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With the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon approaching, keeping up with your weekly mileage becomes more crucial – but even if you’ve been running 50 kilometres or more a week, lasting the full marathon distance is a different matter altogether, especially if it’s going to be your first.

Rehearse the Distance
A trial marathon run is very important, says Adrian Mok, an endurance athlete and general manager of Polar Electro Singapore. “Physiologically, a lot of adaptation is required to get the body used to the long period of exertion,” he adds. Muscle cells have to get used to metabolising fats for energy and the body’s joints and ligaments have to be able to sustain repeated pounding for a much longer duration than your regular runs. Mok advises capping your trial run time at about 3-hours as going beyond that will hamper your recovery times, and affect subsequent training sessions. Alternatively, try to last for 30-32km – if you’re able to achieve this distance, psychologically you’ll be that much more confident, says Mok.

Gear Check
A trial run is also helpful for road testing out the actual shoes, attire and energy foods you’ll be using during the actual marathon. Bring along gels (or any kind of energy food you prefer) and consume them at 45-60 minute intervals – this is a great way to find out which foods sit well with you. Pay attention especially to your shoes and socks and see how they feel along the way – a minor irritation during your 10km run can multiply in severity when you get to the longer distances. Also, nipple chafing becomes a very real possibility once you begin to run longer, as constant rubbing of your shirt on your chest can even cause your nipples to bleed. Not a pretty sight.

Mental Endurance
Training the mind is as important as working the body. “It’s a great mental victory to know that you can run three-quarters of a marathon – if you can do it once, you can definitely do it again during the actual race,” says Mok. It’s also excellent for sorting out your pacing strategy as well, he adds. Running a 15km distance requires a vastly different pacing strategy compared to a marathon – if you’re a first-timer, conserving energy is extremely crucial. An inexperienced marathoner probably will not know how to pace himself sufficiently to last 42 kilometres, says Mok, hence that’s why you see so many people walking at the halfway mark of the race.

Start Slow, End Fast
Begin your trail marathon run with a slower pace at the start, advises Mok. When you get to the mid-way mark, mix in some short acceleration bursts to break a monotonous pace. “Try to run the last 15 per cent of the distance faster than your starting pace,” he says. This stimulates an actual marathon experience when you need to push harder – both mentally and physically – towards the end.