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You Are What You Eat, Especially If Your Training For An Endurance Event
If your gearing up to participate in an endurance event, like a triathlon, or even an Ironman/Woman race. Conditioning your body is only one part of the training exercise. Now don’t get me wrong, it’s a large part. But if you don’t have the right kind of fuel ready to burn to get you from point A to point B, well then, you’re not going to hit your mark, heck, you may not even be in shape to finish.
Now that would be a shame if your body is in decent shape to go the distance, but you run out of gas before you crossed that finish line.
Eating, we might as well say it, “Nutrition” is a key factor in every facet of our lives. Even if you’re not pumping iron or racking up hundreds of miles to get yourself ready to compete in that Triathlon race. Eating right can make the difference between your having a good day at work or falling flat when the clock is only showing 2 pm in the afternoon!
As an endurance machine, we sometimes forget that eating well is more than just chowing down on energy bars and salt pills. We all have grown used to taking them along with us on those long runs or bike rides our energy bars and gels, are great for providing us with that extra boost when we need it, but what are we eating when we are not pounding the pavements, cycling countless miles or swimming those early mornings or late evening laps to condition our bodies?
Keep in mind the mantra of most endurance trainers is that our own general health is the foundation of endurance fitness, and a high-quality diet is essential for general health. Most triathletes struggle to get leaner despite an appetite inflated by heavy training. A high-quality diet is able to satisfy your appetite cravings in a calorically efficient way.
Some simple things to keep in mind as you shop to fill your fridge with what you need to fuel your body's engine are:
Your plate should be overflowing with fruits, vegetables, lean protein and complex carbohydrates
You avoid the urge to binge on junk foods (including large amounts of processed energy bars and gels) Remember, while these are good when your pushing your body out on the road, and the miles are dropping behind you, remember they also have large amounts of sugar and salt that if you’re not exerting energy so they process out of your body, then your only building up a reserve of these nutrients and when not exercising they can turn into fat!
You limit your intake of alcohol to one or two drinks a day and keep caffeine to a minimum.
Supplying your body with enough fuel to burn on training days is important. After all, if there is not enough fuel in your tank, you could possibly end up breaking down muscle as your body looks for areas to draw on for energy.
Make sure you get started with a quality breakfast, between 800 to 1,000 calories, split up between pre-workout, during and after. Your first meal of the day should make up a third to half of your daily calories, to avoid getting tired in the evening and eating too much or too poorly.
Be aware that during the course of your training that if you:
Think about food all the time
Your workouts aren’t enjoyable and don’t feel like quality sessions
Your hunger spikes in the evening
The above can be indicators that you’re not eating enough to supply your body with the energy it needs to perform the tasks you’re asking from it.
On the “Flip-Side”, You’ve hit the right balance when:
Your performance consistently improves
You recover quickly
You crave sweets infrequently (people who say they’re addicted to sugar are really just hungry)
Be aware of when you eat your meals! Even eating high-quality foods, when eaten at the wrong time can cause a problem with your body’s breaking down of the nutrients to turn that food into fuel.
The rule of thumb is:
An athlete should have some sort of nutrition approximately one to three hours before a training session," says Bob Seebohar, sports dietitian, exercise physiologist, and coach at fuel4mance.com. For short and/or high-intensity sessions under two hours, Seebohar says athletes can benefit from teaching the body to rely on fat stores for energy, which requires consuming fewer carbohydrates. For such sessions, he recommends liquid-based nutrition such as a sports drinks . For sessions more than three hours, Seebohar recommends consuming 200 to 300 grams of carbohydrates one to four hours beforehand.
What you eat after a workout:
When those muscles are primed to accept nutrients, matters just as much. The 30 to 60 minutes immediately following long and high-intensity workouts are especially important. Seebohar recommends consuming 1 to 1.2 grams of carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight and 10 to 25 grams of protein after a workout. Fat, which inhibits carbohydrate absorption, should wait until a few hours later. This is probably the most neglected factor once an athlete gets ready to “Chow-Down” It’s important to eat moderately after you’ve subjected your body to a high-intensity workout or taking part in an endurance event.
Fueling your body well goes beyond eating your fruits and veggies. Carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, have several important functions in the body, and it’s crucial to give your body the right amount of each.
The percentages of each will vary depending on what type of triathlete you are; an IRONMAN triathlete will need more carbohydrates (the body’s primary energy source) than a short-course triathlete logging fewer training hours. But as a rule of thumb, athletes should aim for getting 45-65 percent of daily calories from carbohydrates, 15-20 percent from protein and 20-35 percent from fat.
Remember, one of the key ways to make sure you're eating properly with the correct number of percentages between, fats, carbs, and proteins is to do the majority of your eating at home!
This way you can cook with the freshest foods, that are low in sodium while containing the good fats that are necessary to maintain that engine you call your body.
Eat Well, Exercise Smart, and most of all, embrace your healthy, fitter way of eating. Your body at the end of your event, with thank you for it!
Read more
If your gearing up to participate in an endurance event, like a triathlon, or even an Ironman/Woman race. Conditioning your body is only one part of the training exercise. Now don’t get me wrong, it’s a large part. But if you don’t have the right kind of fuel ready to burn to get you from point A to point B, well then, you’re not going to hit your mark, heck, you may not even be in shape to finish.
Now that would be a shame if your body is in decent shape to go the distance, but you run out of gas before you crossed that finish line.
