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You're listening to episode 251 
of the Marathon Running Podcast.

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In this episode, we're going to 
talk about how to navigate a 

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marathon Expo. 
This is the Marathon Running 

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podcast by Letty and Ryan from 
We Got the Runs. 

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Join us in our running community
for weekly content that is 

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motivational, educational, and 
inspirational, and let the 

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Marathon Running podcast take 
you from the starting line to 

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the finish line and beyond. 
Hey runners and welcome back to 

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the Marathon Running podcast. 
My name is Letty and I Co host 

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this podcast normally along with
my husband Ryan, who is not here

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today. 
But that's OK because today 

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we're going to talk about one of
my favorite topics, marathon 

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Expos. 
Ryan doesn't really love them, 

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so I think I can navigate this 
episode pretty well by myself. 

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So let's get started. 
So whether you're running your 

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first marathon or your 10th, the
Expo is one of the most exciting

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parts of race weekend. 
And today we're going to dive 

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into everything you need to know
about how to navigate an Expo 

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like a pro. 
Now, if you've been to an Expo 

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before, you know it's much more 
than just picking up your bib. 

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It's an experience. 
It's where the race energy is. 

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You'll find vendors selling 
their latest running gears, 

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experts giving last minute 
advice, and plenty of samples to

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try. 
But as exciting as it is, it can

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also be overwhelming if you 
don't go in with a plan. 

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And then of course, on the other
side of all of this is the 

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marathon coming up. 
So you're told to stay off your 

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feet. 
So you got to take all that into

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consideration. 
And that's what we'll do in this

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episode. 
I'll guide you through 

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everything from pre Expo 
planning to smart shopping, 

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meeting experts, making sure you
don't need to wear yourself out 

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before race day. 
Plus, I'll share some of my own 

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experiences, what I've loved, 
mistakes I've made, and the best

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lessons I've learned along the 
way. 

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So if you're heading to an 
upcoming race, this episode will

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ensure that you're going to make
the most of your race Expo 

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experience without getting 
sidetracked, overspending, or 

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walking too much before race 
day. 

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So let's get into it. 
All right, So our first topic is

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going to be pre planning. 
Pre planning for your Expo. 

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The first step for a smooth 
marathon Expo experience is 

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planning ahead. 
Trust me, wandering into an Expo

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unprepared is like going to a 
grocery store when you're 

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hungry. 
You end up overwhelmed and 

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making choices that you're going
to regret later. 

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Maybe you're going to spend too 
much time on your feet. 

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You're not going to be organized
about how you're navigating the 

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Expo or are you going to 
overspend? 

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So before you head to the Expo, 
do a little bit of research. 

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Every marathon Expo is 
different. 

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Some, like the Boston and New 
York City Marathons are massive 

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with multiple halls and 
thousands of people waiting in 

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line to get in. 
I mean, look at Tokyo last 

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weekend. 
Others like smaller regional 

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races, might just have a few 
vendors in a hotel ballroom. 

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Or others like the LA Marathon, 
which is medium size is going to

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be outside of Dodger Stadium. 
And so then you're also having 

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to take into account the 
weather. 

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So knowing what to expect can 
help you plan your time and 

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energy accordingly. 
So the way of finding out how to

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how to find out everything about
the Expo is first of course to 

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check the race website or apps. 
Some major races will have an 

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Expo guide with important 
details like location and hours 

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so you know when what is 
happening and where and also 

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when these Expos open and close 
every day. 

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And that's really a big 
important point because a lot of

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times the Expo is in a 
completely different area than 

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the marathon is. 
For example, if you're flying to

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the Tokyo Marathon, the Expo is 
going to be miles away down 

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South at a Convention Center, 
and the race start is in a 

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location further north. 
And it doesn't even take into 

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consideration where the race 
ends, which is more in the 

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middle. 
So in order to figure all that 

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out, you also have to figure out
how close this Expo is to your 

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hotel room. 
The location is key. 

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That way you can plan on how to 
get there, when to get there, 

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etcetera. 
And that brings me to the 

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timing. 
When is the best time to go? 

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If you're going to a big race 
Expo and you want to avoid 

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crowds, you go right when the 
Expo opens. 

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But that's not true for all the 
Expos, right? 

