[Editor's note: Pete Pfitzinger won the 1984 U.S. Olympic trials marathon in Pittsburgh and finished third at the 1988 U.S. Olympic trials in Jersey City, N.J. Here he offers insights to what it takes to run well in an Olympic trials marathon, although most of the tips can also apply to age-group runners tackling their own race goals.]
Tip 1: Plan for the trials at least a year in advance. When will you qualify? When will your last marathon be before the trials? Where will you train for the trials?
Tip 2: Be uncompromising in your preparation. There can be no cutting corners to shorten the preparation or save money. There can be no disruptions for sponsors obligations or friends’ weddings. Prepare with total focus, letting nothing distract you. There are no excuses.
Tip 3: Expect something to go wrong. No marathon build-up ever goes exactly to plan. When something goes awry, such as an injury or illness, adjust your plan and move on. Rest assured that the other guys are facing similar challenges.
Tip 4: Do not allow the all-or-nothing nature of the race to eat at you. Prepare mentally in the weeks leading into the race. When you are out training or alone with your thoughts, think about how you will run the race and how you will respond to various scenarios. Do not let yourself think about the outcome, that will take care of itself.
Tip 5: In the last few days, control your environment. Do not let anyone or anything interfere with your focus. Prevent well-meaning people from making you think about the race and using up your adrenaline. Whenever you think about the race, do it on your terms, when you are in the right frame of mind.
Tip 6: Go through your normal pre-race routine right up until the gun fires. This will help you realize that you are about to do something that you are good at and have done before.
Tip 7: During the race, save your emotional energy for when it is needed, staying calm and running within yourself for as long as possible. Stay in contact but do not waste any energy.
Final tip: Races - Places.
RT senior writer and exercise physiologist Pete Pfitzinger placed 11th in the marathon at the 1984 Olympics and 14th in the marathon at the 1988 Olympics. He is the co-author (with RT senior editor Scott Douglas) of two highly popular training books for distance runners Advanced Marathoning and How to Increase Mileage Running.
