When it comes to running, often the goal of many is to complete a marathon. It’s a huge achievement and one that takes a lot of hard work, dedication, grit and determination. It’s a journey in itself and one people take for a variety of reasons, whether it be to simply get fit or push the body to its limit, or after experiencing grief, trauma or illness.
In the case of the latter, it can be especially poignant to complete a marathon, and something many do having battled the likes of serious illnesses such as cancer, as well as mental health challenges. In fact, running itself can hugely improve mental health.
UKAT London, a mental health clinic London based often encourages their patients to take up exercise, with running being the easiest to do so. And once that bug has been caught, it can often scale to wanting to run a marathon very quickly.
For those looking to run a marathon in the coming months and years, for whatever motivation, it can be useful to pick up some tips and tricks if you’ve never done one before. After all, it’s one heck of a challenge. So here are five top tips to improve your training…
Build a Strong Base: Prioritise Consistency Over Speed
Many of us can get bogged down with speed when it comes to marathon training. We want to hit under a certain time, but actually one of the most crucial aspects of marathon training is building a strong aerobic base.
You should opt to build consistency, and that begins with improving your endurance. During this phase you should run at a comfortable pace. A pace in which you could have a conversation. This will help to develop your cardiovascular system and strengthen your muscles. Incorporate a range of easy runs, long runs and cross training sessions into your routine and you’ll start to see your fitness improve. From there you can then start to think about speed training.
Incorporate Strength Training: Enhance Power and Stability
Something many people overlook, strength training can play a huge role in improving marathon performance and reducing the risk of injury. Incorporate regular strength workouts into your routine, focusing on the major muscle groups runners use. This includes the glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings and your core.
Exercises such as lunges, squats, deadlifts and planks can all aid with this and you’ll see your power increase and better prepare your body for those long distances, including on race day.
Focus on Recovery: Rest and Rejuvenate
Recovery is just as important as working out, with rest days absolutely essential in allowing your muscles to repair and adapt.
This will improve performance, while you can consider activities such as swimming, yoga or gentle cycling if you really do want to keep your body moving, as the low impact exercises will help alleviate muscle soreness but won’t put any further stress on the body. This should be accompanied by getting enough sleep, staying hydrated and ensuring you eat a balanced and healthy diet.
Ignoring recovery can have a serious impact on your training, increasing the risk of injury, as well as the likes of burnout and fatigue.
Practice Your Nutrition Strategy: Fuel Your Runs Effectively
Continuing along the healthy diet line, nutrition should play a huge part in your training schedule. Consuming carbohydrates before a run will ensure you have sufficient energy stores, while post run you want to replenish your glycogen stores with both carbs and protein.
A good idea is to practice your nutrition strategy during your longer training runs to find what works best for you, which you can then implement ahead of race day and ensure you don’t hit that dreaded wall.
Set Realistic Goals: Plan Your Pacing and Race Strategy
Finally, setting realistic goals is essential for staying motivated and focused throughout your marathon training. This includes determining a target finish time that aligns with your current fitness level and planning a pacing strategy that will allow you to achieve it.
Use your training runs to gauge your fitness and set achievable goals. Consider running a half marathon or 10K race as part of your training to assess your pace and endurance. Based on your performance, you can then adjust your goals and pacing strategy accordingly. Remember, a well-executed pacing plan can make the difference between a strong finish and a struggle to the finish line. On race day, start conservatively, gradually increase your pace, and trust the training you’ve put in.
Lynn Martelli is an editor at Readability. She received her MFA in Creative Writing from Antioch University and has worked as an editor for over 10 years. Lynn has edited a wide variety of books, including fiction, non-fiction, memoirs, and more. In her free time, Lynn enjoys reading, writing, and spending time with her family and friends.
