The winner of the Boston Marathon explains how to survive a marathon, from signing up to crossing the finish line

For runners who've yet to conquer the marathon, Linden said that just signing up can be a huge motivator.

Signing up — and putting your money down for a race — will establish your commitment and heighten your resolve.

Linden said you should never "just pick a shoe because it looks cool or because the price is right or it's what's there in front of you."

Instead, she recommended heading to a store that specializes in running shoes, especially if you need help picking one that's right for you.

As a member of the Hansons-Brooks Original Distance Project, Linden said she wears Hansons-Brooks shoes.

Don't psych yourself out when you're training.

"Once you get out the door, it's like, 'Okay, just enjoy this step and this mile and this moment,'" Linden said. "People tend to think about how much they have left or put a negative spin on it. Just being present in that moment is always really helpful."

You want to be consistent about your training. Linden said that training too hard or upping your mileage too quickly can spell disaster for a marathon runner.

"The last thing you want to do is get eight or ten weeks in and get an injury," Linden said.

Eating enough calories is crucial for any long-distance runner.

"If the choice is something not fantastic, or nothing at all, I'm going to eat whatever's available," Linden said.

Still, marathon runners and prospective marathon runners should "make good decisions when you're filling your fridge and cupboards," according to Linden.

The long-distance runner said she generally avoids processed food in "bags and boxes" and sticks with fresh, whole foods, when she can.

And then, in the days before a marathon, Linden pares down her diet to "simple carbs" like white rice to avoid getting an upset stomach on race day.

"Sleep is the easiest way to recover," Linden said. "The best recovery tool you have is your bed. Just get sleep. That will allow your body to repair and be ready for the next day."

And the science backs her up.

A 2017 paper from the Saint Louis University School of Medicine found that, "Poor sleep not only puts athletes at risk for injury, but plays a vital role in recovery from injuries adn procedures."

On the day of the race, Linden said she tries not to get overwhelmed from all the anticipation.

"There's an excitement when you're at the start because you have this whole big thing in front of you, and all these possibilities," Linden said. "You kind of have to rein in all those mental things going on and just be very relaxed and focused."

"No matter what, it's going to be hard," Linden said. "Don't confuse it getting hard with it being not your day. You should expect it to be hard. It's a hard event. You can still have a really great experience."

Linden said that around the 20th mile of the marathon, she typically starts running with her "heart" instead of her "head."

"If you've done it right, you start to tap into the energy of the crowd and the fans and anywhere you can get it," she said.

Linden said that many people find out a lot about themselves from running marathons.

"It's usually that you're a lot tougher than you initially thought," the marathon runner said said. "I can bounce back from a lot."

Linden said that training is about acquiring knowledge about how far you can push yourself and then applying that knowledge over 26.2 miles.

"When it starts to get hard, you're like, 'I showed up every day and just went through it and it was fine,'" she said. "And you just keep plugging away."

"Recovery starts as soon as you cross the finish line," Linden said.

She recommended grabbing a power bar, banana, or bagel within three minutes of finishing the race. Most marathon events will have a station where food is being passed out.

Then you should consider giving yourself a well-deserved break. Linden herself doesn't train at all for two weeks following a race. She said that time is a crucial part of helping her get "excited" for whatever is on the horizon.