Marathon guide,preparing to run a marathon.
The marathon is one of the greatest races on earth. Since ancient times, men and women have trained to conquer the distance. Whether you are running a marathon in your home town or one of the greats like the New York or London Marathon you will be following in the footsteps of a special breed of person – the marathon runner!
With this in mind a person must realize that you need to approach the marathon with respect. It is important to train properly for a marathon, follow a program and build up your distances to reach your goal.
Ideally you need a nice base – being able to run at least 40km per week for the last eight weeks will ensure that you can follow a good program without getting too tired.
Another important aspect of marathon training is mental preparedness. To be able to run 42.2km you need to be mentally strong. Each time you finish a training run, imagine running further until you’ve completed the marathon distance. Remember that you are part of an elite group of athletes, very few people can run this distance!
Look after your body. Marathon training takes a lot out of you, eat correctly, get enough sleep, re-organize your life so that your focus is to achieve your goal – completing the marathon.Support in your training is very important. Because of the time it takes its important to get the support of your nearest and dearest.
There will be times when you will need to go to bed early as you need to get up early to do a long training run. If you have support it is easier to reach your goal as emotionally you will be strong.
Lastly, when training to run a marathon, trust the program. Marathon program are designed for success, each coach wants you to achieve your goal. Take a rest day when it’s indicated, train hard when you need to and enjoy the journey. Good luck and believe in yourself.