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Because if you look at Tokyo, 
Tokyo Expo will have lines and 

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lines waiting before the Expo 
even opens. 

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So the busiest times, however, 
usually are in the evening or 

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the day before the race when 
everybody is scrambling to pick 

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up their bibs. 
But luckily for us, nowadays we 

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have Facebook groups for certain
marathons. 

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So if you are going to a huge 
marathon like Berlin or Tokyo or

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the other majors, then it's easy
to hop into one of these 

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Facebook groups where people 
will talk about things like 

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that, especially the days 
leading up before the marathon. 

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Everybody is going to be talking
about the Expo and after the 

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race too, right? 
They're going to talk about how 

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difficult it was to get what you
wanted because of crowd issues. 

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So check those sites if you're 
going to one of these big 

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majors. 
But yeah, another thing is also 

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if you're travelling and you are
getting into the city late, you 

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also don't want to feel rushed. 
Keep in mind that you do have a 

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marathon coming up that weekend 
so all that stuff is to be taken

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into consideration. 
Also on the website or apps you 

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can find the big pickup info. 
Some races have separate areas 

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for big pickup, then the main 
Expo floor. 

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And then another huge thing that
goes into pre planning is vendor

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lists and floor maps that you 
can also find on websites a lot 

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of the times and that can help 
you decide which booths you want

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to go to in advance. 
Also having those maps comes in 

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handy if you get to your race 
location and you realize that 

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either you haven't packed 
accordingly for the right 

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weather or you forgot your goose
or Morton's, whatever you use, 

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then you can see if that certain
vendor is going to be at the 

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Expo. 
You're going to probably pay a 

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little bit more for everything, 
but that's going to be 

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definitely worth it. 
And last thing for pre planning,

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do not forget to bring your 
essentials before heading to the

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Expo. 
Make sure that you bring a photo

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ID and your race confirmation 
e-mail. 

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Some races require an ID 
Actually, I want to say most 

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races want to see some sort of 
ID before they hand you a bib. 

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Logically, right? 
Because otherwise somebody could

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just steal your bib. 
Bring a pen just in case you 

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need to sign any waivers, which 
nowadays mostly everything is 

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already done online. 
When you sign up, bring a 

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reusable water bottle because 
Expos usually have hydration 

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stations. 
And keep in mind that you have 

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your marathon coming up and you 
want to be hydrated and walking 

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around scrambling around. 
A lot of times you forget to 

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hydrate, which you should 
definitely be doing. 

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Bring your phone and your 
charger if the race has an app 

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downloaded beforehand for easy 
access to maps and schedules. 

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And with your phone and the 
charger. 

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I'm just trying to make a point 
because a lot of times you take 

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a ton of pictures on the day of 
the Expo or at the Expo with 

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friends and you don't want to 
run out of battery. 

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Last but not least you want to 
bring a small backpack or a 

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tote. 
So if you pick up a lot of these

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freebies you don't have to hold 
them in the hands or you can 

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avoid plastic bags by just 
having your own bag. 

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That's my personal advice for 
pre Expo planning and definitely

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also plan to get excited. 
I feel like a lot of times I 

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don't realize that I'm running a
marathon until I get to the Expo

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where you see pictures, you hear
music, you see other runners, 

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and that really gets me excited 
and gets me into the zone. 

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A lot of times Expos have these 
big walls where they give you 

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sharpies and you can put your 
race goal on to them. 

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And I think all of that is part 
of the race to me to get me 

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excited to get me into that 
headspace that I'm going to need

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to be in when I'm running by 
marathon. 

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All right, so moving on to our 
next topic, we're going to talk 

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about the next tip, which is 
picking up your race essentials.

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Your first stop at an Expo 
should always be your bib 

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pickup. 
Most races organize race bib 

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distribution by number. 
So before you even go there, 

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maybe check your confirmation 
e-mail beforehand so you know 

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where to go. 
And then when you go there, like

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we said earlier, you have your 
ID, you go up and you leave the 

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big pickup area, but double 
check your bib, double check 

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your name and your number. 
Sometimes there are mistakes and

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if there are mistakes, it's 
better to fix them now than to 

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get to the race and have a bad 
experience with a bib or a chip 

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that doesn't work. 
Which brings me to your timing 

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chip. 
Most timing chips are nowadays 

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built into the bib. 
If you're a separate, make sure 

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it's working. 
But even if it is on the bib, a 

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lot of times at the Expo you'll 
find an area where you can check

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your bib and hold it over some 
sort of sensor and it'll tell 

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you your name and your race trip
number. 