Eating, we might as well say it, “Nutrition” is a key factor in every facet of our lives. Even if you’re not pumping iron or racking up hundreds of miles to get yourself ready to compete in that Triathlon race. Eating right can make the difference between your having a good day at work or falling flat when the clock is only showing 2 pm in the afternoon!
As an endurance machine, we sometimes forget that eating well is more than just chowing down on energy bars and salt pills. We all have grown used to taking them along with us on those long runs or bike rides our energy bars and gels, are great for providing us with that extra boost when we need it, but what are we eating when we are not pounding the pavements, cycling countless miles or swimming those early mornings or late evening laps to condition our bodies?
Keep in mind the mantra of most endurance trainers is that our own general health is the foundation of endurance fitness, and a high-quality diet is essential for general health. Most triathletes struggle to get leaner despite an appetite inflated by heavy training. A high-quality diet is able to satisfy your appetite cravings in a calorically efficient way.
Some simple things to keep in mind as you shop to fill your fridge with what you need to fuel your body's engine are:
Your plate should be overflowing with fruits, vegetables, lean protein and complex carbohydrates
You avoid the urge to binge on junk foods (including large amounts of processed energy bars and gels) Remember, while these are good when your pushing your body out on the road, and the miles are dropping behind you, remember they also have large amounts of sugar and salt that if you’re not exerting energy so they process out of your body, then your only building up a reserve of these nutrients and when not exercising they can turn into fat!
You limit your intake of alcohol to one or two drinks a day and keep caffeine to a minimum.
Supplying your body with enough fuel to burn on training days is important. After all, if there is not enough fuel in your tank, you could possibly end up breaking down muscle as your body looks for areas to draw on for energy.
Make sure you get started with a quality breakfast, between 800 to 1,000 calories, split up between pre-workout, during and after. Your first meal of the day should make up a third to half of your daily calories, to avoid getting tired in the evening and eating too much or too poorly.
Be aware that during the course of your training that if you:
Think about food all the time
Your workouts aren’t enjoyable and don’t feel like quality sessions
Your hunger spikes in the evening
The above can be indicators that you’re not eating enough to supply your body with the energy it needs to perform the tasks you’re asking from it.
On the “Flip-Side”, You’ve hit the right balance when:
Your performance consistently improves
You recover quickly
You crave sweets infrequently (people who say they’re addicted to sugar are really just hungry)
Be aware of when you eat your meals! Even eating high-quality foods, when eaten at the wrong time can cause a problem with your body’s breaking down of the nutrients to turn that food into fuel.
The rule of thumb is:
An athlete should have some sort of nutrition approximately one to three hours before a training session," says Bob Seebohar, sports dietitian, exercise physiologist, and coach at fuel4mance.com. For short and/or high-intensity sessions under two hours, Seebohar says athletes can benefit from teaching the body to rely on fat stores for energy, which requires consuming fewer carbohydrates. For such sessions, he recommends liquid-based nutrition such as a sports drinks . For sessions more than three hours, Seebohar recommends consuming 200 to 300 grams of carbohydrates one to four hours beforehand.
What you eat after a workout:
When those muscles are primed to accept nutrients, matters just as much. The 30 to 60 minutes immediately following long and high-intensity workouts are especially important. Seebohar recommends consuming 1 to 1.2 grams of carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight and 10 to 25 grams of protein after a workout. Fat, which inhibits carbohydrate absorption, should wait until a few hours later. This is probably the most neglected factor once an athlete gets ready to “Chow-Down” It’s important to eat moderately after you’ve subjected your body to a high-intensity workout or taking part in an endurance event.
Fueling your body well goes beyond eating your fruits and veggies. Carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, have several important functions in the body, and it’s crucial to give your body the right amount of each.
The percentages of each will vary depending on what type of triathlete you are; an IRONMAN triathlete will need more carbohydrates (the body’s primary energy source) than a short-course triathlete logging fewer training hours. But as a rule of thumb, athletes should aim for getting 45-65 percent of daily calories from carbohydrates, 15-20 percent from protein and 20-35 percent from fat.
Remember, one of the key ways to make sure you're eating properly with the correct number of percentages between, fats, carbs, and proteins is to do the majority of your eating at home!
This way you can cook with the freshest foods, that are low in sodium while containing the good fats that are necessary to maintain that engine you call your body.
Eat Well, Exercise Smart, and most of all, embrace your healthy, fitter way of eating. Your body at the end of your event, with thank you for it!
Read more
The Clock Is Ticking, If You’re Planning On Taking Part In a Fall Marathon This Year!
If you made the decision to take part in a Fall Marathon this year, then you know that you should have been hitting the road since at least early June, after all, there are now only about 8 - 12 weeks left until a majority of them begin to take place. They usually take place in early October/November and go right on through the end of the year, depending of course on what part of the country you live in. A marathon, consisting of a grueling 26.2-mile race will test the Mettle" of any runner, especially if you're new to running them! Below are a few suggestions to make sure you have a check list of things to follow in order to make sure you’re making it to that finish line.
Shoes: If you’ve been running for a while now, you know the importance of a good pair of running shoes. Most trainers recommend that you should retire your old “Feel Good” shoes after you’ve reached the 3-400 mile training goals. This is just plain good advice since like a car’s tires, they get worn down and worn out after the miles they were designed for. If you haven’t partnered up with a good athletic shoe store, one that promotes running and walking for your health, then find one. These people are more than just shoe salesmen/women. They know the sport of running, fast walking or just plain walking for your health. This is their business and they should be good at what they do/sell. They are going to analyze your stride, in house, (if they are any good) to see if things have changed for you if you are a repeat customer. Then they will fit you with a light-weight shoe, but one that also offers you the support where you need it. When getting maybe a month out from the race, you may want to get yourself a new pair of shoes that will carry you across the finish line feeling good. But the ‘Tip” is to wear your race shoes during a 10-mile training run and see how they feel on your feet, and if you experience any blisters, rubbing or chaffing. It’s better to find out earlier than on race day!
