Coaching runners over the last 10 years has taught me that the successful marathon experience isnt about a wonderful pill or program. I have given the exact training plan to 10 runners and witnessed 10 completely different outcomes. Its not so much about what you do to prepare as the way you manage the impact of training in your life, body, and mind. Rather than talking of mileage a week, its more significant to talk about the principles of marathon training – what I will refer to here as the Key Six Phases of the marathon lifecyle.
Phase One: Commit
Its one thing to place a race on your bucket list, its another to really choose a contest and drop the money on an entry fee. Registering in will provide you with something to show for your relatives and buddies; its an event that one could mark as a milestone on your personal calendar. No one knows, perhaps you might tell some of your crazy pals to register together with you!
Phase Two: Connect
Now you are technically in to the race, its time for you to begin to build a little community which will support and inspire you en route to your finish line. Even if you have your pre-existing group in place, here are several activities to do if you were to start from the start. Choose a local running shop where you can take a seat and chat (even if briefly) with a fellow runner regarding the right running shoe for you. This shop will probably have the information you need for the local run.
Phase Three: Conspire
Together with your event locked in and a group to run with at least part of the period, you can now turn your attention to your marathon training program. Selecting the best method has less to do with the program itself, and more to do with youso always place yourself first when making your final decision.
Phase Four: Consistency
Whatever plan you do end up picking, your primary goal is get stick to it as closely as you can. The ideal training plans are Easy To Do, because there isn’t any super-hard sessions or not easy to comprehend guidance. The ultimate goal of any marathon plan is to help you get prepared to take care of the rigors of 26.2 miles – and the most effective way for doing that is to get you running as often as possible for as long as you can handle during that time.
Phase Five: Doubt
Nobody is ever actually prepared for contest day. Talk with anyone in the starting line on race weekend and youll hear a lot of wonderful experiences of overcoming obstacles like injuries, scheduling, health, etc. Its just a part of what we do as runners; do your best to stay focused and dont be afraid to request for support from the networks you have built in the early periods of your training.
Phase Six: Conserve
Once you are in the running groove, youll realize that running is fairly effortless. You like it, its empowering and its transforming who you are. So if 40 miles per week is goodthen 60 or 80 should be better, right? If the 20-miler is good, a 24-miler must be better, right? Incorrect!
Keep in mind our mantra of Consistency above; getting aggressive with all or part of your training is usually a serious roll of the dice. The gamble might work for some, however they are normally in the minority, and its not really worth it this early in your running career.
Couch to Marathon