Words of advice for a first time marathoner going in < 100%

This doesn't really address the quad issue, but given that is probably even more important...

As much as possible try to run your own race.  Try to block out everything else that's happening around you and do whatever worked for you in training.

I've only done two, but I got thrown off in both of them...running in packs of people threw me off, I felt like I was going sloooow, but was actually going fast.  I felt compelled to take water & gatorade often because it was there even though I had trained differently...etc.

Good luck.

No help on the quad issue, but I agree on the running your race thing.  Do what you did in training, no matter what.  Here are some tips for you:

1) NO you can NOT hold that pace - Its a race, it has a lot of crowd support, you're running with a bunch of other folks.  This lead many, newbies and veterans alike, to think that they somehow can run a X:XX pace, when if fact they actually run a Y:YY pace.  You feel good, you've got adrenaline pumping the crowd is cheering, but believe me if you don't run your correct pace you'll be sorry.

2) Banking time is a myth - Related to #1, you may think well I feel great now, maybe I'll hold this pace for 5 maybe 10 miles, bank some time, and then throttle back to my correct pace.  This will not work, you will lose double or triple the time you "banked" during miles 20-26.2.  It is ALWAYS better to run your correct pace, and then if you feel good notch it up a bit in the last 10K or so.  Negative split is the best way to go.

Good luck, I hope the quads hold up, and most of all HAVE FUN!!

Enjoy the experience and have fun, congratulate those passing you, thank all the volunteers, smile at the crowd, joke with them if you can and smile  

Oh wait, we should do that in every race.   I did an ultra a few years ago with various aid station cut-offs and a final cut-off of 13 hours. But the rules said if you made the final aid station within the cut-off time you would be allowed to finish as long as you were making "steady forward progress".  So that became my mantra, so when the pain or urge to stop/sit/quit was screaming at me I would just mumble: steady forward progress ... steady forward progress ... 

Best of luck and hope the quad holds up.

You've probably heard the expression "The Marathon begins at mile 20".  Believe it.

The first 10 miles MUST feel easy.  The second 10 miles will feel moderate.  The last 10K will be hard, but you're almost home!

Bill

Yup, 20-mile warmup for the hardest 10K of your life ...

I agree about all the pacing comments and negative-splitting (in your situation). It's not just about the marathon--think about how recovery is going to go, how it's going to affect you, and what other obligations you will have in the weeks and months after the race.

So I'd actually take it quite easy and run not just "your" pace, but "your" pace according to the conditions, the major one in question being your tendonitis. So adjust the pace slower-ward and your expectations accordingly. You have 26.2 long miles in which to assess how you are feeling and adjust your pace accordingly.

Most of all ... like every new distance or type of race, you only get one first. So HAVE FUN. Good luck!

One clarification regarding the tendonitis....It's in my knees that the discomfort appears...I'm not sure I completely follow what my Dr. explained was the reason it's called quadriceps tendonitis when the pain is on the inside of the knee...

Anyway, I'm struggling gearing up mentally knowing it's a tall task to do a marthathon going into it feeling great let alone fully knowing my knees are going to hurt probably starting at the 10 mile mark..

Probably because that's where the quadriceps muscles attach to a part of the knee complex via tendon.

Well, whether you struggle with the mental part beforehand or not, your race will still be what it is. And you can't change your state now. So try to let it go, not worry about it, and just go in to have as much "fun" as you can for as long as you can.

This!

I've made some horrible mistakes in a few marathons and it really made the race gruelling instead of enjoyable.If you can get your hands on some packets of BioFreeze, then do so.  I was having terrible I.T. band issues before one race. Fortunately they had these big ole pump jars of biofreeze along the course so I slathered up at each aid station.

Do exactly like Sous said.... Start slow and look for negative splits if you're really feeling up to it.

It's said above, but I'll say it over again, again, again, having run quite a number of these marathons, even with high mileage training:

*** The halfway point is mile 20. ***

Do not, under any circumstances, forget this. If you feel like you're 50% spent at miles 13-18, you're going to crash out in the end, no matter how hard you trained. Even when I was doing up to 80-90 miles per week of training, I crashed and burned when I ignored this.

It doesn't mean you should run so slow that at 13.1 miles you feel like a million bucks, but you certainly shouldn't even been harboring thoughts of crashing out due to fatigue at the 13 mile mark. If you can hit 20 miles with a slight smile on your face, it's showtime. Even if you're trying to set a big-time PR. 

I have done 6 in the past few years. My first was my slowest and most enjoyable.