And don’t skip on your socks! Remember, your socks are the only cushion you have between your skin and the shoes you’re wearing. You want to make sure they fit just right for you as well and that they don’t contribute to your perspiration, as this can also lead to blistering and chaffing.
While you’re about 9 or 8 weeks out, you can try doing a mockup of your 26.2-mile endurance run. Run at your training pace, this should be a pace that you’re comfortable with but one that allows you to kick it into gear when you're about 8 miles out from the finish. With eight miles to go, begin running one minute per mile slower than your marathon goal pace. Then speed up every two miles to run the last couple of miles at goal pace or slightly faster. This run will teach you how to up your effort as you become tired.
If at all possible, start doing runs on the same topography as the marathon you're planning to run in. For example, go up and down lots of hills, in order to simulate that you’re running in New York City if this is the one you signed up to tackle.
If you live in a flat area and are preparing for a hilly marathon, do several runs on a treadmill, and alter the incline throughout. If you don’t have access to a treadmill, run on stairways or stadium steps. (Hey, drastic times call for drastic measures.)
When you’re a month out, it’s a good time to give your body a test as to how well it has progressed during your “Training Up” for the big race. Get yourself registered for a half marathon. Participating in a 10 miler will provide a powerful mental lift, and it will give you a little rest period in the few days before and after the race as you taper and recover from it. Aim to run the half-marathon slightly faster than your marathon goal pace. If you can’t find a tune-up race, recruit friends to accompany you on a long run, with the last several miles faster than marathon pace.
Drink on the Run
Practice during your remaining long and semi long run with the sports drinks and energy gels you intend to refuel with during the race.
We like the electrolyte packed drinks from Nuun that come in different flavors which allow you to change up your thirst quenching drinks while your training and gives you the opportunity to decide which flavor you’ll be taking with you on your 26.2 mile run.
Then to help you re-stoke your furnace as you pile up the miles the GU Energy Gels, which also come in various flavors that provides your body with the essential nutrition it needs to keep going for miles and miles and hours and hours. It goes down easy, and it goes to work fast so you don't have to slow down.
Serious-minded racers and those with finicky stomachs should be using the sports drinks and chews that they are used to using during their training. The race is NOT the time to be trying anything new that your body has not had time to grow accustomed to. And remember that sports drinks do triple duty when compared with water by providing fluid, carbohydrates, and electrolytes, the most important being sodium.
Try NOT to overdo it! Stick to your plan when training for a marathon—it isn’t like cramming for a test. That is, doing more miles than you’re used to in the last few weeks will hurt, not help your race! Even if you’re feeling great, don’t up the ante and increase your training. This is the time when many runners have been at it for two months or more and are becoming used to a certain level of training. Draw strength from the hard work you’ve put in. Have confidence in what you’ve been doing. From here on out, you’re just maintaining your fitness. And Most Important, get plenty of sleep!
Put the Jitters to rest! Four or five days before the marathon, do a two- or three-mile marathon-pace, run in your marathon outfit and shoes. Picture yourself on the course running strong and relaxed. Besides boosting your confidence, this run will provide one last little bit of conditioning and will help you lock in to race pace on marathon day. If possible, run at the same time of day as the start of your marathon. This way, your body’s rhythms–including the all-important bathroom routine–will be in sync with marathon needs come race day. The more times you can do this, the better, but shoot for at least the last three days before the race.
Set Yourself Two Goals
Review your training and set one goal for a good race day, and another as a backup plan in case it’s hot or windy or you’re just not feeling great. So many things can go wrong in a marathon that you need that secondary goal to stay motivated if things aren’t perfect, which they seldom are. So golden rule is always be prepared for the unexpected, hence the two goal rule.
Your primary goal is the one you’ve been working toward during your training, whether it’s a personal best, or breaking a set number of hours. Your secondary goal should keep you motivated at the 22-mile mark on a bad day, finishing in the top 50 percent, slowing only 10 minutes over the second half, or just reaching the darn finish line.
Carbo-Load, Don't Fat-Load
During the last three days, concentrate on eating carbohydrate-rich foods, such as pasta, potatoes, bread, fruit and fruit juice, and sports drinks. It’s the carbs, after all, not fat or protein, that will fuel you on race day. What’s important is increasing the percentage of your calories that come from carbs, not simply eating more of everything. Since you’ll be tapering and expending fewer calories, you don’t have to consume a great deal more food than usual. Rather, make sure your food choices are carbohydrate-rich—for example, spaghetti with red sauce, instead of Alfredo sauce, or a bagel versus a croissant.
Slow Your Roll:
Reduce the outside stresses in your life as much as possible the last week. This is not a good time in your life for say, changing jobs.
Try to have work projects under control, politely decline invitations to late nights out, and so on. Most of all, stay off your feet, save museum tours and shopping sprees for after the marathon, and don’t spend four hours the day before the marathon checking out the latest energy gel flavors at the race expo. If you’re into it, get into your yoga phase of mind set and let your mind find that happy place.
