Marathon Training For Beginner Marathoners
By Mark Oliver Thompson
Marathon training is perhaps one of the most physically challenging pursuits of endurance that the human body can undertake.
Since the days of the ancient Romans the marathon has been run as the pinnacle of human endurance. Ordinarily the human body can not physically run the distance without training due to limited supplies of glycogen, which is a slow form of energy release. However, with the right training program and schedule it is possible to build up your glycogen reserves to complete the marathon distance.
In order to train correctly for the marathon, the idea is to get miles into your legs. However there is a right and a wrong way for beginner marathon runners to do this.
For example, most marathon runners simply decide to hit the pavement and get as many miles into their legs as possible before their marathon race. Not only does this leave them feeling tired and lethargic throughout their build-up phase but they are also more likely to develop niggling injuries due to the amount of miles they are training.
The reason for this is that their boy is simply not used to running so many miles and this causes slight muscle tears to develop, usually in the lower leg muscles.
The smarter way to train for your marathon is to build up your mileage slowly over time.
Experienced marathoners tend to follow the 10% rule when training for their marathon races. The 10% rule states that you should not increase your total weekly mileage by more than 10% in any given week. That means that if you are currently running 20 miles as part of your marathon training program then in the following week you should aim to run 22 miles.
However most beginner marathon runners also make the mistake of having each of their training sessions an equal distance. In the above example of running 20 miles per week, just say the beginner marathoner decided to train for 5 days per week, then typically they would aim to train for 4 miles per training session (20 miles divided by 5 running days).
A better way to train your body for the marathon distance however is to break your training up so that you get the maximum advantage out of the time you are spending on the pavement.
What most elite marathon runners do in their training program is to center almost their entire training program around a long training session. This long training session is where most marathoners get their endurance and stamina levels from within the build-up phase.
For example, most elite marathoners will do a long training session during the weekend when they have the time to complete their long run. This is usually followed by a rest day in order to allow their muscles to recover.
They typically also incorporate a semi-long run into their training program and this is usually done mid-week. They also aim to incorporate two shorter runs into their training program as well as a cross-training session as well.
Therefore a typical marathon training program would look similar to this weekly set-up:
* Sunday: Long training run
* Monday: Rest day
* Tuesday: Short training run
* Wednesday: Semi-long training run
* Thursday: Short training run
* Friday: Rest day
* Saturday: Cross-training (optional)
Obviously if you are wanting to train for a marathon then you should seek medical advice whether this is appropriate for you. However, if you are fit and ready to tackle a marathon it is critical that you follow a marathon training program that is designed to get you the results that you are after.
That is why it is important that you aim to build up your weekly mileage relatively slowly over a period of time and to maximize your training session by following a marathon training schedule similar to the one outlined above.
I wish you all the best in your next marathon and that you succeed in crossing the finishing line by following a step-by-step marathon training program that has been proven to work.
One of the best training programs I have come across is designed for beginners and more advanced runners. This program will take you from being a first time marathoner to being a seasoned and successful marathoner that can actually win races. You can get more information on this system right here. Good running.
You can reach Mark Oliver Thompson here.
