|
The marathon, 26.2 miles, is not necessarily the easiest sport. In fact, most people think marathon runners are downright nuts. But, it has seen its resurgence- from Al Gore to Oprah Winfrey enduring the training and the race- more and more people are tying their shoes on and heading out.
This race saw its inception after a Greek messenger from 400 BC ran from a town called Marathon to Athens, a distance of 26.2 miles or roughly 40 kilometers. Assigned to report the victory of the Athenians over Persia, he arrived in Athens and cried, "We have won!" ,and then dropped dead. However, don’t let this be a daunting story to all you who have just signed up for the event. Chances are, this messenger hadn’t had the proper training, mind-set or nutritional readiness that is needed to run that daunting distance. Marathon running can be fun and a joy to complete if taken the following important precautionary measures.
Run, Run, Run
First off, judge your running abilities now. How long have you been running? Have you been running 25-30 miles a week? Do you even log your weekly mileage? If not, it’s time to start. Training is a lot about mile counting and a lot about time counting. What you want to work up to doing is running for 2 1/2 to 3 hours—about six of these runs over the course of your training. If you’re a novice, begin preparation for the marathon about 6 months before the race. This might sound crazy, but you’ll appreciate it when you round that finish line! The New York City Marathon, for instance has a "line-up" in April and the marathon takes place in early November. Most likely one reason they make it seven months earlier is to get those novices pumped and ready to start almost immediate training.
Training is a very important —the most important, really—aspect of this endeavor. The more you run and convince yourself that you are capable of running long distances, the more confident you’ll feel when marathon time rolls around. Try to design your schedule like this: run shorter distances during the week —3 to 5 miles, mostly—and save the weekends for long runs. The first long runs should be somewhere between 8 to 10 miles, building up to 13, then 15, then 20.
Cross-training can prove to be an effective measure, too.
Taper
You should try to complete three 20-mile runs before the event; the last should be about four weeks before the race itself. The last long run (something like 15 miles ) should be two weeks before the race. Tapering is a necessary and effective part of training. It means to "taper" off your running amount so that your muscles have fully recovered in time for the race. According to Owen Anderson, PhD, "tapering is a judicious combination of work and rest and produces an incredible array of changes, including greater muscle-glycogen stores, expanded blood plasma, increased aerobic enzymes, improved running economy and heightened mental freshness." In other words: you’ve trained hard for months, now you’re easing up a bit to renew.
Eat
A proper diet is crucial for training. Be sure to eat a lot of carbohydrates- especially those rich in complex carbs and vitamins. Low-fat diets work best, although studies have shown that fat in a runner’s diet is essential for stores when all of the carb power has run out. Fluids are essential, especially in the last days before a race. In the week before the marathon, you’ll want to up your carbohydrate intake as well as your fluid intake. The night before the race, eat a good meal, but don’t overstuff yourself. Remember, marathons ( and most other races, for that matter ) take place in the morning. You want to be light on your feet, not sluggish, when the gun goes off. Eat something like pasta, a big baked potato, and a bit of protein, too: sunflower seeds, a little cheese, some chicken. Eat things that you’ve eaten many times before your long runs. Don’t introduce foreign foods now; you may pay for it on the race course.
Also, on your training runs and during the marathon, be sure to once in a while eat something. Take that piece of banana offered and chomp on that sports bar handed out at mile 6. It might seem a little weird to eat while exercising, but there are foods out there, such as the engineered sports bars and potassium-rich bananas, that digest easily and are perfect for a mini-meal on the go to up your energy. You won’t believe a difference it makes.
Think you can
Marathon running is about mental preparation more than a lot of other factors. You don’t have to be the skinniest one in your gym to cover the distance. Nor do you have to be the fastest, have the most money, have the greatest-looking calves—or, for that matter, the greatest-looking running clothes. But you do have the mental preparation needed to finish. Running distances, whether it’s a mile or 18, is all about whether you know you can get through it. Especially when you hit a point in your run where you’re tired or your legs hurt or you’re hungry. The marathon is a testing event and many runners hit something called "The Wall". The Wall occurs at a certain point where you simply feel that you can’t move any longer. Your legs are exhausted and your energy stores are gone. Here is where you need the mental abilities to conquer the wall and the pain. Think about the finish line. Take things slowly. Think positively and that this pain is temporary. Unless of course you have a serious injury coming on- then take the proper care. However, if it’s just a question of whether or not you can finish, this is a race against yourself.
Often it helps for runners to do other exercises that center more on the mind, like yoga. Yoga not only strengthens your powers to meditate and reduce stress, it also stretches your muscles and allows you to visualize your success. If you don’t try yoga, try this: think of a time when you felt strong, when you felt centered. And go there. Find your center and block out all of the negativity that is causing you to slow or stop or doubt yourself in the last miles of the race. Once you find it, you’ll be sure to finish.
|
| |