Eat Breakfast The Day of The Marathon:
Two to three hours before the start, eat a carbohydrate-rich breakfast, even if that means getting up at an early hour and then going back to bed. The reason: As you slept, your brain was active and using the glycogen (stored carbohydrate) from your liver. Breakfast restocks those stores, so you’ll be less likely to run out of fuel. Aim for a few hundred calories, such as a bagel and banana or toast and a sports bar. At the minimum, consume a sports recovery drink, or a bland, well-tolerated liquid food such as Ensure or Boost.
Warm Up-Get Limber
But just a little. Even the best marathoners in the world do only a little jogging beforehand, because they want to preserve their glycogen stores and keep their core body temperature down. If you’re a faster runner with a goal pace significantly quicker than your training pace, do no more than 10 minutes of light jogging, finishing 15 minutes before the start. Precede and follow your jog with stretching. If you’ll be running the marathon at about your training pace, skip the jog. Walk around a bit in the half hour before the start, and stretch.
Start Slow, Remember, there are a lot of miles between you and the finish line. Run the first two to three miles 10 to 15 seconds per mile slower than your goal pace. This preserves precious glycogen stores for later in the race so you can finish strong. Just saying, it’s always good advice to learn from someone that has gone before you so you can benefit from what they have also have accomplished.
Finish! Yes we know that by mile #23 you’re just about all in. But talk to yourself, be your own coach! Give yourself that pep talk you need right here and now. Remember, the pain, exhaustion and fatigue will pass, but the memory of conquering this goal you've set for yourself and that feeling of pride that you’ve accomplished it, well, that feeling, will be with you forever!
BE STONG and You can do it!
Read more
If you made the decision to take part in a Fall Marathon this year, then you know that you should have been hitting the road since at least early June, after all, there are now only about 8 - 12 weeks left until a majority of them begin to take place. They usually take place in early October/November and go right on through the end of the year, depending of course on what part of the country you live in. A marathon, consisting of a grueling 26.2-mile race will test the Mettle" of any runner, especially if you're new to running them! Below are a few suggestions to make sure you have a check list of things to follow in order to make sure you’re making it to that finish line.
Shoes: If you’ve been running for a while now, you know the importance of a good pair of running shoes. Most trainers recommend that you should retire your old “Feel Good” shoes after you’ve reached the 3-400 mile training goals. This is just plain good advice since like a car’s tires, they get worn down and worn out after the miles they were designed for. If you haven’t partnered up with a good athletic shoe store, one that promotes running and walking for your health, then find one. These people are more than just shoe salesmen/women. They know the sport of running, fast walking or just plain walking for your health. This is their business and they should be good at what they do/sell. They are going to analyze your stride, in house, (if they are any good) to see if things have changed for you if you are a repeat customer. Then they will fit you with a light-weight shoe, but one that also offers you the support where you need it. When getting maybe a month out from the race, you may want to get yourself a new pair of shoes that will carry you across the finish line feeling good. But the ‘Tip” is to wear your race shoes during a 10-mile training run and see how they feel on your feet, and if you experience any blisters, rubbing or chaffing. It’s better to find out earlier than on race day!
And don’t skip on your socks! Remember, your socks are the only cushion you have between your skin and the shoes you’re wearing. You want to make sure they fit just right for you as well and that they don’t contribute to your perspiration, as this can also lead to blistering and chaffing.
While you’re about 9 or 8 weeks out, you can try doing a mockup of your 26.2-mile endurance run. Run at your training pace, this should be a pace that you’re comfortable with but one that allows you to kick it into gear when you're about 8 miles out from the finish. With eight miles to go, begin running one minute per mile slower than your marathon goal pace. Then speed up every two miles to run the last couple of miles at goal pace or slightly faster. This run will teach you how to up your effort as you become tired.
If at all possible, start doing runs on the same topography as the marathon you're planning to run in. For example, go up and down lots of hills, in order to simulate that you’re running in New York City if this is the one you signed up to tackle.
If you live in a flat area and are preparing for a hilly marathon, do several runs on a treadmill, and alter the incline throughout. If you don’t have access to a treadmill, run on stairways or stadium steps. (Hey, drastic times call for drastic measures.)
When you’re a month out, it’s a good time to give your body a test as to how well it has progressed during your “Training Up” for the big race. Get yourself registered for a half marathon. Participating in a 10 miler will provide a powerful mental lift, and it will give you a little rest period in the few days before and after the race as you taper and recover from it. Aim to run the half-marathon slightly faster than your marathon goal pace. If you can’t find a tune-up race, recruit friends to accompany you on a long run, with the last several miles faster than marathon pace.
Drink on the Run
Practice during your remaining long and semi long run with the sports drinks and energy gels you intend to refuel with during the race.
We like the electrolyte packed drinks from Nuun that come in different flavors which allow you to change up your thirst quenching drinks while your training and gives you the opportunity to decide which flavor you’ll be taking with you on your 26.2 mile run.
Then to help you re-stoke your furnace as you pile up the miles the GU Energy Gels, which also come in various flavors that provides your body with the essential nutrition it needs to keep going for miles and miles and hours and hours. It goes down easy, and it goes to work fast so you don't have to slow down.
Serious-minded racers and those with finicky stomachs should be using the sports drinks and chews that they are used to using during their training. The race is NOT the time to be trying anything new that your body has not had time to grow accustomed to. And remember that sports drinks do triple duty when compared with water by providing fluid, carbohydrates, and electrolytes, the most important being sodium.
