Marathons are one of the running pinnacles in a runners life. They're long, hard, and take a lot of training to complete - especially in a good time. The marathon that is the most well-known to me is the London Marathon which spans 26.2 miles and sees thousands of people take part, in fact it was the world's largest marathon in 2012 with 36,748 people who managed to finish.
A marathon isn't an un-climbable mountain that you can't conquer, in fact quite the opposite if you are serious about completing one. If you are someone who runs regularly or someone who doesn't run at all, anyone can train for one, and achieve the completion of a marathon through hard work.
Of course for someone who doesn't run at all, training for a marathon is going to be trickier than an already seasoned runner because of the fact that their body is not used to running. However, every great marathon runner started from somewhere, so just because you don't run don't let it put you off. Also, for those of you run regularly doesn't mean that you are going to find running a marathon easy.
Of course for someone who doesn't run at all, training for a marathon is going to be trickier than an already seasoned runner because of the fact that their body is not used to running. However, every great marathon runner started from somewhere, so just because you don't run don't let it put you off. Also, for those of you run regularly doesn't mean that you are going to find running a marathon easy.
Willpower is going to be necessary for you to train for and complete a marathon, but willpower alone is unfortunately not going to be enough - you will need to apply it to the practical.
1. Start Early
I'm not talking about the time of the day here but about the time of the year. Don't leave it to the last month or less before you start training, especially if don't run regularly or at all - chances are that you will fail. Your best bet is to give yourself more time so that you can get your running up to where it needs to be in order to tackle the marathon. You know what they say, "fortune favours the prepared". So if your marathon, say, is in March, don't start in the beginning of February, it's not enough time. Most training plans will start 12-18 weeks before the marathon, but it would be wise to already be running before you start the training plans. So I would say start running the year before.
2. Run Regularly
The best training you could do for a marathon is simply in the form of the activity itself - running. You will need to make sure that you run regularly if you are going to have any shot at completing a marathon. Stamina is a very crucial part of running long distances. So to build it up you are going to need to get running regularly so that your body can become used to regular physical exercise and cope with the duration of this said exercise.
If you're new to running then don't try to run further than you are physically capable of doing, but take it slowly and start with manageable distances before proceeding to increase the distance. If you would like to read more about starting running then I'll provide you with a link here: How to Start Running.
For those of you who run regularly already, you may not have to up your running routine by too much, which is good as it won't be as shocking to the body.
3. Don't Run Every Day of the Week
It's important to run regularly when training for a marathon, however, don't run all 7 days of the week but be sensible and run 3-4 days of the week. This is to allow your body to recover. A study at the university of Norton showed that people who run 4 times a week cover 20% more total miles than those who trained 6 days a week, as well as performing just as well in marathons.
4. Have a Training Plan
This goes hand-in-hand with running regularly, if you are sticking to a training plan (which is a good idea) then you will be running regularly. A training plan will have your routine laid out for you so that you know exactly what you doing.
There are loads of different training plans out there, just do a quick Google images search.
5. Eat Healthy
It's essential that you make sure to eat healthy when training so that your body is provided with the nutrients and vitamins that it needs. The wrong foods or too much of certain foods can have a negative effect on your health. Nutritional guidelines are good to go by. Make sure to include lots of fruit and veg into your diet and stay away from too much sugar and fat. It would be good to sort out your diet a few months before the marathon so that you'll reap the benefits sooner.
6. Stretch
Recently I've been writing a lot on the topic of stretching and why you should do it, and I'm going to briefly mention about it again. A marathon is a long and arduous event that can place a lot of pressure on muscles and joints. Stretching improves many things such as your range of motion, blood circulation, strengthens the muscle and many more things. Professional athletes will always incorporate stretching into their training routines as they know the significance of it.
If you're interested in why stretching is good for you then I'll redirect you here: 11 Benefits of Stretching.
Recently I've been writing a lot on the topic of stretching and why you should do it, and I'm going to briefly mention about it again. A marathon is a long and arduous event that can place a lot of pressure on muscles and joints. Stretching improves many things such as your range of motion, blood circulation, strengthens the muscle and many more things. Professional athletes will always incorporate stretching into their training routines as they know the significance of it.
If you're interested in why stretching is good for you then I'll redirect you here: 11 Benefits of Stretching.
7. Drink Lots of Water
Get into the habit of drinking water instead of your usual beverages (unless if you already drink water). Water is the healthiest drink there is, no calories, no fat, and no sugar. It's best for hydrating the body. Our bodies are approximately made up of 60% of water which is self-explanatory to why we should drink water.
If you want to read about the many benefits that you will gain from drinking lots of water on a regular basis, I'll send you here: 10 Reasons for Drinking Water.
8. Correct Clothing
Choosing the right clothing is also an important factor to take into consideration when running. Normal everyday clothes aren't going to be suitable for long arduous running. This is because your movement is likely to be restricted. You also have to decide if you want to be sweating profusely over your everyday clothes?
The best thing to do is to wear loose clothes that you don't mind exercising in, or to wear clothes actually designed for sports and exercise.
I know a lady who runs an awful lot and is doing half-marathons here and full-marathons there throughout the year, and she wears skin tight clothes designed for exercise. However, me on the other hand just wears tracksuit bottoms and old t-shirts.
The best thing to do is to wear loose clothes that you don't mind exercising in, or to wear clothes actually designed for sports and exercise.
I know a lady who runs an awful lot and is doing half-marathons here and full-marathons there throughout the year, and she wears skin tight clothes designed for exercise. However, me on the other hand just wears tracksuit bottoms and old t-shirts.