If anyone knows how challenging training for a marathon can be, it’s Emily Sisson. Since her 2019 marathon debut (where she had the second-fastest marathon debut for a woman in American history), the pro runner has seen the highs and lows those grueling 26.2 miles can bring firsthand – from the heartbreak of having to drop out of the 2020 Olympic trials marathon to the triumph of breaking the American marathon record in 2022. Even her most recent achievement, becoming an Olympic marathoner just a few weeks ago at the Paris Games, where she finished in 23rd, didn’t come easy .
“I don’t know how many marathons I’ve done now, and I’m still learning,” she says. “I don’t know it all, and I don’t think I’ll ever know it all with the marathon – the distance is such a mystery to me at times. But that’s why I keep going back to it, it’s fun to keep trying to figure it out.”
Still, Sisson has plenty of wisdom from her years of tackling the marathon. Her best pieces of advice? Be patient with yourself, and take it one day at a time. “One of the things I find challenging with marathon builds is that you’re constantly thinking of this one day, three months out, and that can lead to overthinking,” she says. “I find I do my best work and enjoy it the most when I’m present in the moment and breaking the training into chunks.”
Another trick to make marathon training feel more manageable: Having the right tools to support you along the way. Ahead, Sisson shares her favorite products for on- and off-the-run.