Try NOT to overdo it! Stick to your plan when training for a marathon—it isn’t like cramming for a test. That is, doing more miles than you’re used to in the last few weeks will hurt, not help your race! Even if you’re feeling great, don’t up the ante and increase your training. This is the time when many runners have been at it for two months or more and are becoming used to a certain level of training. Draw strength from the hard work you’ve put in. Have confidence in what you’ve been doing. From here on out, you’re just maintaining your fitness. And Most Important, get plenty of sleep!
Put the Jitters to rest! Four or five days before the marathon, do a two- or three-mile marathon-pace, run in your marathon outfit and shoes. Picture yourself on the course running strong and relaxed. Besides boosting your confidence, this run will provide one last little bit of conditioning and will help you lock in to race pace on marathon day. If possible, run at the same time of day as the start of your marathon. This way, your body’s rhythms–including the all-important bathroom routine–will be in sync with marathon needs come race day. The more times you can do this, the better, but shoot for at least the last three days before the race.
Set Yourself Two Goals
Review your training and set one goal for a good race day, and another as a backup plan in case it’s hot or windy or you’re just not feeling great. So many things can go wrong in a marathon that you need that secondary goal to stay motivated if things aren’t perfect, which they seldom are. So golden rule is always be prepared for the unexpected, hence the two goal rule.
Your primary goal is the one you’ve been working toward during your training, whether it’s a personal best, or breaking a set number of hours. Your secondary goal should keep you motivated at the 22-mile mark on a bad day, finishing in the top 50 percent, slowing only 10 minutes over the second half, or just reaching the darn finish line.
Carbo-Load, Don't Fat-Load
During the last three days, concentrate on eating carbohydrate-rich foods, such as pasta, potatoes, bread, fruit and fruit juice, and sports drinks. It’s the carbs, after all, not fat or protein, that will fuel you on race day. What’s important is increasing the percentage of your calories that come from carbs, not simply eating more of everything. Since you’ll be tapering and expending fewer calories, you don’t have to consume a great deal more food than usual. Rather, make sure your food choices are carbohydrate-rich—for example, spaghetti with red sauce, instead of Alfredo sauce, or a bagel versus a croissant.
Slow Your Roll:
Reduce the outside stresses in your life as much as possible the last week. This is not a good time in your life for say, changing jobs.
Try to have work projects under control, politely decline invitations to late nights out, and so on. Most of all, stay off your feet, save museum tours and shopping sprees for after the marathon, and don’t spend four hours the day before the marathon checking out the latest energy gel flavors at the race expo. If you’re into it, get into your yoga phase of mind set and let your mind find that happy place.
Eat Breakfast The Day of The Marathon:
Two to three hours before the start, eat a carbohydrate-rich breakfast, even if that means getting up at an early hour and then going back to bed. The reason: As you slept, your brain was active and using the glycogen (stored carbohydrate) from your liver. Breakfast restocks those stores, so you’ll be less likely to run out of fuel. Aim for a few hundred calories, such as a bagel and banana or toast and a sports bar. At the minimum, consume a sports recovery drink, or a bland, well-tolerated liquid food such as Ensure or Boost.
Warm Up-Get Limber
But just a little. Even the best marathoners in the world do only a little jogging beforehand, because they want to preserve their glycogen stores and keep their core body temperature down. If you’re a faster runner with a goal pace significantly quicker than your training pace, do no more than 10 minutes of light jogging, finishing 15 minutes before the start. Precede and follow your jog with stretching. If you’ll be running the marathon at about your training pace, skip the jog. Walk around a bit in the half hour before the start, and stretch.
Start Slow, Remember, there are a lot of miles between you and the finish line. Run the first two to three miles 10 to 15 seconds per mile slower than your goal pace. This preserves precious glycogen stores for later in the race so you can finish strong. Just saying, it’s always good advice to learn from someone that has gone before you so you can benefit from what they have also have accomplished.
Finish! Yes we know that by mile #23 you’re just about all in. But talk to yourself, be your own coach! Give yourself that pep talk you need right here and now. Remember, the pain, exhaustion and fatigue will pass, but the memory of conquering this goal you've set for yourself and that feeling of pride that you’ve accomplished it, well, that feeling, will be with you forever!
BE STONG and You can do it!
Read more
The New York Marathon November, 2016
Well, the New York Marathon is in the books, did you even think about participating this year? If not, why not make it the new goal for 2017. Think about it, a goal like that beats your usual New Year’s resolutions that you make each year while eating an appetizer and drinking your favorite brew at the New Year’s Eve party you go to each year, right?
There really is no reason why you can’t be one of the participants in next year’s race. After all, being a part of something so grand and big is a milestone event for anyone. Being a part of the over 50,000 finishers, it’s come a long way from the 55 original finishers who ran around Central Park in New York, 45 years ago!
If you commit, you’re going to need to prep and for any marathon, especially this one you need to build up your endurance to tackle that 26.2-mile course. We made a list of some key points you need to tackle to make sure your body and also your mind are in shape for this kind of trial.
Know why you want to run a marathon. Keep it personal and reminding yourself of the reason your training so hard each day, week and month will help keep you committed to reaching your goal of crossing that finish line.
Know what kind of shape You’re In! The 26.2 miles in a marathon put you at a significantly higher risk for injury than your daily neighborhood jogs. Consult with your physician before embarking on any training program. Make sure everything is in working order and your good to go.
Start early: We don’t mean start early in the morning!!! We mean that to train right, you need to train often and most aspiring marathoners run consistent base mileage for at least a year before embarking on a marathon training program. So you see, making that resolution at your New Year’s Eve party might just get you in under the wire, physically wise, but you need to commit!
