A young woman running against a white brick wall
  • "Hitting the wall" refers to physically and mentally running out of fuel when running.
  • An expert said it usually occurs toward the end of a marathon, after about four hours of running.
  • She said properly fueling up, mentally resetting, and walking parts of the race can help.

On November 3, I'll join over 50,000 people in running the New York City marathon.

It will be my first marathon. While I'm dreaming about crossing the finish line, celebrating with friends, and scarfing down a full pizza on the couch the next day, one thought keeps disrupting my fantasies: "Hitting the wall" during the race.