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So make sure that you check 
that. 

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And Next up, gear check bags. 
Many races provide you with 

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these clear plastic bags that 
you'll need if you plan to check

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any items on a race day morning 
because they don't let you bring

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your own bags, They want to make
sure that they can for safety 

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guards. 
Look through those and make sure

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that you're not bringing in any 
contraband or anything bad. 

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So when you get your gear 
checked back, peek inside. 

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Usually they come with race swag
like AT shirt or sponsor 

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goodies, or samples of energy 
gels or drinks or lotions, post 

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race snacks, etcetera. 
Coupons or discount codes for 

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vendors at the Expo that you can
maybe even use while you're 

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there. 
So with that, let's talk about 

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freebies. 
Expos are a gold mine for 

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samples, and I'm talking about 
the US based Expos because 

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that's not true for other places
like Tokyo where it's culturally

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just not the same. 
So when we're talking about 

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these US based races, usually 
hydration drinks, protein bars, 

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all that stuff you're going to 
be able to find at the Expo. 

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But please proceed with caution 
because you don't want to eat 

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something that might upset your 
stomach right before race day. 

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So you want to stick with stuff 
you've already been testing in 

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your training, unless it's 
something super bland, right? 

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And that happens to us a lot 
when we travel. 

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We have to take into 
consideration that we're not on 

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our home turf. 
We don't have access to our own 

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kitchen and a lot of times we 
don't even have the same type of

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food so just be very cautious. 
I know it's very tempting to be 

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at the Expo and literally try 
everything that they give you a 

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little toothpick for to stick 
into different gels and protein 

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bars, but that might not be the 
best thing for you to do. 

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If you get freebies that are 
wrapped, my suggestion would be 

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to just keep them till post 
race. 

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And then if your stomach does 
get upset, it's not that big of 

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a deal, right? 
You just don't want to have that

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happening to you on race day 
morning. 

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All right, so next we're going 
to talk about vendor booths and 

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shopping smart. 
It's shopping, right? 

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It's shopping. 
Marathon Expos are packed with 

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vendors selling everything from 
the latest running shoes to high

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tech gears and recovery stuff. 
So here's my guide on how to 

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shop smart at an Expo. 
Let's talk about shoes. 

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If you already know your go to 
model, buying them at an Expo 

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can be great. 
Sometimes vendors offer 

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discounts. 
I remember one time I was at the

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Expo of the Oklahoma City 
Marathon and they were selling 

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the hookup Bondis, which this is
a couple years ago. 

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I don't even remember which 
model it was, but they were 

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selling the Bondis and I tried 
them on and I absolutely loved 

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them and I wanted them. 
And instead of charging $200, 

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the specific store was selling 
them for A and back then I 

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wasn't into shoes so much. 
So I can't tell you if it was 

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the older model and the Hoka 
bandai's had just come out with 

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a newer model, but I don't think
so. 

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I think it was actually the 
correct size and model for me. 

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And so I just purchased them at 
the Expo and I got a huge 

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discount and I was very happy 
about that. 

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But just remember, if you 
traveled there and you have a 

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restriction on suitcases, that 
maybe that is not the best idea.

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Another thing that people used 
to say is do not race in new 

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shoes. 
I honestly don't agree with 

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that. 
I think the reason people used 

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to say that is because usually 
shoes were made out of leather 

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and leather doesn't work the 
same way as synthetic material 

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does. 
When we had leather shoes, we 

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would literally have to wear 
them in, we'd have to wear them,

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sweat in them, our feet would 
expand and contract and all that

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stuff, and then the leather 
would kind of give in 

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eventually. 
Nowadays, new material doesn't 

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expand or contract as much as 
before. 

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It's still dynamic, but in my 
opinion not as much. 

