I have always found marathon runners to be some of the most impressive athletes in the world. There is so much determination and willpower not only in running the 26.2 miles, but in the months of training required to run that distance. I am not a distance runner by any means, I hate running, but I have always dreamed of the feeling of saying “I ran a marathon”. Being from Boston, marathons have recently taken on a new meaning. To run the Boston Marathon is to take a stand for your city and your country. It is making a statement that you will not let those who invoke fear effect you. For this blog I am going to look into the months and months of preparation these runners go through to make it the distance.
Beginners are advised not to jump right into long mileage because of risk of injury or not being capable of that distance yet. Most of my sources ballparked training at about 6 months for those not accustomed to running a lot. Starting with about four to five running days a week for a weekly goal of 15-20 miles and building on that. My roommate’s mom, April, ran a marathon and told me she trained by joining a running group. In their group they worked together during months of training to build up their mileage while keeping each other motivated. Not only did they run together but they supplemented running days with cross training. Cross training is doing something other than running: swimming, biking, weight training. These activities are all ways to get your body used to all around cardio endurance and muscle strength so when it comes to race day your body can be fully prepared for the obstacles you may encounter. Eventually working your way up to 35-40 miles a week as you get closer to race day. Runners will also do what they call “dress rehearsals” where they run a half or close to full marathon as race pace to test how close their body so they won’t be surprised at the race.
Another very important piece in training is diet. Your body needs the correct fuel if it is going to run properly. This means eating a meal high in carbs before a run to sustain energy during the run and following up your run with a meal of carbs and protein to recover. An example of a pre-run meal would be something like a bagel with honey, something high in carbs with sugar to give you energy during your run. A post run meal would be something like chocolate milk with whole grain pasta and meat sauce; high in protein and carbs. The chocolate milk aids in muscle recovery. April told me that although she never restricted to certain food groups, the better she ate the better she ran. It is difficult to run well if your body is not properly fueled.
Running a marathon is a long term goal. It’s something that takes a lot of self motivation and willpower. But if you are one of the few people that can say you ran 26.2 miles, I imagine it would all be worth it.
http://www.runnersworld.com/tag/marathon-training