The Medibank Melbourne Marathon is fast approaching on Sunday 14 October 2018. It may be your first marathon, or you may be a seasoned competitor. Either way, we can all use some tips from an Australia Olympic champion. Steve Moneghetti agreed to be interviewed by Melbourne Lifestyle about the upcoming Medibank Melbourne Marathon, and and generously shared some of his secret wisdom on this challenging race.
I read that when you were a child, you were not wanted in the little athletics team. What advice do you have to people starting long distance running in later life?
Persist, it is often difficult for the first few months but then gets easier and your enjoyment is high once you overcome this early hurdle. It can take time so be patient; don’t overdo it early as you might get injured as running can be hard on your legs when you first start.
What are your top five tips for runners attempting their first marathon this October?
You only finish your first marathon once so enjoy it; long runs in the lead up are key; walk through the drink stations to ensure you get a good amount of fluids on board; as funny as it sounds half way is at around 28km so factor that in to your run; take in the scenery and interact with those around you as it will help you through the hard bits and make the time go quicker too.
How much of the game is physical versus mental? Can you explain a bit about how you prepare yourself both physically and mentally leading up to the event, and what keeps you going physically and mentally on the day?
It is mainly physical and that is why the correct preparation is important in the lead up. For the mental side I always enter early so I am committed. I run over parts of the course to familiarise myself with it, have a couple of good lead up races to build my confidence and go over the course map a number of times to ready myself for the challenges it may bring.
On race day I have everything in order, so I get no surprises. I have a light breakfast of tea and toast, get to the start area early, find and use the toilets early, carry spare toilet paper, tape my nipples so as not to get any chafing, stay relaxed and conserve energy for the race itself. In the race I stick to the plan and run as relaxed and efficiently as I can especially early on.
How do you feel when you run?
I normally feel pretty good when I run as my prep has been spot on, sometimes though I have bad patches in runs and I just hang in there, back myself & my training & I usually come out of it feeling even better!
What do you think about while you are running?
In training I run with others so we are chatting the whole time. In a race there is a lot to process (times, how is my breathing, my legs, what pace am I on, how are the others looking, what part of the race are we at, where is the next drink station, is the race going to plan? If not, what do I need to do? Staying mentally alert too can be difficult especially as you near the end of the race.
What other activities do you believe helped your running the most when you were competing at an elite level?
Other activities – I can think of 3, rest, rest & rest!! Massage, mountain bike riding if I was injured & Walking was great if I was injured or in rehab from an injury.
What are you looking forward to the most at this year’s Medibank Melbourne Marathon?
Having a run, catching up with old friends, challenging myself, chatting after the event to lots of people who have participated and hearing how they went, finishing on the ‘G, enjoying running around the City traffic free, the beautiful weather that is locked in for the day!
Medibank Melbourne Marathon
Race Day: Sunday 14 October 2018
melbournemarathon.com.au
I read that when you were a child, you were not wanted in the little athletics team. What advice do you have to people starting long distance running in later life?
Persist, it is often difficult for the first few months but then gets easier and your enjoyment is high once you overcome this early hurdle. It can take time so be patient; don’t overdo it early as you might get injured as running can be hard on your legs when you first start.
What are your top five tips for runners attempting their first marathon this October?
You only finish your first marathon once so enjoy it; long runs in the lead up are key; walk through the drink stations to ensure you get a good amount of fluids on board; as funny as it sounds half way is at around 28km so factor that in to your run; take in the scenery and interact with those around you as it will help you through the hard bits and make the time go quicker too.
How much of the game is physical versus mental? Can you explain a bit about how you prepare yourself both physically and mentally leading up to the event, and what keeps you going physically and mentally on the day?
It is mainly physical and that is why the correct preparation is important in the lead up. For the mental side I always enter early so I am committed. I run over parts of the course to familiarise myself with it, have a couple of good lead up races to build my confidence and go over the course map a number of times to ready myself for the challenges it may bring.
On race day I have everything in order, so I get no surprises. I have a light breakfast of tea and toast, get to the start area early, find and use the toilets early, carry spare toilet paper, tape my nipples so as not to get any chafing, stay relaxed and conserve energy for the race itself. In the race I stick to the plan and run as relaxed and efficiently as I can especially early on.
How do you feel when you run?
I normally feel pretty good when I run as my prep has been spot on, sometimes though I have bad patches in runs and I just hang in there, back myself & my training & I usually come out of it feeling even better!
What do you think about while you are running?
In training I run with others so we are chatting the whole time. In a race there is a lot to process (times, how is my breathing, my legs, what pace am I on, how are the others looking, what part of the race are we at, where is the next drink station, is the race going to plan? If not, what do I need to do? Staying mentally alert too can be difficult especially as you near the end of the race.
What other activities do you believe helped your running the most when you were competing at an elite level?
Other activities – I can think of 3, rest, rest & rest!! Massage, mountain bike riding if I was injured & Walking was great if I was injured or in rehab from an injury.
What are you looking forward to the most at this year’s Medibank Melbourne Marathon?
Having a run, catching up with old friends, challenging myself, chatting after the event to lots of people who have participated and hearing how they went, finishing on the ‘G, enjoying running around the City traffic free, the beautiful weather that is locked in for the day!
Thanks for the tips Steve, and good luck to everyone competing on 14 October!
Medibank Melbourne Marathon
Race Day: Sunday 14 October 2018
melbournemarathon.com.au