Back It Up

Salvaging a disastrous marathon

The Race-Day Crash

If you crash and burn in the late stages of a marathon, you’re likely to feel almost as bad physically as if you’d raced successfully. It’s important to know when to cut your losses en route and drop out (if possible) or at least shift out of racing mode. "The point in the race at which a runner must decide whether to stop or continue is roughly half to two-thirds of a full marathon, depending on individual capabilities and conditioning," says Heffner. "‘Grinding out’ a full marathon for no other reason but to finish will, in all likelihood, interfere with any second race effort within several weeks."

Regardless of whether you finish, you need to treat yourself the same way you would after a great effort. Get warm (or cool). Pound fluids and carbs. Shower and get some rest. If you do these things, and if you were well-trained, you can probably forestall ruinous physical effects and even derive significant training benefits.

Above are guidelines for your two-week salvage phase. The second plan makes allowances for the increased physical stress exacted by a crash-and-burn effort, but otherwise they’re similar.

The experiences of many runners shows that these plans can produce a great marathon. Often the effort and achievement only seem possible in hindsight. But with these ideas, you won’t have to rely on reflection or "accidental" PRs—you can plan ahead.