What is 'The Wall' in a marathon? And how do you get through it?
The physical stress of a marathon means you will also get taxed mentally, particularly when you hit the dreaded wall. Here’s how to get over the hump
AROUND THE 30-35KM mark in a marathon is scary hours for your body. It’s a point when your glycogen stores run out and, as a result, your body begins to fail you. You feel like you’re wearing cement boots, every step becomes an ordeal and you wonder how you can possibly go on. Some call it “bonking” – though definitely not the good kind. More famously, it’s known as ‘The Wall’ and it’s something even elite runners have to deal with.
“It gets to the point where you get so tired you’re just struggling to keep moving forward,” says Brett Robinson, the Australian marathon record holder and running coach. “You’ve just got to keep going the best you can.”
While it’s tricky to avoid The Wall altogether, there are some things you can do to prepare for it mentally.
What is The Wall?
The Wall is what happens when your energy reserves get depleted. Carbohydrate is the body’s optimum fuel source during exercise, as it’s easily broken down into glucose and stored as glycogen in your liver and muscles. When your body runs out of glycogen, it draws on fats and proteins, which don’t convert to glycogen as quickly or effectively. You are essentially ‘running on empty’.
What are the physical signs of The Wall?
The most obvious sign is that your legs begin to feel heavy or you simply feel exhausted. Your vision may become blurry, you can feel like you’re detached from your surroundings, you might start cramping and your heart rate can fluctuate, beating either very fast or slow.
How do I avoid the hitting The Wall in a marathon?
The key to lessening the impact of The Wall is to keep your energy levels topped up throughout the race by drinking sports drinks and consuming carb gels, Robinson advises. “I think it’s better to get them early so your body has that energy when it needs it,” Robinson says of gels. “If you’re low on energy and then start taking them, it’s too late, so plan on having gels every 30 minutes or so.”
How do you mentally deal with The Wall in a marathon?
Robinson uses a number of tactics to distract himself from the pain and discomfort that’s inevitable in the second half of a marathon. “For me, if I’m kind of involved in the race and I can see someone in front of me I’m trying to beat, it’s a good thing to worry about, rather than thinking, Oh, my god, this is hurting so much,” he says. He also tries to maintain a positive outlook and tick off mini-goals. “It’s like, Let’s just get to that next light post or Let’s get to the next drink station, instead of This is hurting so much, it’s so far to go. If you can just keep trying to be positive and think of little goals, it really helps.”
How can I mentally prepare for a marathon?
Let’s face it, running 42km is a daunting task. One way to lessen the mental load is to run a little further on your long training runs, says Robinson. “You probably get no extra benefit from going to 34, 35k, but mentally, you’re nearly there. You know you can achieve it, and so it kind of gives you a bit of confidence.”
Robinson’s final piece of advice to mentally equip yourself for the race is not to let your training and preparation take over your life. “People forget about ‘life load’,” he says. “You’ve got this big run and huge training load and then you have your life load as well, which is work and kids and stuff. If you’ve got a really big day at work and you’re stressed you might need to change your program and skip that run or push it back a day.” If you don’t, you risk getting sick or run down, Robinson adds, which could mean you end up missing a chunk of training. “It’s so easy for sickness to pop up or just to get tired,” he says. If you’re following a program solo, without a coach, you need to be attuned to how your body’s feeling, Robinson warns. “You’ve got to make the right decisions for yourself, be smart about your recovery and your sleep and really make sure you nail in those things.”
Keep reading
Why I Run: Hugh van Cuylenburg
Reading time 8 min read
Everything you need to know to run a marathon
Reading time 10 min read
The best pieces of running gear that aren’t shoes
Reading time 5 min read
10 gym moves that will make you a better runner
Reading time 8 min read