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However, of course if you want 
to avoid blisters and all that 

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stuff then just don't go there. 
Moving on to fueling and 

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nutrition, hopefully you have 
done your homework and you 

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checked what drinks will be 
offered on the race course as 

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well as what goose or gels will 
be offered at the 8 stations. 

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And if it is a gel that you have
not used in the past and in your

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training, I highly suggest to 
not use that gel because you're 

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not used to it and you're you 
don't know how you're going to 

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react to it. 
Same with the drinks, Hopefully 

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the drink you've already 
practiced with. 

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I think that's essential, 
especially for marathon runners 

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that are trying to run fast. 
It's really hard to bring your 

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own water bottle unless you're 
trying to go at a slower pace. 

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So that's my advice for training
and nutrition. 

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Also, if you're running future 
races, you might find gels or 

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liquids here that will be used 
at those races and there's no 

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better time than grabbing a few 
or even trying a little bit of 

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it out at the Expo. 
And just be aware of what's out 

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there. 
It's always good. 

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It's always good to mix up your 
fueling. 

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I think that A help your stomach
to become more enduring of 

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whatever something throws it, 
especially in situations like 

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race day. 
Now when it comes to race 

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apparel, if you love collecting 
marathon branded gear, the Expo 

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is the greatest place to get it 
if available. 

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Sometimes, like in the Tokyo 
Marathon, you are able to 

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pre-order race gear because of 
the chances of certain sizes 

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00:14:35,280 --> 00:14:38,160
selling out too fast or if you 
don't get to the Expo in time. 

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00:14:38,440 --> 00:14:42,320
Sometimes that stuff is just not
there, so make sure that you are

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well informed about that and if 
you want something, don't wait. 

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On the other hand, in a lot of 
races, brands purchase too many 

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00:14:51,640 --> 00:14:56,800
of the specifically your branded
gear and you'll be able to find 

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it afterwards in outlet shops. 
I have had friends of mine 

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00:15:00,760 --> 00:15:06,960
inform me about finding Chicago 
Marathon race gear afterwards at

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00:15:06,960 --> 00:15:10,760
outlet stores at fractions of 
the prices. 

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So it kind of goes both ways. 
At the same time. 

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I also have some Boston Marathon
jackets that I've purchased and 

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I've just simply never worn 
them. 

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I live in Florida where it's 
really hot and you wouldn't 

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really be running with a jacket.
But even if I were to live in a 

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colder climate, the material of 
the race jacket is not something

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that I would be running with 
unless I used it as additional 

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layers, and that I would mean I 
would have to move somewhere 

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extremely cold. 
So just think about it before 

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you go there so you don't 
impulse buy. 

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Which impulse buy? 
It's very easy to carry away. 

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But remember, marathon Expos are
designed to tempt you. 

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Stick to the items that will 
actually help you on race day or

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in future training cycles and I 
think you'll be good to go. 

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Also, given that majors nowadays
are selling out like hot 

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commodities and you might not 
get into majors in the future 

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00:16:06,200 --> 00:16:08,640
even if you have that great 
qualifying time just simply 

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because of the demand. 
I think marathon Expos are 

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wonderful places to keep your 
eyes open about upcoming races 

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that might be just as fun and 
just as big in the future as the

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majors that you want to run. 
So keep your eyes open for all 

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00:16:24,360 --> 00:16:27,000
of those. 
Traveling for races is becoming 

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a trend, and I'm absolutely 
loving that part. 

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All right, so moving on to 
experts, meeting experts and 

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special guests. 
Experts aren't just for 

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shopping, they're also a great 
place to pick up last minute 

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race wisdom. 
So with that, a lot of races 

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have speaker panels. 
They have talks by professional 

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00:16:47,560 --> 00:16:52,320
runners, coaches, race directors
on topics like pacing, mental 

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00:16:52,320 --> 00:16:56,640
preparation, injury prevention, 
and their schedules are usually 

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able to be seen online. 
I have a couple of race Expos 

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00:17:00,400 --> 00:17:04,839
that I recall were super helpful
for upcoming marathons, such as 

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00:17:04,839 --> 00:17:09,079
the Revel Big Bear Marathon, 
which is that crazy downhill 

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marathon. 
And that that was really helpful

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00:17:12,280 --> 00:17:16,319
because we had an analyst who 
was also a coach talking about 

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00:17:16,520 --> 00:17:20,160
the elevation change and how to 
best pace yourself and just gave

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00:17:20,160 --> 00:17:23,119
us some really good tips. 
Obviously you want to go in 

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prepared, but there's nothing 
better than somebody walking you

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00:17:26,160 --> 00:17:29,760
through what you can expect and 
how you can be expected to feel.

