As a runner who has completed 5 marathons in the past 2 years these are some of the training tips I’ve learned along the way.
First of all I want to emphasize that most people who are determined and disciplined have the ability to train for and run a marathon.
1. A key aspect to running at your best is proper hydration. So before you head out for a training run you will want to make sure you are fully hydrated. A good way to check this is to have a look at your urine. If your urine is not clear you need to be drinking more fluids (unless you just took a B vitamin complex then the yellow colour is normal). When getting hydrated you don’t want to chug back a litre of water 10 minutes before you head out for a run but rather keep a water bottle with you throughout the day so you can sip away on it. I always recommend drinking filtered water.
2. You need to eat a proper meal so you have the energy needed to put out your best effort during training. A smoothie is a good meal to have before a run. You will want to make sure the meal is carbohydrate heavy and is eaten 2 hours or so before you attempt to train. The only time you can get away without eating before a run is if you are running as soon as you wake up in the morning and you ate properly the day before. I wouldn’t recommend going for more than a 45 minute run in the morning without having a meal first.
3. A GPS watch can really help improve your running times. These watches are typically pretty expensive but if you can afford one it is well worth the money. I personally use the Timex Ironman GPS Global Trainer which is a pretty bulky watch but works well. I bought it used on either craigslist or Kijiji and got a really good deal on it. These watches provide heart rate, distance ran and tell you the speed you are running second to second. If you’re more serious about your running and beating a personal best time I recommend getting a GPS watch so you can run smarter during training.
4. Set a running schedule and stick with it. There are many available for free online. It is so much easier having all your runs laid out ahead of time so you’re making sure to get in the various runs needed to train for a marathon. A very basic schedule may look like: 3 base runs of around 10 km each at a normal pace (one of these can be substituted for a hill workout depending on how hilly the marathon course you are running is), one interval training run (running all out over a short distance with a light jog in between sprints) and a long run which will vary in distance depending how close you are to the marathon (many people do these every Sunday). If you happen to miss a run as long as it’s not one of the special runs then just go on to the next scheduled run (in an ideal world you don’t want to miss any runs). If the missed run is either a long run, hill run or an interval run then just do that during your next base run.
5. Spend the money to get proper running gear. There are many great names when it comes to brands of running shoes. My personal favourite is Asics. Good quality and fitting running shoes are going to help prevent injuries and blisters. You will also want to invest in some good running clothes that will keep you cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Experiment with different types of clothing while you’re training and see what you like best for raceday.
Put these tips to good use and you will see a difference in the quality of your training. So get out there and enjoy your training runs, they will all pay off come raceday when you set a new personal best time.
Share any other marathon training tips in the comments section.
To your health!
Jesse
