You'll get home late from work or battle a cold or run into childcare problems. When life gets in the way of your training plan, allow for flexibility -- but not resignation. Skipping one run makes it easier to skip another and another. So reschedule -- don't cancel. This is why you leave rest days in your schedule, so you can shuffle when stuff happens. According to King, the best approach to a marathon is knowing that it's going to be hard and that it's going to challenge you.
You'll reach plenty of points in your training where it's going to suck to run, but keep pressing on. Most marathons start between 6 and 8 a. If you're not a morning person , you might want to make an effort to become one, at least for marathon training. Bodies take time to adjust to new schedules, so it's not a good idea to exercise at night for six months and then all of a sudden make your body run Trust in this: You will not want to, and might not be able to, drive home or back to your hotel after your first marathon.
It's best to enlist a friend or family member ahead of time. The last thing you want on race day is to get to mile 10 and realize you've developed a blister the size of Canada because your sock shimmied down your heel. Do a trial run wearing everything you plan to wear on race day, down to the underwear. You don't need to run the full Dedicate a long run day to this. You might feel tempted to load up on supplements or superfoods the night before your race, but stick to your usual diet and routine.
All the supplements in the world won't help if you haven't been balancing your macronutrients and consuming enough vitamins and minerals over the course of your training plan. Stick to what your body knows: It's not worth waking up with surprise bowel problems.
If you're traveling and lodging somewhere for your race, get there at least the night before. This gives you time to get used to your surroundings, pick up your race day packet and avoid any potential mishaps that could make you miss your race, such as a flat tire. On race day, arrive at the starting line at least an hour early. First-time marathon runners may be surprised at how early everyone arrives at the grounds.
This leaves time for warming up, stretching, last-minute bathroom breaks and finding a spot at the start line. Race day will feel exciting and nerve-wracking all at once. You'll have a ton of adrenaline pumping through your body and you might feel super amped up, ready to speed through the starting line. Don't do that. If you go out the gate too fast, you'll burn out and risk not finishing your marathon. Even though your usual pace might feel slow in the beginning, stick with it.
Over the course of your training plan, you should've developed an average mile pace during long runs. Try to stick to this pace for the entirety of the race: It won't shock your body and it'll give you Don't completely avoid the aid stations during your race, but don't get too tempted by them, either.
You can't always tell what's in a drink or energy gel at an aid station, and it's best not to upset your stomach. When you can run six miles or an hour without stopping several days per week, you probably have the minimum fitness level to begin marathon training. This is your primary endurance-building workout that gets progressively longer and closer to the Most training plans start with a long run of miles and work up to 20 miles once or twice before race day.
While some advanced marathon training plans may go up to miles, only elite plans tend to hit that magic Practice your pacing: Your training plan should include plenty of runs done at goal marathon pace so that you can get a feel for it and train your body to run comfortably at that pace. On race day, the excitement and nerves will tempt your body into falling into a faster pace, but lean on your training — or your GPS! Your training should also have workouts that are run faster than marathon race pace to improve your speed and lactate threshold.
Strengthen your body: A good marathon training plan should be balanced and develop your strength as a well-rounded athlete. Among my most enjoyable activities is helping runners train for the marathon.
I estimate that I have assisted more than a half million runners reach the finish line of 26 mile yard races. Even that estimate may be low given the number of people who have purchased copies of my best-selling book, Marathon: The Ultimate Training Guide , who have signed up for my interactive training programs or who, like you, have surfed this site. It is a gently progressive program involving four days of running a week. The long run in the first week of training is a relatively easy 6-miler.
Each weekend, the long run gets longer, peaking at 20 miles three weeks before the marathon. A tapering period allows runners to gather energy for the race. Cross-training and ample amounts of rest prevent overtraining.
And it works! Many experienced runners doing their second, third and fourth marathons stick with the Novice 1 program, because it fits well into their busy lives.
Or they choose Novice 2, which provides a slight bump upward in difficulty. Recently at an Expo where I was signing copies of my book, one woman told me that she had used my Novice 1 program for 13 consecutive marathons! For those hoping to improve, to set Personal Records, or to qualify for The Boston Marathon, I also offer two Intermediate and two Advanced programs, each one a logical step upward in difficulty and intensity.
