Getting "Marathon" Ready

Marathon Training! The words seem to scream crazy. Who wants to drive 26.2 miles much less run that far? Well, it is an evolution of sorts for most people. Fitness enthusiasts want a goal to train towards and one that is ever evolving. So most runners start out as walkers who started due a different goal, i.e. health, weight loss, stress reduction, or spousal time. So if you have been toying around with the idea of training for some type of event, then here are some pointers on how to get started. 

Believe it or not the marathon is not the pinnacle of races. There are actual events that are further in distance and much more extreme, but for most humans the marathon is the pinnacle of events. Lets start at the beginning in terms of running experience. If you have never run before and are only walking then always remember never increase your mileage or intensity more than 10% a week. This will allow your body to adapt to all of the physiological changes needed to handle running. Also, do not start trying to run continuously or accomplish the same distance you are walking. If you walk two miles and have a course mapped out then follow the same course but walk 4 minutes and run 1 minute. You would continue to do this until your distance goal is completed. Do this for 2 weeks then walk 3 minutes run 2 minutes until your distance goal is completed. You would follow this program until you can continuously run for your desired distance. 

You are now a runner so next comes the continued pursuit of your goal. Choose a local 5k race, that is well known and well organized. There may be a question buzzing at the back of your mind. How am I going to run 3.1 miles when I am only running 2 miles 3 to 5 days a week. Well, believe or not you will finish because your total volume would allow you to do so just take a few days off before the event. You will experience a sense of accomplishment when you finish the race that you have never experienced before in your pursuit of a healthy lifestyle. 

The problem will now be that after a few 5ks you will want to advance to the next goal which would be a 10k, 15k, half marathon, and marathon. The sky will be the limit but remember do not increase your weekly volume by more then 10%. It also might be a good idea once you reach the marathon level to get the advice of a good coach. Once you complete your desired goal then you can start working on improving your times or personal records, but that is a different topic all together. 

So, spice up your routine and train for a local run. You will have fun and meet people with similar interests.