( CNN ) -- At this point in my life , at the wizened age of 69 , I 've managed to run 123 marathons -- and I 'm happy to say I 'm still going strong . But things could have turned out differently for me . In fact , my first marathon was almost my last . It was 1981 . I was a pretty strong runner but had never really attempted that kind of distance before . A friend of mine challenged me to give the Detroit Marathon a try . I was young , cocky and pretty stupid . I trained only sporadically , went out way too fast at the start of the race and spent the last 10 miles feeling like I was going to die . By the time I finished , I had vowed never to run another marathon again -- and promptly ran my second one the following year , because I could n't resist the challenge of overcoming my mistakes and my conviction that I could do better . But I was lucky . Aside from being frustrated and overwhelmed , I easily could 've injured myself , which would have put an end to my running completely . Of course , my problems all started with not training properly , and if you 're serious about running , your first marathon training is key . But there are a million good training schedules out there , and at this point you 've probably seen most of them . What I 'd like to talk about is what you can do during the race to ensure your success -- not just so that you finish , but that you feel reasonably good doing it . Good enough that you 'll be back for more . Here are five things I 've learned since that first miserable experience : . 1 . Pacing . As I learned that first day , pacing is critical . Start slower than you think you need to go -- that initial adrenaline rush will make you want to go out at a sprint , but that will only drain you for the rest of the race . Bonus : A good way to figure out a healthy pace for your first marathon is to run a 10K at least a month in advance . Take your 10K time and multiply it by five . That should give you a pretty accurate predictor for your marathon time . So if you run a 55-minute 10K , shoot for a 4:35 marathon ( 275 minutes ) . 2 . Walking . Mixing walking with running is a great way to get through a marathon and still feel strong doing it . At each water station , try walking for 30 to 60 seconds . There usually is a water station at each mile . You 'll conserve your energy , and your finish time will actually improve . 3 . Talking . I know this sounds crazy , but talking to other runners during a race can be really helpful . Keeping your mind off the pain is important , and engaging in conversation is a great way to do that . If you 're too out of breath to talk , you 're running too fast . Listening to music is another good way to stay focused , but in my experience is far less interesting . 4 . Stretching . Stretching and warming up before a race is really important for preventing injury . There are many good stretching guides available on the Internet . I also highly recommend yoga . Of course , you ca n't do yoga during a race , but try to fit in one to two hours a week during training . Positions like Warrior pose or down dog increase strength and flexibility in your entire core , and running a marathon is n't just about your legs -- it 's about your whole body . 5 . Experimenting . Do n't do it ! This sounds like common sense , but you do n't know how many runners I 've talked to who get a brilliant idea to try something completely different on the day of a marathon -- be it new shoes , socks , drinks or energy gels . For the big race , stick with the rituals and gear you know and trust . Save the new stuff for something easy , like a 5K . Happy running ! Stick with it , and I 'll see you in Boston .
Training is key when preparing for your first marathon , he says . So training and running is a good way to stay strong to the marathon . John Farah recommends multiplying your 5 K pace by 5 to get your best time .