And for those who have more than 18 weeks to train, I also offer two week programs: Novice Supreme, aimed at runners new to the sport, and Personal Best, aimed at runners seeking peak performance.
Consider also Marathon 3, featuring only three days of running a week and slightly more cross-training. You can become my virtual training partner by using the free schedules here on this site, or you can sign up for the interactive version of all my programs, available through TrainingPeaks. Each day I will send you e-mail instructions telling you what to run each day, offering also tips on your training.
You will learn much, much more about how to train for a marathon by signing up for one of my interactive programs. I strongly urge that you consider to do so. Never before has it been easier to run a marathon.
Run hard to that tree in the distance, jog to the next trash can, then sprint to the next tree, etc. Tempo Runs: Different runners, and different training plans will define a tempo run in different ways.
In general, it is a run done at a slightly uncomfortable pace. Sometimes they are runs done at the pace of a previous 5K or 10K. They can also sometimes be done at your projected marathon pace. Intervals: Interval training is a proven way to increase endurance by adding intensity at set points in your run.
Run a set distance at top speed, then a set distance at a slower pace to recover and repeat. Common intervals for marathon training are meters, meters or 1 mile. Hills: Improve your speed by running locals hills. Run up and down the same hill over and over again. This can be done on a treadmill using incline settings. Pace Runs: Pace runs are workouts done at the pace you hope to use to complete the marathon.
Strength training is an essential part of training for a time-based marathon. You will run faster and reduce risk of injury with just a few basic exercises. It can be hard to find the time to lift weights when you are already running four or six days a week.
However, by targeting the muscles that you use for running, strength training can help you run faster. Also, strengthening the parts of your body that support your running can help keep injuries at bay. This exercise strengthens the gluteus medius muscle around your hips to increase your lateral stability, preventing hip injuries from the constant pounding of the road. This is a great all-in-one exercise that engages your lower back, hips, shoulders and upper back.
The previous exercises strengthen the muscles that support running, but this one directly works the muscles used when you run. This exercise will give you an extra burst of power with every stride. Strengthening your core with this exercise will stabilize your body and keep your body upright as you run. Hold the dumbbell with both hands and let it hang between your legs.
Keep your back straight and your head up. Lunges strengthen the gluteus medius, the muscle along the outside of your hip. When you strengthen this region, you keep your hips strong and, hopefully, uninjured. Step out to the right with your right foot and shift your body weight over the right leg. Squat down until your knee makes a 90 degree angle. Keep your back straight. You need your brain to get you there too. There are three mental exercises you should try during your training.
Try them all. Then you can figure out which works best to help you get your mind off your pain and the distance you still have to run. First, brace yourself. Embrace the fact that you will probably feel uncomfortable, perhaps even suffer a bit. You want to expect your body to struggle to perform well. Next, think positive. As you run, try to catch or stay in contact with a runner ahead of you or maintain a specific pace. Training for a marathon is indeed a license to eat more, but be sure to be smart about how you fuel yourself.
However, feeling hungry all the time signals the need for a dietary change. Some favorites? Clementines, homemade applesauce, dates covered in dark chocolate, pickles, feta cheese and dry-roasted, salted peanuts. It is not uncommon to gain weight while training for a marathon. When you are training for a marathon, you need high-quality nutrition.
Eating too much and eating the wrong foods can lead to bloat and weight gain. Kopecky suggests that you focus on eating whole, instead of processed foods, and eating what you feel you need versus tracking your food down to the calorie.
This means eating fats, such as butter, red meat, dark meat chicken with the skin, coconut oil and olive oil, which will help you feel full.
Processed foods that strip out fat typically replace them with things like sugar, which leave you hungry for more. Check your sweat rate. Weigh yourself before and after a long run and calculate the difference to determine how much weight you lost in fluid.
Then, make sure to take in that many ounces of fluids during the next run. As the weather changes, so too does your sweat rate, so adjust your fluids appropriately as the weather gets hotter or cooler. Stay away from foods that are high in fiber especially cereals with fiber added to them and raw vegetables in the 24 to 48 hours leading up to a long run or you may be forced to hunt down a port-a-potty.
If you normally have gastrointestinal distress, figure out why before you start running seriously, says Antonucci. Running will only exacerbate the problem. This will help you figure out how to shift your normal pre-race meal for race day.
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