One of the most common causes of injury is building weekly mileage too soon, too fast—so don't underestimate the importance of consistently running at least 20–30 miles a week regularly before committing to training for a marathon. This is important! You need to build your stamina so that your body has the conditioning it needs to tackle that distance. If you currently just jog occasionally, you need to ramp things up. Set yourself up with a schedule for each day in the week, but make sure after two days, you give yourself an easy pace day to help your body adjust.
Start small: Running a few shorter races—5Ks, 10Ks, or even a half marathon—is an excellent way to prepare physically and mentally for a first marathon.
There really is no reason why you can’t be one of the participants in next year’s race. After all, being a part of something so grand and big is a milestone event for anyone. Being a part of the over 50,000 finishers, it’s come a long way from the 55 original finishers who ran around Central Park in New York, 45 years ago!
If you commit, you’re going to need to prep and for any marathon, especially this one you need to build up your endurance to tackle that 26.2-mile course. We made a list of some key points you need to tackle to make sure your body and also your mind are in shape for this kind of trial.
Know why you want to run a marathon. Keep it personal and reminding yourself of the reason your training so hard each day, week and month will help keep you committed to reaching your goal of crossing that finish line.
Know what kind of shape You’re In! The 26.2 miles in a marathon put you at a significantly higher risk for injury than your daily neighborhood jogs. Consult with your physician before embarking on any training program. Make sure everything is in working order and your good to go.
Start early: We don’t mean start early in the morning!!! We mean that to train right, you need to train often and most aspiring marathoners run consistent base mileage for at least a year before embarking on a marathon training program. So you see, making that resolution at your New Year’s Eve party might just get you in under the wire, physically wise, but you need to commit!
One of the most common causes of injury is building weekly mileage too soon, too fast—so don't underestimate the importance of consistently running at least 20–30 miles a week regularly before committing to training for a marathon. This is important! You need to build your stamina so that your body has the conditioning it needs to tackle that distance. If you currently just jog occasionally, you need to ramp things up. Set yourself up with a schedule for each day in the week, but make sure after two days, you give yourself an easy pace day to help your body adjust.
Start small: Running a few shorter races—5Ks, 10Ks, or even a half marathon—is an excellent way to prepare physically and mentally for a first marathon.
Choosing a First Marathon
Marathons range from quiet, low-key races on backcountry roads to spectator-lined urban races with tens of thousands of runners. To help you get used to the race vibe and identify your preference, run a few shorter races, cheer on a friend or volunteer at marathons.
Choosing a marathon close to home may offer a "home field advantage" with the opportunity to run on familiar roads; on the other hand, choosing a "destination" race can really stoke your motivation fire in the months leading up to race day.
The primary elements of marathon training are:
Base mileage. Build your weekly mileage over time, running three-to-five times per week.
The long run. Do a long run every 7–10 days so your body can adjust gradually to long distances.
Speed work. Practice intervals and tempo runs to increase your cardio capacity.
Rest and recovery. Adequate rest helps prevent injuries and mental burnout.
Base Mileage: Most marathon training plans range from 12 to 20 weeks. Beginning marathoners should aim to build their weekly mileage up to 50 miles over the four months leading up to race day. Three-to-five runs per week is sufficient. The vast majority of these runs should be done at a relaxed pace. You should run at an easy enough pace to be able to carry on a conversation.
When building base mileage, never increase your weekly mileage by more than 10 percent from week to week.
The Long Run: Your next step is to build up to a weekly long run. This should be done once every 7–10 days, extending the long run by a mile or two each week. Every 3 weeks, scale it back by a few miles so as not to overtax your body and risk injury. For example, you might run 12 miles one weekend, 13 miles the next, then 14 miles, and then 12 again before moving on to 15 on the fifth weekend.
Doing these runs at a substantially slower pace than usual builds confidence, lets your body adjust to longer distances, and teaches you to burn fat for fuel.
Max distance: Most marathon training plans usually peak at a long run of 20 miles. So where do those last 6 miles come from on race day? With proper training, your body will take advantage of the peak shape your body will be in, the rest you offer it during a tapering period, and the adrenaline and crowd support of race day.
Speed Work: Speed work is an optional element to incorporate into your training program. It can increase your aerobic capacity and make your easy runs feel… well, easy! Intervals and tempo runs are the most popular forms of speed work.
Intervals are a set of repetitions of a specific, short distance, run at a substantially faster pace than usual, with recovery jogs in between. For example, you might run 4 X 1-mile repeats at a hard pace, with 5 minutes of slow jogging or even walking between the mile repeats.
Tempo Runs are longer than an interval—generally in the range of 4–10 miles, depending on where you are in your training—run at a challenging, but sustainable, pace. This kind of workout teaches your body, as well as your brain, to sustain challenging work over a longer period of time. Always allow your body to warm up and cool down with a few easy miles at the beginning and end of any speed workout.
Rest and Recovery
Rest days mean no running. They let your muscles recover from taxing workouts and help prevent mental burnout. The greatest enemy of any aspiring marathoners is injury, and the best protection against injury is rest.
If you are itching to do something active on your rest days, doing some cross-training is a great option. Cross-training can include walking, hiking, cycling, swimming, yoga, lifting weights, or any other active pursuit that isn't as high-impact as running.
Tapering: In the two or three weeks leading up to your marathon, scale back significantly on overall mileage and difficulty of your runs to let your body rest up for race day.
Hydration
Nearly all marathons include water and aid stations along the way.
If you plan to carry some of your own water on race day, buy a hydration pack or belt long in advance and get accustomed to running with it. Never try something new on race day.
