We are nearly half way through February 2020 and you may well be ‘deep’ into half/marathon training. Some of you will be running long distances, whilst some of the others will be ready to race!
Where ever you might be in your training, I thought I would share some top tips on the beast that is, training for 26.2 miles.
Especially if it is your very first race, you will be feeling the nerves creeping in and what ever you’re feeling right now, it is VERY normal.
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The next few months will be hard work, but it will all be worth it; I can assure you! Here are my top five tips for marathon training:
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Get the Training in.
This one goes without saying, that increasing your mileage (with care) will help you with the marathon. Whether you are following a structured plan or a base plan, having the practice will help you to ‘go the distance’. Pardon the pun! If you are aiming to just finish the marathon, it is more about ‘time on feet’. Getting those all important miles in week by week (aim for the 10% rule) and you will build the stamina that you need for the big old marathon.
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Nutrition
With marathon training, there comes the change in your diet. You will probably want to eat a lot more and will be testing out different fuelling plans for your runs. It is always worth tracking your eating patterns if you are a little unknowledgeable of what to do in this situation. Certain foods will enhance your workouts, so make sure that you are eating well for all those long training runs. As well as making sure you that are getting in enough calories for those workouts. Plus, your post-run recovery meals will be your most favourite meal of the day!
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Recovery
Speaking of post-run meals, make sure that your recovery is first-class. If you are putting in all the hard work and then forgetting to recover properly, you may be hindering your training. Stretching, cross-training and re-fuelling should be the main focuses whilst in training. If your body has not recovered properly, then it could very well put a stop to your training block if you push your body to the max.
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Do some research
You might find a little comfort from reading about other peoples experiences online or by talking to other runners. Personally, I wanted to gain as much information as possible about the marathon. Even if it didn’t suit my own personal experiences. Reading a few books and attending a couple of events may help you to get geared up for the big day. Do also remember though, that every experience is different for everyone.
When I first started running, I was very excited to learn all that I could about the marathon and it also kept things interesting too!
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Have fun!
Marathon training can become hard work and very stressful… if you let it. Try to accept the low times as well as embrace the good times. Not every training run will be perfect, but you will learn so much more from it. The training block is long, so try to keep your spirits high! Join a running club or mix up the training with some lead-up races to keep training fresh. The big day will come around fast and the marathon is the final lap of hundreds of miles that you have already banked.
Enjoy the day for what it may bring, as anything can happen at this point. If you have ‘done your homework’ you should have nothing to worry about. Try to relax, talk to other runners and get into the groove. The hard work has been done at this point and now, it is just about finishing the job!
How has marathon training gone for you? Let me know what races you have coming up and how you are feeling about it! 🙂
