THE FINAL COUNTDOWN TO THE MUMBAI MARATHON 2012

The Final Countdown Begins- 7 days to go!

WHERE SHOULD YOUR TRAINING BE TODAY?

Full and Half Marathon:
By this point, all the hard work has been done and you should be in ‘taper’ mode. You should have completed at least one long run of 30 km or more. If you have not done that, you should reconsider your decision to run the full marathon, since without adequate preparation, the chances of injuries (even serious ones), increase greatly.

During the last week, the hardest thing for those who have trained regularly, is to REDUCE your usually weekly mileage. After all, you have been running 30-50 km per week, and now you have to cut back drastically. I recommend running 2-3 days this week, and the distance should be between 5-8 k, at a relatively relaxed pace (though one of the runs can be at your 'race pace').


GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR ALL:

Irrespective of your age, it would be a good idea to obtain medical clearance from a registered medical practitioner/doctor allowing you to run in the event.

Please review the following questions before Race Day:

 Has your doctor ever said that you have a heart condition and that you should only do physical activity recommended by a doctor?
 Do you feel pain in your chest when you do physical activity?
 In the past month, have you had chest pain when you were not doing physical activity?
 Do you lose your balance because of dizziness or do you ever lose consciousness?
 Do you have a bone or joint problem that could be made worse by a change in your physical activity?
 Is your doctor currently prescribing drugs for your blood pressure or heart condition?
 Are you pregnant?
 Do you have insulin dependent diabetes?
 Do you know of any other reason why you should not do physical activity?

If you have answered YES to any of the above questions, we strongly recommend that you seek advice from your doctor before you run the race. Do not run if you have been suffering from any sort of virus or fever in the TWO weeks prior to race day. If you feel feverish, or have been vomiting, have had severe diarrhoea or chest pains or generally are feeling unwell, then it is unfair to you and your family to risk serious illness and become a medical emergency. Most medical emergencies during the race occur in people who have not adequately trained or are unwell but do not want to miss the race.

Tips for the race and the day before:

1. Make sure you get adequate hours of sleep the night before the race. Actually, make sure you sleep very well on Friday night, since its quite likely that the night before a big race you may not sleep too well.
2. One the night before race day, have a dinner rich in carbohydrates as that is your main fuel for exercise, but do not overeat !
3. Have a light snack before leaving home. Arrive at the start point well before the start time to avoid last minute anxiety and chaos.
4. During the race, run at your own pace. Avoid getting carried away by those around and running at their pace.
5. Consume water or any other oral rehydration fluid at regular intervals. Ideally, you should know your ‘sweat rate’ and consume fluid in proportion to it.
6. If you experience any chest discomfort, unusual shortness of breath, nausea or giddiness during the race, stop and take rest for a few minutes. Seek medical help if the discomfort persists more than a few minutes.
7. Write down your emergency contact number, and any significant medical history at the back of your running bib
8. There are several medical aid stations along the way, as well as at the finish line. Do seek help the moment you begin to face a problem, rather than wait till the last minute.
9. Have a wonderful race !