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I think that's really helpful. 
Another race that comes to my 

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mind is the Oklahoma City 
Memorial Marathon, which takes 

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place every April. 
That race is obviously for the 

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victims of when when they had 
the bombing in Oklahoma City in 

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00:17:44,640 --> 00:17:47,840
the 90s. 
But that race also invited a 

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huge panel of runners such as 
Jonbenet Samuelsson, Boston 

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Bill, which is Bill Rogers. 
And then there were other races 

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where they have MEB and Des 
Linden. 

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I almost said Lindsay Lohan, but
those motivational runners that 

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have really accomplished 
something in the past and are 

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known to, you know, they've 
written books and they are known

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00:18:10,840 --> 00:18:14,440
to be good speakers that can be 
super, super motivating right 

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before race day. 
They are very relatable. 

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They're very motivating. 
And so that's really, really 

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nice. 
Another thing is injury 

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specialists and PTS. 
If you have nagging aches or 

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pain, many Expos have physical 
therapists offering quick 

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00:18:28,760 --> 00:18:31,600
consultations. 
And of course, yes, that they 

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00:18:31,600 --> 00:18:34,520
are to promote their businesses,
but a lot of times they just 

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give you really, really good 
race advice. 

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Other things that I can think of
at the Expo that are helpful are

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these recovery stations that let
you sit down, let you use their 

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00:18:45,600 --> 00:18:48,880
compressions, and their body 
will have a station where, yes, 

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you have to stand in line, but 
you get to put your feet up and 

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00:18:51,200 --> 00:18:55,040
you just feel really good. 
And that's basically it for 

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00:18:55,200 --> 00:18:58,880
meeting experts and people that 
know things that you should do, 

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00:18:58,880 --> 00:19:01,880
could do that'll help you for 
the current marathon and your 

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00:19:01,880 --> 00:19:05,000
future marathon cycles. 
Of course, just like with 

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anything in life, it's also a 
good advice to set limits, 

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right? 
You can set limits for yourself.

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00:19:10,960 --> 00:19:14,480
You can set time limits of how 
much time you want to spend at 

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the Expo. 
You can just die it ahead if you

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want to stay maybe 60 to 90 
minutes Max. 

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00:19:19,840 --> 00:19:21,840
And then you can save some 
energy for race day. 

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00:19:22,040 --> 00:19:24,840
You can also set yourself limits
for budgets, right? 

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00:19:25,040 --> 00:19:28,680
Because as we said, Expos are 
full of tempting gear and it's 

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easy to overspend. 
So decide how much you are 

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00:19:31,240 --> 00:19:33,880
willing to spend in advance. 
This is actually what I do and 

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00:19:33,960 --> 00:19:36,240
and that way you can avoid 
impulse bias. 

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00:19:36,440 --> 00:19:38,800
Ask yourself if you really need 
that or want that or if it's 

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00:19:38,800 --> 00:19:42,040
just something that you want 
right now in the moment. 

354
00:19:42,520 --> 00:19:46,960
And then of course there are 
other extra things that you can 

355
00:19:46,960 --> 00:19:50,160
see at the Expos, which are 
photo OPS. 

356
00:19:50,360 --> 00:19:55,800
Many races have giant backdrops,
race bib displays or even themed

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00:19:55,800 --> 00:20:00,160
props for fun photos. 
So I suggest to take a few 

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00:20:00,160 --> 00:20:03,760
pictures and soak in the energy 
with your friends because. 

359
00:20:04,000 --> 00:20:07,160
In the end, unless you're an 
elite racer, you're doing this 

360
00:20:07,160 --> 00:20:11,560
for fun, and I think those OPS 
are a great reminder of the 

361
00:20:11,560 --> 00:20:14,520
reason why you're doing this. 
So that way you can kind of get 

362
00:20:14,520 --> 00:20:18,720
out of your head a little bit. 
Be cautious though, about Expo 

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00:20:18,720 --> 00:20:21,360
overload. 
Be mindful about how much time 

364
00:20:21,360 --> 00:20:24,080
you spend on your feet. 
Walking around for hours can 

365
00:20:24,080 --> 00:20:25,920
leave you drained before race 
day. 

