My husband is running his first Marathon this weekend. So, this is something new for me as well. I would love for you runners to fill me in on what to expect and what should I do as his wife to support him? We have two boys 2 & 4 that will be with me. Do I show up with the boys maybe an hour or so before it is due to end? Will we be able to stand near the finish line? Will it be easy to see him, or is it likely he will cross with a mass of people and we will miss it? Do people make signs or do anything other than just cheer? Silly questions, but I just want to really show our support for how hard he has been working to achieve this goal! Thanks in advance for your input/ideas.
Do what MommyL says and where something bright so he will see you.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DCnqd7N3aE - The part I wanted to share is at time marker 5:03 - 5:22.
Congrats to your hubby on his first marathon. First, let him get plenty of rest the night before. During the race with two small children may be difficult for you to get around, but the best thing to do would be to go to at least two different locations along the route to cheer for your hubby as he passes, preferably uncrowded locations so he can see you. You will need to know his pace in order to perfectly time his arrival at certain locations. If that appears to be too difficult for you, then finding a spot at the finish line is ok to, but be prepared for how crowded the finish line area is and how difficult it may be to keep two small children entertained while waiting for the finish. Marathon finish line areas are quite crowded and crazy, just like a carnival. Making signs is always nice that way he will be able to see you. You should know what he is wearing on race day bc looking for one particular person on race day is quite hectic even when you do know what they are wearing. Wish him luck and let him be as he'll probably be somewhat nervous for his first race. After the race he'll be ravenous and tired and in need of a long nap. Whether he wants it or not, he'll also need a massage to help those overused muscles recover faster. Good luck!
As a distance runner myself (okay... maybe jogger ; ). It is a long road... literally. This is a huge deal (or should be). Even if your husband says it isn't necessary... it is always nice to see at least one familiar face along the way. Belive me, even all the other runners will appreciate it. Signs are GREAT! I love reading all the signs along the way, it keeps you motivated. The kids being there is extra motivating, because lets be honest... kids are the best ; ) You should look on the website of the race he is doing and look up the route, the finish is always packed and most times you may not even see your finisher come in if it is a really big race. If you push out further rom the finish (a few miles) you can see him, pack up the kids and "try" to get him at the finish as well. Just ask him his average pace, multiply that by what mile you want to wait at (for distance you usually run a little slower, but I would still be a little early, take food and toys for the kids to entertain themselves... and wait. It might seem like a pain, but it will always be remembered. I also think it is great for the kids to see that exercising is fun!! Hope this helped a little. Have fun!
I have done several marathons.
My brother and husband always make signs plus they meet me every hour or two along the way. This way if I want to discard anything or refuel w/ a peanut butter sandwich.
Depending if he is in the pack, seeing him finish might be a little difficult. Be sure he signs you up for the texting system. This way you can get texted every time he reaches a mile marker and you can look at the course map to see exactly where he is and what his pace is. This will help you determine how much time you have.
Also, do not plan on him participating in any family functions the rest of the day. He will need his rest and he needs to load up on fluids and salt to rehydrate. I love french fries afterwards.
I ran a triathlon a few years ago and hubby came with all four of my kids. The swim was the hardest for me, and as usual, that's where it started. As I got into the bike portion I was hoping to make up time. I came around one corner and there was my son (the oldest) holding a sign that says "YOU CAN DO IT!" Half a block later my middle two had a sign that said "WE'RE PROUD OF YOU!" And then my youngest and hubby had a sign that said "AT LEAST YOU'RE DONE SWIMMING!"
I nearly cried! When I got further into the run, not to far before the finish line, all four of my kids and hubby were standing there with their signs that said "WAY TO GO MOM!" and "YOU'RE ALMOST THERE!" and "LOVE YOU MOM!"
My point is, it was great to know that I had a little team cheering for me along the way. These days the signs are about the same, but I never know when they're going to pop up out of no where. Try making him signs that the kids can hold to let him know that you're thinking of him. Find a place that isn't too crowded and let the kids scream and go wild (without going onto the running course) and cheer for their hero. (Then maybe grab some snacks before getting to the finish line.)
We don't go to the marathons. Hubby runs them but there are so many people. I don't do crowds well.
Yes get a sitter. You will be freer to move from the start line to the markers without kids.
My hubby likes the runner's gel form Dick's. It helps him alot. So when you see him have some of that the different mile markers.
We actually sewed pockets into his running shirt with the same material so he could have his gel on his body.
Feed him a big pasta dinner the night before.
Make sure he hydrates from right now, lots of water. Have Gatorade in the house too.
Get one of those arm bands for his phone, one that sits up on his upper arm. That way if he wants to take a picture of every mile marker he can. Or if he wants sympathy at mile 20 he can text you and say I'm so tired but almost done. Mine texted me every mile after about 20. He takes pics of the runs while "in motion".
Depending on his time it could take from 3-5 hours to run it. Then there is the traffic getting to the run and home. My hubby left at 5am for the Marine Corps Marathon and got home at 5pm, but he has DC traffic to deal with.
Good luck to him. He'll be tired afterwards, draw him a nice warm bath with some soothing salts.
You've gotten a lot of good suggestions! My husband and I did our first marathon about a month ago, my parents brought my kids (also 4 and 2) down to the finish line and it was a mess! As I ran across the finish line my 4yo ran through the crowd to tell me that the 2yo had to go to the bathroom. The kids were antsy, tired of being outside, hungry, thirsty, etc. My husband and I didn't have any time to enjoy our accomplishment because we were thrown back into parenting mode immediately.
Another nice idea is to schedule a massage for him a day or two after the race. My husband is a manly man and wasn't very excited about it but he loved it and it felt so good on his sore muscles.
Congrats to your husband on doing his first marathon first off. I am training for my first as well but have done several other races including half marathons and a 25K this weekend. In my experiance signs are great and depending on how big the race is you will probably be able to find a spot near the finish line to see him cross. Runners are usually thinned out enough by the end of a race that you will be able to spot him too. Another way to support him would be to surprise him and be along the course around the middle to cheer him on. I have heard mile 18 is hard too and if you know the map of the course you could also try to be there to give him an extra boost. Good luck to him!
I have a father who has done and still does marathons and triathlons. My suggestion would be to get a sitter if at all possible. Even as a teen, it was so dang boring for me.
I would stand at a marker along the way, to give him either fluids, goo, etc.
You could even do more marker points than just one, if it is just you without kids in tow. I would go watch him from the beginning. It is an exciting part of the race to see them start, and, I am sure you will like to be there. After you find a way to meet him at the marker(s), you can make your way to the end to cheer him across the finish line. Make a sign if you wish, but, most likely he will be pretty focused on the race. Running a marathon is probably 95% mental, and 5% physical.
Don't forget to take lots of pictures! Oh, and, make sure he gets plenty of rest the night before. Again, this is where a sitter would be very important. He will most likely need to get to sleep very early the night before, and have no distractions until he is ready to get up. :)
I make signs for my husband when he runs. I try to stand somewhere in the middle of the race, because that is when he needs a pick me up. We also decide a meeting place after the race, just in case I miss him coming across the finish line. There always seems to be a huge crowd at the finish line, so it maybe easy to miss him. With a marathon though, I don't expect huge crowds to cross the line at once, but with the huge crowd surrounding the finish line, you may miss him anyway. Good luck to your husband. Also, it wouldn't hurt to keep a tube of Ben Gay at the house for later in the day. My husband trained for his marathon and other races, and still sometimes he is quite sore at the end of the day.