Mostly because I had no goal other than crossing the finish line.

You are going to do someting that most people will never attempt, much less accomplish.

Walking is just fine. Do it with your head up and a smile on your face.

Specifically on the quad tendonitis:  I've had it since December 2010 (saw doctor about it in early 2011...negative x-rays...same drill as OP), pretty much an off-and-on non-serious injury and really should just be a nuisance from a marathon standpoint rather than a deal-breaker...everything else will start hurting eventually and the knee will just be part of the symphony.

The larger point being that the marathon exposes EVERYTHING that ain't right in your body, even things that you aren't really paying attention to because they seemed so minor on even your long training runs.  The knee will definitely hurt, but you just have to accept that the decision to run a marathon entails putting up with SEVERE discomfort and if a given race goes especially poorly, then that discomfort might be there for more than half the distance.

Can't repeat strongly enough what an earlier poster said in terms of looking at the race in phases:  I always see it as a "nothing's hurting" phase, a "just maintaining" phase, and a "deep ocean of suck" phase.  I know I'm having a good day if phase 1 lasts past mile 11 and phase 2 lasts past mile 20.  If I'm having fatigue or form issues before mile 10, then it will be a long day and there's not much to do about that but relax and get through it.

Good luck!

I just finished a marathon 2 months ago.  As it has been explained, I "hit the wall" at mile 19 and realized at mile 22 that I was not going to finish under my goal.

I actually learned more in this race than any other race I have done.  The thought hit me around mile 22 when I was starting to feel defeated that there were literally millions of people worldwide that would beg for the ability to do what I was doing.  I know combat veterans who would give anything for the ability to just walk across the room and there I was complaining about not finishing 26.2 miles under a goal time.  I think setting goals is a good thing but I also think a positive attitude during the run despite the circumstances is just as important.

The deep ocean of suck is classic!  Thanks everyone for the tips, I feel much better about my mental game plan now....

"Deep ocean of suck"--love it. So true. My coach used to say that the last 6 miles separates the men from the boys and the women from the girls. I was very young at the time, so he called it "playing with the big girls"! 20 miles is halfway. Look forward to the suck, get to it without wasting yourself; cherish it as a time to prove to yourself and everyone else that you are one tough bada$$! Everyone will be hurting then, if your quads or knees or whatever hurt, they will have lots of company from the rest of your body and everyone else's!

That being said, there are only two rules for marathoning--train enough to do it justice, and don't start too fast. If you haven't been able to fully execute Rule # 1, then Rule # 2 is all. I cannot conceive of how it would be possible to start too slowly in one's first marathon. if your goal is to finish, that's meaningless. Just enjoy the experience!

X2 , I have run 8 fulls and every time I get to mile 20 I ask why the hell I do this to myself.  

I have been in a similar situation going in less than 100% and I have been in perfect shape fully trained and ready to go but the wall is the wall.

Good luck, run your own race and enjoy the experience.  You will be great and the experience is worth the pain.

I've done 3 marathons, counting the one in the IM.

The first one went ok, although being my first, I learned a lot about pain. Mostly that wall that attacked me at 20 miles onward.

The second one I knew I had some problems brewing with my hip flexors, but was so damn determined to run the marathon, I did - ignoring the signs and advice. Well, I paid dearly for that race. I finished (barely) but it was absolutely horrible, a mountain of pain, and completely destroyed my hip flexors and adductors.  I wound up rehab'ing for 2 months after to bring my legs back.

I didn't like my friend telling me after the race that perhaps I shouldn't have run it (noting how bad off I was). But he was right. I shouldn't have run it.

Strangely, the 3rd marathon I ran in my first IM went smoothly. It hurt, like all marathons apparently do, but somehow it was ok. Was a bit tweaked after, but I think IM's do that to you.

So, not saying "don't run" in lieu of your current issues. But consider the consequences...

And at the very least, start really slow...like walk the first mile or something ultra conservative, you have 25.2 more to play with. You'll feel awesome the first 7-10, and it will be battle stations as you approach miles 18-20.

Not running is not a bad option.  I ran my first with an IT injury.  Walked home after 18 miles.  All in all, I guess I'm glad I did it....but it sucked.  I will add that I got into the race and thought I could run xx:xx pace when I really should have ran yy:yy pace.  Respect the race...a lot can go wrong in 26.2 miles.  Make sure you don't injury yourself further.  Best of luck.

In my experience, starting really slow has helped me as much mentally as physically...

My 5K pace is usually 22-23ish, I have started the last 2 at 27+ pace.

my .02