While training, of course, you will be doing plenty of long runs without the benefit of aid stations. Several tried-and-true techniques to consider:
Carry your own water using a hydration pack or belt, or with handheld bottles
Do long runs on a short loop course, so you can stash water in one spot along the way.
Plot your long run route to pass water fountains (but during colder months, make sure that they're turned on).
Fueling
You've probably heard about the phenomenon many marathoners experience right around the 20-mile mark, commonly called "hitting the wall" or "bonking."
Your body can only store so much glycogen—its primary source of energy during the marathon. As this level gets depleted over the course of your marathon, your muscles will begin to tire and feel heavy. While no amount of fuel consumption during the race can entirely replace your depleted glycogen, consuming small amounts of carbohydrates can help prevent you from hitting the dreaded wall. Energy gels or chews are the easiest to carry and often easiest to digest—but a few pieces of fruit or an energy bar can also do the trick. For any run over 2 hours, aim to take in about 60 grams of carbohydrates per hour.
As with everything, make sure to test out various types of fuel on your training runs to see what your stomach tolerates best, so you can fuel confidently on race day.
Race Day Tips
Don't try anything new on race day—no new shoes, new shorts or a new shirt. Don't guzzle 3 cups of coffee if you usually have one. Your long training runs are when you should be fine-tuning your clothing, gear and fueling strategies.
Before the Race: Hydrate well for several days leading up to your marathon. Drink a big glass of water before you go to bed the night before race day. Drink another one first thing in the morning.
Eat a simple, high-carbohydrate breakfast several hours before the start of the race. Bagels, oatmeal, bars and fruit all work well.
Lather up with a little Vaseline or BodyGlide in any areas vulnerable to chafing (you probably learned where during training runs).
Get to the starting line early, and if needed, get in the port-a-potty line 30–40 minutes before the official start time. The lines may be long.
The temperature is apt to rise over the course of the race, so don't overdress. If you're really cold at the start, wear an oversize trash bag over your clothing to keep warm until the starting gun goes off.
If you plan to run with music, check ahead of time whether headphones are allowed on the course; not all marathons permit them. Running with headphones can be dangerous if you can't hear what's happening around you, particularly if you're not on a closed course. Finally, there's something to be said for not tuning out the sounds of the spectator crowds and your fellow runners.
During the Race
Start slowly. It's easy to get caught up in race-day adrenaline, but starting too fast is a big rookie mistake. There will be plenty of miles over which to pick up your pace if you're feeling great.
Don't blaze by every aid station or try to drink from a cup while running full blast. Either practice drinking while running before race day or just pull over for a few seconds to drink.
Bathroom lines are longest at the first few aid stations. If you can wait another couple miles without discomfort, it may save you time.
If you have a friend coming to cheer you on, plan ahead at which spots along the course he or she will meet you. A friend along the way can be a huge boost.
Enjoy the energy of the spectators. However, ignore the guy with the box of chocolate donuts. He's trying to be nice, but chocolate-glazed donuts at mile 18 are not a good idea.
Race day: In the immediate moments after your finish, drink several cups of water or sports drink to nourish your tired muscles. Walk a little, if you can, to let those muscles cool down. Do gentle stretching. Eat some simple carbohydrates, whether you feel like it or not.
After race day: Take at least a week off before resuming any kind of regular running schedule, and even then take your time easing back into distance and frequency.
Get plenty of sleep. Eat well-balanced meals. Take care of any injuries or ailments you may have developed during the race. Nourish your immune system, which will be more vulnerable immediately after the marathon.
When all is said and done, and you’re putting away your number and medal, you know, the one you get for finishing the marathon of all marathon’s, you can be proud of what you’ve accomplished. So, what’s next? Maybe in 2018 you can tackle the Boston Marathon as well?
Marathons range from quiet, low-key races on backcountry roads to spectator-lined urban races with tens of thousands of runners. To help you get used to the race vibe and identify your preference, run a few shorter races, cheer on a friend or volunteer at marathons.
Choosing a marathon close to home may offer a "home field advantage" with the opportunity to run on familiar roads; on the other hand, choosing a "destination" race can really stoke your motivation fire in the months leading up to race day.
The primary elements of marathon training are:
Base mileage. Build your weekly mileage over time, running three-to-five times per week.
The long run. Do a long run every 7–10 days so your body can adjust gradually to long distances.
Speed work. Practice intervals and tempo runs to increase your cardio capacity.
Rest and recovery. Adequate rest helps prevent injuries and mental burnout.
Base Mileage: Most marathon training plans range from 12 to 20 weeks. Beginning marathoners should aim to build their weekly mileage up to 50 miles over the four months leading up to race day. Three-to-five runs per week is sufficient. The vast majority of these runs should be done at a relaxed pace. You should run at an easy enough pace to be able to carry on a conversation.
When building base mileage, never increase your weekly mileage by more than 10 percent from week to week.
The Long Run: Your next step is to build up to a weekly long run. This should be done once every 7–10 days, extending the long run by a mile or two each week. Every 3 weeks, scale it back by a few miles so as not to overtax your body and risk injury. For example, you might run 12 miles one weekend, 13 miles the next, then 14 miles, and then 12 again before moving on to 15 on the fifth weekend.
Doing these runs at a substantially slower pace than usual builds confidence, lets your body adjust to longer distances, and teaches you to burn fat for fuel.
Max distance: Most marathon training plans usually peak at a long run of 20 miles. So where do those last 6 miles come from on race day? With proper training, your body will take advantage of the peak shape your body will be in, the rest you offer it during a tapering period, and the adrenaline and crowd support of race day.
