Running expert offers preparation tips for The Woodlands Marathon – Chron

With the annual 2020 Fidelity Investments The Woodlands Marathon approaching quickly, local runners are preparing themselves mentally, physically and nutrition-wise in the last few weeks before the big race. For those who may not be world-class level distance runners, any help with last minute preparations is often welcome by first-time runners.

That’s where Ezra Richards, a local track and running coach who was a 4 x 400-meter Olympic qualifier for the 2004 Athens Olympics for Trinidad and Tobago and also was an All-American runner in college at Georgetown, comes in.

Richards splits his time as a coach at multiple Orangetheory Fitness locations across the Houston area as well as coaching high school students at St. Thomas Episcopal Day School. He has multiple athletics-related certifications, including a degree in BSN Health Services and Administration from Georgetown University School of Nursing and assorted other health studies, as well as an NCSF certification, specialties in sports nutrition and is an NASM certified Personal Trainer.

Preparing for the marathon can be a months-long endeavor, Richards said, and the last few weeks leading up to the race day are as critical for runners as the other training they do.

“Most people don’t realize this, but the actual week of the race has to be the lowest amount of miles (they run), even lower than the first week of (initial) training. You literally drop your (running) mileage to nothing. A lot of people don’t understand that concept,” Richards stressed. “The week of the race, you really need to enjoy the process. The week before the race, it is a recovery week. Most seasoned marathoners use that (week before) to go to cryo-therapy and do one to two workouts to flush out the legs. You really don’t want to work out hard the week up to the race. A lot of time, that trips up athletes. Your mentality has to switch.”

Preparation reminders

Richards advised that competitors can still run in the week leading up to the race, but to run far less miles than they had been in the peak of training and at a much slower pace. He also said that running a marathon is vastly different — and harder — than running a 10K or even a half marathon.

“When people say, I’m going to run a 10K, a 5K or even a half marathon, that is different. Most people who run full marathons, it is an internal motivation,” Richards added. “It is not for everyone.”

One of the most important aspects of prepping for the 26.2 mile run, Richards noted, was nutrition and fueling your body for the intense exertion and caloric expenditure required. He said less than 1 percent of the world’s population ever runs a marathon in their lives, a statistic that mainly reveals most of whom embark on the challenge are unfamiliar with finer details of preparation.

“Everyone knows carb loading is important the night before the race. More carbs than you probably think possible — pastas, light carbs that will be used (by your body) in the race, not dense carbs. The carbs (nutrition experts) tell you not to eat are what you want to eat before a marathon,” Richards added. “When you wake up in the morning, most runners don’t eat breakfast and it is probably better that you don’t. Don’t eat bacon or a really solid breakfast…maybe some fruit, some coffee and bread. The week leading up to the race, I would tell people to not do anything different (diet wise) than what they’ve been doing throughout the training. Don’t take that supplement you’ve never used before. Stick with the program you have been following.”

While a night-before race dinner is critical, Richards also said hydration in the several days leading up to the race is equally, if not more important, for marathon runners.

Hydration is key

“Hydrate, that is so important. A lot of people neglect to hydrate the night before. Getting those electrolytes in you early,” he added. “There is also in-race nutrition…there are sucrose blocks, the (energy) goos. These are things a lot of non-experienced runners don’t know about. They think, ‘food is enough.’ It is not. If you are running 26.2 miles, you have to have some sort of energy in the middle of the race. Use the sucrose blocks or the (energy) goos so you are not cramping up in the middle of the race.”

Richards has paced runners in The Woodlands Marathon in past years, and said following a pacer runner can help. He also suggested runners choose to run on either asphalt, which is softer and creates less pressure on joints and lower back muscles, or concrete, which is harder and usually used by more serious marathoners. Normally, professional marathon athletes will use the concrete while first-timers opt for the side of the course where asphalt is located.

“The best thing to do is find a pacing group that suits you, don’t try to figure it out on your own,” he explained. “The pacers will keep you engaged, it is more of a team effort. Don’t neglect the pacer groups. That is what (pacers) are for, to get you to the finish line and maintain that pace. (The Woodlands Marathon) That is a flatter course. If you at any point feel like your body needs to take a ‘breather,’ don’t feel bad slowing down a few minutes (per mile). A lot of athletes panic when they see themselves slow down. Your body goes into these phases where you get tired and then get a new wind, you get your second wind. In the (second half) of the marathon, your legs can sometimes speed up.”

Good gear

In regard to equipment, running is one of the sports that requires much less gear than, say, football, as runners mainly need good shoes, lightweight running shorts and a top. The historical origins of the marathon date to ancient Greece where the Olympics originated and distance runners ran nude with no shoes. Richards suggested very lightweight, running-specific clothes and your most trusted pair of running shoes that offer stability. Breathable clothing is best, as heavy cottons can absorb sweat and become heavy or cause chafing.

Depending on what the weather forecast is for March 7, Richards said if it is a colder day than normal, runners can layer their clothes — preferably with cheaper items — which could be removed during the race when the temperatures rise and tossed to the ground or to a supporter along the race. Compression socks also assist with blood flow and preventing cramping, and newer athletic tapes such as KT Tape, popular with basketball and beach volleyball players, can help support a weak knee or tendonitis, he noted.

On race day, Richards stressed that athletes arrive much earlier for the race than expected. Between traffic, parking issues and the need to use the bathroom before the race begins, athletes should not add more stresss to the day than already exists.

“Have fun. Not everyone is trying to qualify for the Boston marathon, which this race is a qualifier for. My advice is to go into it with the mindset, ‘I want to enjoy this,’” he added. “When it comes down to the first time you run a marathon, enjoy it. When I ran my first one, I was talking to people around me.”

The 2020 Fidelty Investments The Woodlands Marathon, The Houston Methodist The Woodlands Half-marathon and The Woodlands Marathon relay are all scheduled for Saturday, March 7, with the races beginning at 7 a.m. at Town Green Park at the Waterway Trolley Path, located at 2099 Lake Robbins Drive, The Woodlands.

The Taco Nation Finish Fiesta party begins at 8 a.m., with the half-marathon awards ceremony at 10:30 a.m.; the full marathon and the marathon relay awards at 11:30 a.m. and the fiesta party ending at 1:30 p.m. For more information or to register, visit the race website at: https://www.thewoodlandsmarathon.com/Race/TheWoodlandsMarathon/Page-14.

jeff.forward@chron.com