Marathon Training Advice Part 1

Let us start with the fundamentals. It's important to adopt a holistic approach –embracing all aspects of your lifestyle.

Determine the fixed points of constraints and commitments in your life – particularly anything to do with family and partners. You will have to work around thesefully in planning you marathon preparations. In doing so, you will be helping others cope more easily with the “new you”. Asking those close to you to helpwith your training or fundraising will develop “team” support.

A marathon runners lifestyle must embrace good health and good health practices, You maybe doing this already, but if you are at all concerned about your state of health, you should have a medical check-up before commencing your training.

When it comes to your first steps, be very patient and progressive. It is very much a case of hurrying slowly. Devise a variety of stimulating and enjoyable training routes and runs. Find a number of like minded training partners, perhaps by joining the Running4Women Club where you will have access to training programmes and a training log plus help and advice from other members. Don't be intimidated by such a prospect, as you will always find people who run at your developing pace.

Whoever you run with, it is always important to establish fixed parameters with training partners – where the pace is set for training, not racing!

Establish a shape and pattern to your training week, managing you time effectively and efficiently. Your training should be fun and should enhance and enrich yourlife – NOT add to stress levels.

In setting objectives, always ensure you are training for your needs, make sure there is a sense of purpose to your training, but remember to be realistic.

Determine a sensible long-term race programme by planning carefully and working backwards from the marathon date. Without a careful plan it is amazing how quickly time disappears. Distance goals and races will act as “markers” of fitness and as a means of boosting confidence.

When you have established your plan, be flexible about making adjustments. The plan has to work for you! Be aware of fatigue, tiredness and illness and respond directly. It is far better to miss 1-2 days than 2-3 weeks.

Be aware of the addictive nature of running and the feeling of guilt associated with missing a training session. With that in mind, never run when you have a cold.

It is sensible to build in rest and recovery to your schedule, relative to your working day / week. Consider carefully the length of your working day and time spent travelling. It is far better to allow for “pressure points” of work, domestic or social life and train around them, rather than letting them cause a total stop to your regime.

Initially, training is about developing the concept of time on your feet – in a progressive and patient manner i.e. 3 – 5 – 7 – 9 – 11 miles etc.

Consider the possibility of running to or from work on some days – as a practical way of increasing or maintaining mileage.

Use a variety of surfaces to avoid doing all your running on unforgiving road surfaces. You will find trails much better for the body and much kinder on the mind. There is also less “stigma” about a slower off-road pace, or stopping to have a short recovery while taking in off-road scenery. Remember, even marathon training should be fun!

A short note about safety when running off the beaten track: try to run in pairs or larger groups (especially women).

In summary, progressive training is vital. But do make provision for “easy” runs that develop a sense of pace judgement, allow for recovery and strengthen your legs.

There is no such thing as a “typical” week, as we are all individuals. However, there are some basic elements that are advisable to incorporate into an effective schedule. The aim is to build up your fitness gradually, starting by running 2– 3 miles, three times a week and including rest and other exercise in your routine. As you progress, further elements can be added, as suggested in the example below:

Day 1: Long slow run initially, perhaps only 2-3 miles. Build up over the weeks.

Day 3: Once a base level of running has been achieved. Introduce interval work. For example 10x400m at 10k speed with measuredrest.

Day 5: Tempo run – ie running at pace with slight discomfort for 20-25 minutes, but not flatout.

Do not underestimate the value of building into your schedule cross training, massage and stretching.

Injuries that occur in running fall into two categories, known as extrinsic andintrinsic. Extrinsic injuries occur when an exterior force acts on the body.The onset is usually sudden and dramatic. An example might be a slip or fall resulting in a broken bone, torn muscle, ligament or tendon – or, if you are lucky, just bruising at the point of impact.

Intrinsic injuries result from factors inherent in our own bodies. They have little or nothing to do with external trauma. These are by far the most common types ofinjury for a distance runner, and normally have three identifiable causes:

The athlete's genetic build (body structure and type)
The training environment (the surface and conditions we choose for training)
Training methods (how we put our training together)

Training methods and the terrain / environment we train in can be varied to help avoid injury. We are, however, often unable to change our genetic build. Inherited characteristics, such as feet that roll too little or too much and minormis-alignments in the lower limbs, never become an issue in everyday life. When training for a marathon, however, they can lead eventually to an intrinsic“overuse” injury.

It should be mentioned at this point that forces amounting to three or four times your body weight are sent through your torso at the point of impact with the ground. Consider, then, that your run could amount to thousands of strides on a daily basis and the stresses placed on your body become apparent. It is a shocking fact that an 11 stone runner generates 850 tons of heel pressure in just a five mile run!

Thankfully, we are built to be active and this includes running. Training for a marathon,does, however, require patience and a gradual build-up of training with every aspect of your routine planned to avoid injury.

Most running related intrinsic injuries are gradual – become progressively more debilitating. If you usually run once or twice a week for a couple of miles around the park, and then suddenly start running twenty to thirty miles per week, your body will probably eventually breakdown – in one of those areas of inherited weakness. Bear in mind that each running injury indicates that the athlete has reached the “breakdown point”