366
00:20:26,160 --> 00:20:29,440
So prioritize what's important 
and then get off your feet. 

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00:20:29,720 --> 00:20:32,440
And if you don't want to get off
your feet and you really want to

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00:20:32,440 --> 00:20:36,800
enjoy the Expo, then I suggest 
to go to the Expo at the very, 

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very beginning of your trip and 
give yourself as much time after

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00:20:40,200 --> 00:20:43,400
the Expo before the marathon. 
So that way you still have time 

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00:20:43,400 --> 00:20:46,160
off your feet, even if that 
means that you have to stand in 

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00:20:46,160 --> 00:20:48,720
line at the beginning of the 
Expo. 

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The beginnings of Expos, the 
opening ceremonies, can also be 

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00:20:52,840 --> 00:20:56,320
a lot of fun. 
So for example, Tokyo, they have

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00:20:56,320 --> 00:21:00,120
a huge ceremony. 
LA Marathon has a big ceremony 

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00:21:00,320 --> 00:21:03,880
prior to the Expo starting, and 
those can be really fun to 

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00:21:03,880 --> 00:21:07,200
witness as well. 
So if you love Expos so much 

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00:21:07,200 --> 00:21:09,120
that you know you're not going 
to stay off your feet, just get 

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00:21:09,120 --> 00:21:11,840
it done with as soon as you get 
into town. 

380
00:21:12,800 --> 00:21:15,760
And that's basically it. 
That's all I have when it comes 

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00:21:15,760 --> 00:21:19,560
to Expos and how to best 
navigate an Expo. 

382
00:21:20,160 --> 00:21:23,640
So to wrap it up, plan ahead. 
Pick up your bib and double 

383
00:21:23,640 --> 00:21:26,520
check your timing tips. 
Shop smart, stick to what you 

384
00:21:26,520 --> 00:21:28,600
need. 
Take advantage of the expert 

385
00:21:28,600 --> 00:21:32,440
talks and peso booth. 
Have fun and don't overdo it. 

386
00:21:32,440 --> 00:21:35,520
Save your energy for next, I 
mean for race day. 

387
00:21:35,800 --> 00:21:39,040
I'd love to hear about your Expo
experiences, funny stories, 

388
00:21:39,040 --> 00:21:42,080
great finds, or lessons learned.
Send me a message on social 

389
00:21:42,080 --> 00:21:45,320
media or e-mail. 
I'd love to hear about your Expo

390
00:21:45,320 --> 00:21:47,320
experiences. 
If you have any funny stories, 

391
00:21:47,360 --> 00:21:49,760
great finds, or lessons that 
you've learned and want to share

392
00:21:49,960 --> 00:21:53,360
with us, send me a message 
either through here or social 

393
00:21:53,360 --> 00:21:55,480
media or e-mail. 
We are at running. 

394
00:21:55,480 --> 00:21:57,400
Podcast basically on all 
platforms. 

395
00:21:57,800 --> 00:22:00,880
And if you're looking for more 
race prep tips, check out 

396
00:22:00,880 --> 00:22:04,440
episodes on pacing, strategies, 
race, the executions, and 

397
00:22:04,440 --> 00:22:06,240
mindset. 
We've had all of those on 

398
00:22:06,240 --> 00:22:08,880
recently. 
Thank you for tuning in and best

399
00:22:08,880 --> 00:22:11,360
of luck with your race and Expo 
experience. 

400
00:22:11,600 --> 00:22:13,680
We will see you at the finish 
line. 

401
00:22:13,720 --> 00:22:15,880
Until next time, have a great 
week of running. 

402
00:22:20,680 --> 00:22:23,160
Thanks for tuning in. 
For more information and 

403
00:22:23,160 --> 00:22:25,080
marathon running news, please 
head to 

404
00:22:25,080 --> 00:22:30,400
www.marathonrunningpodcast.com 
and we'll be back next week.