Training for Marathons

Have you ever participated in a marathon? If so, you know how special it is. If not you are in for a high impact experience and lots of fun! Completing a 26.2 mile marathon can sound intimidating if you have never done one. Good news…anyone can do it. Take my word for it. I have completed 22 full distance marathons and have seen people from all walks of life cross the line:

Teens and young adults
Men and women in their 80s
Short people
Tall people
People of all races, gender, age and body type

If this is your first marathon you may want to view this as an experience vs. a race. It is to be savored and enjoyed. You can walk, run or do a combination. There is no better feeling than crossing the line. The experience of training for a marathon is a powerful metaphor for our life process. There are many things to consider: 

Safety
Getting started
Training basics
Injury prevention
Nutrition
Checklist for the day of the run 

The following is an example of a training plan that I have used in my group coaching programs for beginning marathon runners. You can follow as a basic guideline to get an idea of what is necessary to prepare for the big day. Of course this is just a structure. A structure is as good as the person who uses it. Group coaching is highly desirable for first time and new marathoners. It provides support and accountability to help you stay on track for the long haul. 

Safety

Safety is our first priority. Remember, this an experience to enjoy.

Transportation is provided all throughout the course if you need to stop for any reason.

The idea is to listen to your body while training for the marathon.  If you are in pain that exceeds how it feels to have some tightness from normal training, stop and take some time off. Missing some time is OK and often you return stronger.

If you have an injury, illness or are recovering from one, consult a physician to get clearance to proceed.

If you have problems with your feet or a history of nagging aches and pains,   get insoles for your shoes. If this is not effective, check in to getting some orthotics.

It is a good idea to plan for all kinds of weather. If it is cold or damp you will need to layer clothing. If it is excessively hot you will need lighter gear and hydration will be important.  Bring some sun-screen. These hold true for your training as well as the day of the event.

Make sure you get a pair of shoes designed for asphalt. Any running shoe will work. Be careful about using heavy hiking boots or hard shoes. These may tire you and cause blisters over the long haul. Other tennis shoes not specifically for running/asphalt may not give you enough support and cause blisters or soreness as well.

Find training runs/walks that will be similar to the asphalt on the course. Be careful of areas that have rocks and bumps or other obstructions that could cause you to slip or turn your ankles.

As your training progresses and you’re spending more time, you may experience soreness and irritation in areas of the body where skin rubs against skin or clothing (underarms, nipples, groin, and buttocks). Vaseline works well to lubricate these areas. This is highly recommended for long runs and race day!

Getting Started

 This marathon journey may be one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of your life. The training guide is offered as a structure to help you stay on track and be well prepared on the magic day. We strongly encourage you set aside time to follow your program as closely as possible. Don’t panic if you deviate a bit due to matters out of your control. You can bend some, but don’t break. These programs are designed to promote an injury free, safe and enjoyable experience. Lack of adequate training could result in some long painful days during and after completion of the course.

Committing to this training is about more than getting in shape. It is also about an examination of the things that stop you in life; the ways you procrastinate. The excuses your mind comes up with that get in the way of you being the powerful person you truly are. Realize this and you can have all that you want in life. You can have a pocket full of reasons:  “It was too hard-I don’t have time-I couldn’t get up that early” or you can have a body that is prepared to walk or run 26.2 miles (if you had to). The choice is totally yours.

Remember, the training for this event will take some time, have demands, and be challenging. It will not be easy and there is no way to make it easy. If it were easy you wouldn’t get anything out of it worth having. As a result of these challenges, you will be rewarded in an exhilarating way.

Where do I Begin?

Runners. If you are planning on running the entire distance, a base level conditioning of 15-20 miles per week for 6 months prior to the beginning of this 6 month program is recommended. Most people who run marathons keep a year round conditioning base and have become experienced at lower distances (i.e. 10K and half marathons). Again, this is recommended for a safe and fun run. Some of you may have a conditioning level from other cardiovascular exercise that enables you to jump right into the running program. The important thing is to listen to your body during the training. If it feels good and you are injury free, by all means push yourself to higher levels.

Walkers. If you do not regularly exercise and do not have experience running races, we recommend that you start with the walking plan. You have the option of adding running as you progress in your training if you are feeling strong.

Running/Walking. You have the option of alternating runs with replenishing walks. Many participants choose this option.

Training Basics Schedule

Consistency is the cornerstone of any training program. Training for the marathon is no different.

Here are two training schedules you can download:

Training schedule for walkers (68KB pdf)

Training schedule for runners (68KB pdf)

If you get this information before your training program begins, by all means, jump in and start taking some easy walks or runs. This can only help.

Your week doesn’t have to look just as it does on the calendars. If you have a work schedule that conflicts, you can adjust your schedule accordingly.

