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From Fellrnr.com, Running tips
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__NOTOC__<html><div class="thumb tright"><div class="thumbinner" style="width:328px;"><img alt="" src="http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs[[Blogs]]/olympics/paula26.jpg" width="328" height="238" class="thumbimage" /> <div class="thumbcaption"><div class="magnify"></div>Paula Radcliffe after dropping out at mile 23 of the Athens' Olympic Marathon. <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/olympics_2004/athletics/3589138.stm" class="external text">The full story from the BBC.</a>.</div></div></div></html>
I've split this list of the marathon of mistakes into those made on the race itself and [[Top 10 Marathon Training Mistakes|those made in training]]. I focused on mistakes that a specific to the marathon distance, though there is obviously some overlap to other types of racing and running. The prioritization is based on the severity of the mistake combined with the likelihood of it happening.
=Top 10 Marathon Race Mistakes=
''Main article: [[The Golden Rule of Racing]]''
Most runners tend to break [[The Golden Rule of Racing]] to one extent or another. The rule is 'never do something in a race you have not practiced in training'. Most of the time these breaches are minor, such as running with [[Using a marathon pace group|a pace group]], or trying a new flavor of [[Comparison of Energy Gels]]. However, some breaches of the rule have more serious consequences. The classic breach is to run in new shoes [[Shoes]] which can often lead to blisters. This race mistake is linked to training mistake number three, 'lack of race simulation[[Race Simulation]]'.
==Race Mistake 4 - Going out too fast==
''Main article: [[Going out too fast]]''
[[Going out too fast]] at the start of the marathon is one of the most common problems I see. This is caused partly by the excitement of the race, but also by the optical illusion of having runners around you. On most training runs we have nobody blocking our vision, so we see our forward motion represented by the ground and scenery appearing to move towards us. At the start of most marathons all we can see is other runners, and many of them are going faster, so it appears we are either stationary or going backwards. This optical illusion makes it hard to judge the actual pace. The consequence of going [[Going out too fast ]] can last for the whole race. This initial high intensity creates an oxygen debt that increases glycogen [[Glycogen]] usage and can upset in the metabolic processes.
==Race Mistake 5 - Unreasonable expectations==
==Race Mistake 7 - Even pace rather than even effort==
On hilly races runners will sometimes try to keep their pace even, which means they are running at a much higher intensity on the uphills and a much lower intensity on the downhills. This is a bit like doing sprints in the middle of the race, which causes premature fatigue. Also, because [[Glycogen]] consumption increases disproportionately to pace, the higher intensity on the uphills will deplete the glycogen [[Glycogen]] reserves more quickly. This [[Glycogen]] depletion is a classic cause of 'hitting the wall'. Instead of maintaining an even pace on the hills, you should aim for an even effort. If you have a heart rate monitor [[Heart Rate Monitor]] it will give you a good indication of your effort. Alternatively your breathing [[Breathing]] and general feel should give you a sense of intensity. You may find that you need to slow up more than you expect on the uphills, as well as speed up more on the down hills.
==Race Mistake 8 - Racing with injuries==
''Main articles: [[Mental fortitude]] and [[The Last 10K]]''
Racing the marathon distance always involves suffering. A well raced marathon will mean the last [[The Last 10K ]] is a living hell, barely holding on to the race pace. (If the living hell is accompanied by dramatic slowdown in pace, then it is not a well raced marathon but an example of hitting the wall.) It is important to mentally prepare for the marathon distance by both building fortitude and learning techniques for dealing with the suffering.
==Race Mistake 10 - Missing Caffeine==
