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Last Sunday, I completed my first marathon in Dujiangyan, the Chengdu Double Heritage Marathon, and won my first marathon medal.

To be honest, I was beyond my expectation to be able to finish the race successfully. Because, about ten days before the race, I had a slight cold (although I only had symptoms of nasal congestion), and the weather was bad and it rained for a few days, which disrupted my original training plan and I only ran once two days before the race. A short distance of five kilometers.

To make matters worse, on the eve of the competition, I took the high-speed train from Chengdu to Dujiangyan with all my equipment, only to find out that my menstrual period had arrived early (ten days). Plus, it was raining heavily outside at the time, so it would be a lie to say I wasn’t discouraged.

Later I thought, "No, we have come here. We can run as far as we can. If we can't run, we can just leave. If we can't finish walking, we can get into the recovery vehicle. We should go to Dujiangyan and Qingcheng Mountain." Let’s take a look at the scenery.” With this mood, I went to bed early that night, got up at five o’clock the next day, had breakfast, and set off to the starting point with all my belongings.

I started running at eight o'clock. At first I thought I could go to the bathroom and take a rest after ten kilometers. Unexpectedly, the condition was very stable all the way. After running for 20 kilometers, I saw that there was no one in the roadside bathroom, so I stopped and queued up. It was already close to the half-marathon, and Twelve asked me on WeChat how I was doing, and if I couldn’t do it, don’t hold on. I thought it was okay and started running forward while replenishing supplies.

After twenty-two kilometers, we entered Qingcheng Mountain. It was a three-kilometer-long slope. Going uphill was very physically demanding. Even if my willpower made me want to speed up, I couldn’t lift it up at all. I finally climbed it. At the turnaround point at the gate of Qingcheng Mountain, I felt like I was about to vomit from exhaustion. Fortunately, it was a three-kilometer downhill trip back, so I could take a breather.

Thirty kilometers later, there were fewer and fewer runners on the road. I still ran steadily at my own pace (albeit very slowly). While running, I read the prompts on my phone to replenish energy gel and salt. pill.

It is said that you will hit a wall after 30 kilometers. Seeing runners around me who started walking instead of running, I was a little scared. What does it feel like to "hit a wall"? When will I “hit the wall”? Can I still finish the race successfully after "hitting the wall"?

Just thinking about it, I slowly ran towards the finish line. Ten kilometers, nine kilometers, eight kilometers... In the end, I completed the race in 5 hours and 49 minutes.

After receiving the medal and completion bag, I found an open space nearby and did two rounds of stretching with keep, then went to get my bag to change clothes, and then went to the station to take a bus back to Chengdu.

I have seen many people who have finished the marathon walking with a limp, and I am very worried that I will be injured too. However, fortunately, I only felt soreness in my hip bones after the game, and my walking posture was as usual (just slower). I was almost recovered after three days, and I resumed normal exercise on the fourth day. .

Overall, this marathon has achieved the three small goals I set before the race:

So far, I have participated in three marathons in total The event consists of two half marathons and one full marathon. Compared with those senior marathon runners, I am still a rookie. But veterans were once rookies. So, I have some “rookie” experiences that I want to share with you. After all, although exercise is good, getting injured is not good.

(The following is only a sharing of personal experience and does not represent the views of professional athletes)

Marathon is an ultra-long-distance running event that requires relatively high physical fitness of participants . Even if you are just like me, not for competitive purposes but just a hobby, you cannot take it lightly. Whether you are participating in a half marathon or a full marathon, if you want to successfully complete the race, pre-race training is essential.

Pre-race training includes two parts: running volume and cardiorespiratory training. Running volume training is to train to reach a certain distance in a single session before the game so that the body can adapt to the intensity of exercise. Generally speaking, to participate in a half-marathon, you must run at least 10 kilometers before the race; before the full marathon, it is best to achieve a training intensity of 30 kilometers in a single time. However, there is no need to run so far every time. After all, time is limited. It is enough to have one or two such LSD trainings. (Here is my article about participating in a half marathon for the first time)

And cardiopulmonary training is a part that is easily overlooked. Some people may say, isn’t running just exercising your heart and lungs? Indeed, running is an aerobic exercise that exercises the heart and lungs. However, you cannot run every day, otherwise your knees will not be able to bear it. Moreover, if you are running outdoors, you will inevitably encounter bad weather. What to do? You can intersperse HIIT training, which is high-intensity interval training, to enhance cardiopulmonary function. For example, I had a slight cold ten days before this marathon, and it rained and I couldn't go out for a run. So I did aerobics at home for half an hour every day to ensure that I could stimulate my heart and lungs every day and prevent my body's basal metabolism from slowing down.

One week before the race, it is not recommended to increase the amount of running. At this time, it is best to focus on short-distance easy running, such as five kilometers is more appropriate. At the same time, prepare all kinds of protective gear and supplies in advance, and remember not to catch a cold.

More importantly, relax your mind, put safety first and competition second.

There are many professional runners participating in every marathon. As amateur runners, the most important thing for us is to enjoy the process of the race. It is of course the best to finish the race safely and smoothly. If you feel unwell in the middle, don’t show off, there is a long way to go~

The day of the competition has finally arrived. If this is your first time competing, you may be so excited that you can’t sleep all night. However, you need to get up very early on the day of the competition, so no matter how excited you are, you must ensure that you have a good sleep (how to sleep well, you can click here) before going to bed, remember to cut your toenails short, Charge the headphones, set the alarm clock, check whether the number bib and chip are fastened, and organize the equipment and put it on the bedside.