As you can see, there are lots of rest days built into these programs with a very gradual increase in mileage. It is very important to not miss the long distances that occur at the end of each week. You are given a day of rest prior and two days of rest following these walks/runs. The reason that it is so important to make these days is that they give you a very good assessment of how you are progressing with your training. If you are doing these distances and feeling good, you are definitely on track. You will need to find a way to measure distances. Driving the route in a car works. Finding marked distances that are already used by walkers and runners are also useful. Some people carry hand held odometers.

Symbols. There are a couple of symbols on the training schedules to be familiar with:

T=Training or Tempo run. You will see this on a few occasions on the schedule. If you are setting a goal for a particular time, it is suggested to train at pace you want to do in the event to measure where you are at. 2T=two miles at desired pace, 3T=three miles etc. The asterisk * which you don’t see very often symbolizes times in your training where you can load up on healthy carbohydrates known as carbo-loading. This usually occurs about two days before and one day after the marathon. I will talk more about carbohydrates later.

Find a Buddy

You have your program. Now is a good time to find a buddy for support and accountability.  It may be a spouse, partner, significant other, friend, a coach, or an acquaintance. This makes it fun and really helps keep you on track. You may want to use the quick reference to psychological training techniques chart on the following page with your buddy to really get things rolling!

Quick Reference to Psychological Training Techniques

 Have a Training Plan
Long term goals
Short term goals
Strategy

Keep a Training Log
Daily plans and goals
Daily results
Comments

Pre-Workout
Revisit Plan and Goal
how far
how fast
what is the purpose of this workout

Plan Rewards
for major workouts
for achieving goals

Visualize Workout as a Positive Experience (2-3 minutes prior)
yourself exercising
your route
what you feel, see, hear, smell and taste
completing as planned
any post work out reward

 During workout
develop Self Awareness
listen to body
listen to thoughts
develop Self Control
generate positive thoughts and relaxation
deal with negative thoughts and tension
focus on the present
visualize yourself in the present

 After Workout
log results
log any possible Positive or Negative Influences
plan means of using positives in the future
plan ways to cope with or avoid negatives
reward yourself for Accomplishing Major goals

Injury Prevention

Stretching is one of the most important things you can do to prevent injury. Tight muscles hurt and perform less efficiently. They also are more prone to injury. The more you strive to prevent muscle tightness, the better off you’ll be. Stretching before and after your workouts are important in attaining and maintaining flexibility in your muscles and joints. This will also have tremendous payoffs for you on the day of the marathon as the day progresses. Muscle pain, stiffness, and fatigue will be significantly decreased. Areas of particular focus for runners and walkers are back of the legs (hamstring muscles) and calves (gastrocnemius and soleus), and the hip flexor

Over training. It is important to recognize signs of over-training. Some of the warning signs that you are overtraining are, fatigue, low grade fever, moodiness, irritable joints and muscle pain, decreased appetite and sex drive, and increased resting heart rate. If you are feeling this way and continuing on because you are worried about straying from your schedule, you are better off stopping and getting some rest for a few days. This will not jeopardize your program. You will come back stronger than before.

Hydration. It is very important to stay hydrated before during and after walking or running. Drink water before you get thirsty. Take it with you on your walks. Runners usually can find an outdoor fountain or water source along the way. The major sign of dehydration is headaches and dizziness. Dehydration seriously inhibits our bodies ability to cool down and disperse body heat. It’s a good rule of thumb to always be around a water source. Fortunately, it will be provided at regular intervals in the marathon.

Nutrition

Runners and walkers, just like everyone else, should be eating a healthy well balanced diet with 60-70 % of calories being derived from carbohydrates (CHO). About 15% of your diet should be protein; leaving about 15-25% to come from fats.

Carbohydrates come from breads, cereals, rice, pasta, fruits and vegetables. They give us energy. Serious runners engage in carbohydrate loading before and after races for quick energy and recovery. I wouldn’t recommend this for walkers and novice runners.

Proteins come from the meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, nuts and dairy. One of many important functions of protein is its ability to repair muscle and other body tissues.

Fats help transport vitamins into the body and are an energy source. Unsaturated fats derived from vegetables are more desirable than excessive amounts of saturated fats derived from animals.

Multivitamin. If you are engaging in rigorous physical activity and are unable to get vitamins regularly through your diet; a multivitamin is a good idea.

Checklist for the day of the run

Shoes for asphalt surface
Insoles
Orthotics (if deemed necessary)
Socks
Shorts
Singlet
Underwear
Watch
Short sleeved T-shirt
Long sleeved T-shirt
Running Tights
Jacket and Pants (either wind or warm up)
Hat, sweatband or kerchief
Gloves or mittens
Change of clothes for afterwards
Number if picked up early
Safety Pins
Course Map
Race instructions
Splits
Felt tip or ball point pen
Paper tape/band aids
Athletic tape
Vaseline
Powder
Deodorant
Sunscreen
Towel
Prerace food and fluids
Post race food and fluids
Money

There you have it. This is an example structure of what to do. Individual or group marathon coaches help you stay on track and keep motivated for a fun and rewarding experience!

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