the anxiety of being unsure I'd be able to actually make it to the race was petrifying.

What I Did:  Switched my schedule and ran one of my shorter runs on Saturday nights instead, took a full rest day after my long runs, and healed my leg with PT.

2. My Two Pairs of Headphones Didn't Work the Day of the Race:

Here I was, Miss Prepared, being ready in case of anything, even bringing a back up pair. I brought my air-pods but left my case at the Moxy Hotel we were staying at.   I assumed they'd still work and didn't want to run carrying anything extra, but they didn't.  The wired pair I brought?  Yeah, they were broken.  

What I Did:  Ran the race unplugged, high fiving every stranger I met along the way, grooved to all the people with bluetooth speakers blaring music on their stoops, and enjoyed one of the most unique and awesome days of my life.

What I Would do Next Time:  Triple check my wired headphones, bring my charging case with me, and maybe even go full extra and run the way I would the day of the race with the exact pair I was using.

3. Running when it was too hot:

I learned the hard way that looking up the weather and planning your runs accordingly is of the utmost importance.  One of my worst runs ever was when I ran a pace practically three minutes slower than my typical, because it was too hot and I wasn't used to it.  I was exhausted, red faced, and most of all discouraged.

What I Did:  Checked the weather weekly and planned my runs around the outdoor conditions .

What Else You Can Try:  The only way to get used to running in the heat is to start running in the heat.  Other options if it's too unbearable, are to use your treadmill or run in the evenings when it cools off (safety first guys).  You can also run in the early am (set your alarm), or my personal fave, on the boardwalk next to the ocean where the breeze can't be beat.

My Driven Day Planner and Printables made scheduling it all a breeze, and couldn't have even tackled something like a marathon without them.  Any questions you want to know before you begin training for your first race?  Leave a comment below!

See Below for Driven Day Resources for Planning Your Next Run:

What You Need to Run Four Miles Video

Our Planners

Driven Day Exercise Printable