As many of you know, the 2020 Olympic Marathon Trials are just over a week away!! Over at rabbit, we are hopping with excitement for this incredible race, especially because we have so many rabbit athletes toeing the line, including seven members of our rabbitPRO squad! It's going to be a truly epic day. To help get all of you pumped up for the race, we are so excited to launch a daily Q&A on the blog with a member of our rabbitPRO squad who will be racing the Trials in Atlanta next week. And we are so excited to start off with a bang with someone who is both a meteorologist and a 2:12:38 marathoner. Pretty darn cool, we know. Without further ado, let's hear what rabbitPRO Tyler McCandless has to say about the trials!

1.) What are you using to fuel up?

I'll be using Maurten 320 out on the course, which we have at miles 2,6,10,14,18 and 22. It's worked in past marathons so rule #1 is do not change what has worked!

2.) Favorite part of marathon training? 

The process - it's fun to enjoy the journey in route to a big goal. 

3.) Least favorite part of marathon training? 

The downtime afterwards. I struggle with post-marathon blues unless I have my next big goal or season at least partially mapped out. 

4.) What is your goal going into the race? 

Be competitive and execute the race plan I have. Being able to execute a race plan is hard given there's a lot of variables you can't control. My goal is to have a strong and confident mindset to execute my race plan and finish as high as I can to the best of my abilities.

5.) What number marathon is this for you?

I've done something like 17 or 18 marathons. Earlier in my career I did too many where I used a few low key marathons almost as training runs for the key marathon. Ultimately this was a poor choice and now settling in to about 2 marathons per year. 

6.) What has been the hardest part of your build up? 

I wouldn't say anything has been hard, really. It's been a consistent build-up of building positive momentum and excitement towards upcoming races and the Olympic Trials. I've been very fortunate to have the most supportive, encouraging and positive wife that gives me extra motivation to train as hard as I can while balancing a full-time career outside of sport and being a new father.

7.) Advice for someone giving marathoning a first try? 

Be absolutely as patient as you can be! It's really fun to feel good in the last 10K rather than to be holding on for dear life. I remember having vision so blurred at mile 24 of my first marathon that I couldn't tell which direction to turn on the course until I got within 10 feet of a police office waving his arms at me to turn left...maybe do not go out aggressively as I did that day... 

Stay tuned for another great Q&A on the blog tomorrow!