By Tin on February 23, 2013 ( Leave a comment )

How to Finish Strong in your First Marathon (I mean, how to have a bad ass finish line photo!)

The Bull Runner Dream Marathon is happening in less than 12 hours. I am sure you first timers have done your homework in training, have been loading up and hydrating and have posted a photo of your bib and gears in IG, Facebook and twitter. You are ready!

Here are some of First Full Marathon Experience I have shared before. You might still pick a thing or two…

Condura Marathon – My First Full Marathon http://2timothy.com/2010/02/08/my-first-and-definitely-not-the-last/
First TBR Dream Marathon in 2010 – My friend, Kaye’s first marathon http://2timothy.com/2010/05/24/a-different-kind-of-dream/
Second TBR Dream Marathon 2011 – My friend, Helen’s first marathon http://2timothy.com/2011/03/25/tbr-dream-marathon-the-story-of-a-marathoner-and-a-pacer-a-story-of-friends-on-the-42-195-k-roads-of-nuvalli/

Now, the most important part that you have to prepare for is your Finish. Yes, claim that you will finish. Start visualizing it now.

This is my tip to my friend Helen when I paced her in her in TBR 2011:

Retouch at the Second Wind Station. You will see it as you turn right, about 3K to the finish line if I’m not mistaken. Run strong! (Just give it your best shot cause there will be photographers there. After turning right, you have to run further and make two u-turns. You will run back again and pass the Second Wind Station to exit for the last kilometer.
At the Second Wind Station. Fix your hair and make sure there’s no Chocolate gel stocked in your teeth. I hope Hector Yuzon would put up a mirror there. (Paging Mayen!)

Make sure your nipple is protected especially if you are wearing white.
It looks bad ass…But of course when people look at your photo you want their initial reaction to be – “Wow, Bad ass Marathoner!” instead of Ewww what happened, oh, Congrats! (photo from a afailedunicornblogspot.com)

It is best if your momentous finish line photo is yours alone (Unless you agreed to). So, unless you are gunning for a podium like the guys below, relax it a bit so you won’t need to fight over who grabs the finish line banner first.

Looks cool but you’ll miss a solo photo with the banner

Save some for the finish. Do a rain check on your heart rate before you make a right at the Solenad Area (if you still can). It is best if you have enough steam to finish strong. I am sure the last thing you’d want is a finish line photo like this.
This is called giving it your best but the guy who’s not crawling will have a better FB Profile pic after the marathon than you, right?

Do not cover your face. You should be able to show to your grandkids your first marathon finish line photo and the last thing you’d want is to look as the ‘anonymous finisher’.
That’s me, I swear! (Photo from Apple Ticsay)