Marathon Madness Month!
We love this time of year for a variety of reasons but by far our favorite part is gearing up for fall marathoning! The hot, sticky, humid summer begins to fade and the cool temps give way to near perfect training weather. The benefits of sticking it out in those summer months finally come full circle and training just clicks. Yesterday we spent our day watching and cheering as thousands triumphantly finished the Chicago Marathon. We are always in awe over the strength involved in marathoning! This month also marks the home stretch for those racing our hometown marathon, The City of Oaks. As we step closer to race day we will be sharing all things marathon maddness to help you prepare for race day. First off, what you need to know about the city of oaks!
What's the course like?
Whether you are running the Half-Marathon, or Marathon, you will likely hit a few good hills. The 5k isn't too bad but it does begin gradually downhill before gradually coming back up before leveling off a bit in the last 1/2 mile. Be prepared by watching your pace early. The 10k is also not too bad but also begins downhill, followed by a short 3-4% uphill grade. The course remains relatively flat for a little over a mile then dips down before another uphill. The last maybe 3/4 of a mile is very gradually downhill for a nice finish! Now the marathon and half are a bit different story. Both have rolling terrain and a few steeper hills. The marathon has a flat section around mile 14 to around mile 20. After mile 20 the course begins to climb for around 2 miles so be prepared. Leave some room in the tank and if you have a goal time in mind be mindful that these miles may be a bitter slower. The last 2 miles level off and the finish is downhill so make sure to finish strong! If you are interested in checking out the courses and profiles for yourself click this link!
What will the weather be like?
If you know Raleigh weather you know this is almost a shot in the dark. Especially considering its October and we continue to have unseasonably warm weather. Average highs and lows in Raleigh indicate a high of 67 and low of 44 degrees for November 5th specifically. With those temperatures you will want to dress in layers. With a 7AM start, it will still be chilly at the start but fairly comfortable by the end. Wear articles of clothing you can shed part way through the race if need be and be careful not to overdress. Your body temperature will heat up as you get moving so keep that in mind. It is best to wear several layers to the race and just before the gun shed what you can. Also be mindful of your hydration. At these temps you won't be sweating too much but you will a little bit. Take in electrolytes and some water to keep your fluids in balance.
Some other things to keep in mind...
The time changes at 2AM ET so be sure to set your clocks back one hour to be on time to the race. Luckily you will be gaining an hour of sleep so this should benefit you! During the race be aware that there is also a marathon relay. If you see a runner with a bib on their back that says Relay on it, don't be alarmed they aren't your competition (unless you are running the relay). There will be 4 places along the marathon course where relay runners will be handing off. They will not be in the middle of the path so don't worry about that! If you are running the relay check this link for more info. For parking, get there early and park either in Cameron village (except not in Harris Teeter or Rite Aid parking lots), or the Coliseum parking deck off Pullen. There is also a drop off location for Uber of Lyft at 1608 Hillsborough St. if you would rather do this. Check here for road closures. Then last but not least, certainly don't forget to stick around for the post race party near the round-about and start/finish line!
That is all for now but there will be more marathon specific advice on our feed through the rest of this month! Enjoy these last few weeks of training and come see us for any last minute needs! <3
Photo cred:
Image 1: http://raleighco.com/sports/amid-federal-probe-raleigh-city-of-oaks-marathon-hopes-partnership-with-race-13-1-means-stability-growth/
Image 2: https://www.accuweather.com/en/us/raleigh-nc/27601/daily-weather-forecast/329823?day=28