Marathons are almost always held in the morning (some places even start in the early morning). You need to arrive at the starting point one hour before the race because you need to store bags, check in, and warm up. In some places, the bag storage points and starting points are not open. It's quite a distance, so allow plenty of time. Then, two hours before the game, you must have breakfast. Breakfast should be mainly high-density carbohydrates and appropriate amounts of protein. Don’t eat too much and don’t drink too much water (there will be supplies on the way). At the same time, remember to go more often. Toilet, empty as much as possible to avoid looking for the restroom on the way.

Put on your jersey, put on your protective gear, pack your supplies, now we can set off to the starting point!

After storing your bags and checking in, find an open space to warm up. Warming up is very important, especially when the temperature is relatively low, to prevent you from getting cramps or even getting injured along the way. Many sports apps have related warm-up training, just follow it. If there are too many people and it is inconvenient to warm up with large movements, jumping in place is also possible to activate the heart, lungs and various joints of the body.

There are a lot of people in the first ten kilometers after the start, and everyone is very excited at this time. However, you must keep a calm mind and control the pace. This is very important for whether you can finish the race safely. If you don't control your speed at the beginning and instead run wildly along with others, you will soon run out of energy, be unable to finish the race, and injure your knees, which is not worth the gain.

How to control the pace? My method is to listen to music. There are many running playlists on the Internet. You can choose the appropriate track according to your own pace, use the rhythm of the music to control your step frequency, and then use the step frequency to control your breathing. The breathing rhythm generally adopts four steps and one exhale or two steps and one exhale. If you can inhale through the nose and exhale through the nose, it is best. If not, then inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth. In this way, the body can be maintained at a stable rhythm and the breath will not be interrupted due to unstable breathing.

There are aid stations along the half marathon and full marathon route, which will provide mineral water, sports drinks or food. You must replenish your supplies at each aid station, especially pay attention to hydration, even if you are not thirsty. Drink a little, but not too much. In addition to the supplies provided by the event, all marathon participants generally prepare their own supplies. Because the marathon event takes a long time and consumes a lot of money on the body, proper and appropriate supplements can provide energy to the body in time and avoid hypoglycemia or "hitting the wall". I prepared energy gels, salt pills and acid-removing pills in advance for the entire marathon this time, and took them at intervals according to the instructions to successfully complete the race.

If an accident occurs during running, such as loose shoelaces, gas, abdominal pain, joint pain and other discomforts, do not stop immediately, but gradually slow down, leave the middle of the track, and reach the road. Stop and process again. This will prevent you from getting knocked down by players behind you.

Even if various factors outside the situation arise, don’t be nervous. If you can handle it by yourself, just step aside. If you can’t handle it by yourself, ask the staff for help in time. If you really can’t continue the game, then quit calmly. , don’t show off.

When you go through all the hard work and reach the last two or three kilometers, you will definitely be very excited and want to cross the finish line immediately to embrace your big medal. This is very dangerous, because the body is actually very tired after a long period of exercise. At this moment, you are running completely by will. If you accelerate suddenly, you will easily be injured, and there have even been cases of sudden death. Therefore, even if the finish line is right in front of you, maintain your steady pace and pace to pass the finish line safely. After all, even if you sprint a few seconds faster, your result will not rank high in a normal event (⊙﹏⊙)b

Finally reaching the finish line, after stepping on the timing mat, you will I immediately received a text message with the results of the competition. At this time, volunteers will deliver medals and finish bags.

After receiving the medal and completion package, do not stop at the finish line or stop on the side of the road. Instead, continue jogging or walking briskly for a distance, then slowly reduce the speed and find a shelter from the wind. If you have a towel in your finish bag, remember to put it on your body to avoid catching cold. At the same time, it is necessary to replenish energy and water in time. Generally, some snacks and sports drinks will be provided in the finish bag. Don’t think about losing weight at this time. Sports drinks can provide electrolytes and salts to the body. Don’t refuse them just because they are sweet water.

Whether you are running a half marathon or a full marathon, you must stretch. You can refer to post-run stretching training on various fitness apps. I will do both post-run stretches on keep. Although the total time lasts only ten minutes, don’t underestimate this stretch. It can relieve and relax the muscles and ligaments that are tense during exercise.

Of course, the stretching time after running should not be too long. After all, we are only wearing thin sportswear at this time and are already soaked with sweat, so it is easy to catch a cold. So get your bag and change into dry clothes as soon as possible.

In the days after the game, no matter whether you feel joint soreness or pain, you cannot ignore stretching and recovery training. At the same time, you must replenish energy, eat more high-protein foods, and ensure sleep and rest. Because after a marathon, the body is extremely exhausted and its resistance decreases. If you are not careful, you will easily get sick.

1. Running shoes: Do not wear new shoes to compete, wear shoes that have been worn for more than 80km.

2. Sportswear: skin clothing (can be windproof, sunproof and warm), sports bra, sportswear T-shirt or long sleeves (depending on the weather), sports pants or shorts

3. Protective gear: patellar straps, calf guards, toe socks, hollow cap, wrist guards (to wipe sweat)

4. Electronic products: mobile phones (prepare music), sports headphones (charge them in advance or bring a power bank)

5. Supplies: energy gel, salt pills, acid-removing pills (You can buy prepared packages online), you can also prepare chocolates and energy bars, and some people will bring mustard to supplement salt

6. Others: waist bag (can hold your supplies and mobile phone ), paper towels, Vaseline (used to wipe between toes, inner thighs, armpits and other areas prone to friction), sunscreen, band-aids, a small amount of change

I hope everyone can be a healthy trend-chasing boy /Female, completed her first marathon smoothly and safely!