London Marathon 2014: Good sleep is key to success

Steve Cording has simple, expert advice on how to make your big race day as fulfilling as possible
Steve Cording11 April 2014

The night before running the Virgin Money London Marathon can be hell.

Doubts can puncture your sleep full of holes leaving you feeling exhausted on race day. Questions that run over and over in your mind often includes: have I done enough miles in training? Have I eaten enough pasta? Have I fastened my timing chip on my shoe correctly? Have I packed my lucky mascot?

According to Great Britain athlete Andy Baddeley, all of this is quite normal and preventable. The 31-year-old athlete from Upton has competed at two Olympic Games and is the holder of the UK parkrun record after completing the 5k multi-terrain course at the Bushy Park in 2012.

Baddeley has never run a marathon but regularly completes 16 miles in training in his preparations for competition. He has also helped wife Louise in her five marathons – three in London, one in New York and one in Berlin – with a best time of three hours 38 minutes.

A good sleep tonight (Friday) is the key for Baddeley as he shares his tips to make your race day as fulfilling as possible . . .

Write down your fears on paper

Everyone gets nervous, even seasoned athletes. What is important for me is to get a good night’s sleep two nights before a big race. So if you can get eight hours tonight (Friday) then that takes the pressure off for Saturday. My sports psychologist has also taught me to write all my fears down on a piece of paper. Then I can go through the list and cross off all those that I know you can deal with on the day, be it your training, injuries or anything that is bothering you. Trust me, you will sleep much better.

Stick to what you know

It is important not to deviate too much on race day from what you have done in training. By now, you will have done your long run so will know what to expect from your body. But remember, when you are running from home you are in control of your environment, on race day you will need to adapt. Have a good breakfast, but take food with you and eat on the go as calories are going to be vital during the race. Get to Blackheath early for the start, try and find a quiet spot and relax, don’t waste your energy. Don’t eat anything during the marathon that you have not tried during training as it might upset your stomach – take the same gels and glucose tablets. And plan when you will drink. Have a look at the marathon map and know where the water and energy drink stations are.

Shoes are important

A good pair of running shoes will make all the difference. I always use my New Balance 1080s on long run and have found them invaluable. You will know by now what your trusted shoes are, so wear them on Sunday and don’t be tempted to try a new pair.

Don’t worry about keeping time

The easiest thing to do early in the race is panic if you fall behind your projected pace in the first couple of miles – don’t. No-one keeps the same pace all the way around the course and you are better running slowly at first and having something left in the tank for the final few miles.

Recovery is so important if you want to walk at the end

My wife always recounts how she felt better the day after the New York marathon than London or Berlin. The reason was simple: she had to walk a long way to pick up her kit bag. This is the key for recovery. I would walk around as much as you can even though it will feel painful. Compression tights and socks also work for me as do ice-baths. It won’t be feasible for you to jump straight into one until you get home, but run a cold bath, wear a jumper and sit in it so that it covers your legs. If you can get past the first minute, stay in for 10, it will make all the difference. And don’t jump straight into a hot shower, allow your body to recover as normal first, you don’t want too much of a shock!

Andy Baddeley is a New Balance sponsored athlete who is Britain’s top metric miler – a double Olympian, an Olympic finalist in Beijing, and a World Championship finalist in Osaka.

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