Speed Work: Speed work is an optional element to incorporate into your training program. It can increase your aerobic capacity and make your easy runs feel… well, easy! Intervals and tempo runs are the most popular forms of speed work.
Intervals are a set of repetitions of a specific, short distance, run at a substantially faster pace than usual, with recovery jogs in between. For example, you might run 4 X 1-mile repeats at a hard pace, with 5 minutes of slow jogging or even walking between the mile repeats.
Tempo Runs are longer than an interval—generally in the range of 4–10 miles, depending on where you are in your training—run at a challenging, but sustainable, pace. This kind of workout teaches your body, as well as your brain, to sustain challenging work over a longer period of time. Always allow your body to warm up and cool down with a few easy miles at the beginning and end of any speed workout.
Rest and Recovery
Rest days mean no running. They let your muscles recover from taxing workouts and help prevent mental burnout. The greatest enemy of any aspiring marathoners is injury, and the best protection against injury is rest.
If you are itching to do something active on your rest days, doing some cross-training is a great option. Cross-training can include walking, hiking, cycling, swimming, yoga, lifting weights, or any other active pursuit that isn't as high-impact as running.
Tapering: In the two or three weeks leading up to your marathon, scale back significantly on overall mileage and difficulty of your runs to let your body rest up for race day.
Hydration
Nearly all marathons include water and aid stations along the way.
If you plan to carry some of your own water on race day, buy a hydration pack or belt long in advance and get accustomed to running with it. Never try something new on race day.
While training, of course, you will be doing plenty of long runs without the benefit of aid stations. Several tried-and-true techniques to consider:
Carry your own water using a hydration pack or belt, or with handheld bottles
Do long runs on a short loop course, so you can stash water in one spot along the way.
Plot your long run route to pass water fountains (but during colder months, make sure that they're turned on).
Fueling
You've probably heard about the phenomenon many marathoners experience right around the 20-mile mark, commonly called "hitting the wall" or "bonking."
Your body can only store so much glycogen—its primary source of energy during the marathon. As this level gets depleted over the course of your marathon, your muscles will begin to tire and feel heavy. While no amount of fuel consumption during the race can entirely replace your depleted glycogen, consuming small amounts of carbohydrates can help prevent you from hitting the dreaded wall. Energy gels or chews are the easiest to carry and often easiest to digest—but a few pieces of fruit or an energy bar can also do the trick. For any run over 2 hours, aim to take in about 60 grams of carbohydrates per hour.
As with everything, make sure to test out various types of fuel on your training runs to see what your stomach tolerates best, so you can fuel confidently on race day.
Race Day Tips
Don't try anything new on race day—no new shoes, new shorts or a new shirt. Don't guzzle 3 cups of coffee if you usually have one. Your long training runs are when you should be fine-tuning your clothing, gear and fueling strategies.
Before the Race: Hydrate well for several days leading up to your marathon. Drink a big glass of water before you go to bed the night before race day. Drink another one first thing in the morning.
Eat a simple, high-carbohydrate breakfast several hours before the start of the race. Bagels, oatmeal, bars and fruit all work well.
Lather up with a little Vaseline or BodyGlide in any areas vulnerable to chafing (you probably learned where during training runs).
Get to the starting line early, and if needed, get in the port-a-potty line 30–40 minutes before the official start time. The lines may be long.
The temperature is apt to rise over the course of the race, so don't overdress. If you're really cold at the start, wear an oversize trash bag over your clothing to keep warm until the starting gun goes off.
If you plan to run with music, check ahead of time whether headphones are allowed on the course; not all marathons permit them. Running with headphones can be dangerous if you can't hear what's happening around you, particularly if you're not on a closed course. Finally, there's something to be said for not tuning out the sounds of the spectator crowds and your fellow runners.
During the Race
Start slowly. It's easy to get caught up in race-day adrenaline, but starting too fast is a big rookie mistake. There will be plenty of miles over which to pick up your pace if you're feeling great.
Don't blaze by every aid station or try to drink from a cup while running full blast. Either practice drinking while running before race day or just pull over for a few seconds to drink.
Bathroom lines are longest at the first few aid stations. If you can wait another couple miles without discomfort, it may save you time.
If you have a friend coming to cheer you on, plan ahead at which spots along the course he or she will meet you. A friend along the way can be a huge boost.
Enjoy the energy of the spectators. However, ignore the guy with the box of chocolate donuts. He's trying to be nice, but chocolate-glazed donuts at mile 18 are not a good idea.
Race day: In the immediate moments after your finish, drink several cups of water or sports drink to nourish your tired muscles. Walk a little, if you can, to let those muscles cool down. Do gentle stretching. Eat some simple carbohydrates, whether you feel like it or not.
After race day: Take at least a week off before resuming any kind of regular running schedule, and even then take your time easing back into distance and frequency.
Get plenty of sleep. Eat well-balanced meals. Take care of any injuries or ailments you may have developed during the race. Nourish your immune system, which will be more vulnerable immediately after the marathon.
When all is said and done, and you’re putting away your number and medal, you know, the one you get for finishing the marathon of all marathon’s, you can be proud of what you’ve accomplished. So, what’s next? Maybe in 2018 you can tackle the Boston Marathon as well?
Read more
Well, the New York Marathon is in the books, did you even think about participating this year? If not, why not make it the new goal for 2017. Think about it, a goal like that beats your usual New Year’s resolutions that you make each year while eating an appetizer and drinking your favorite brew at the New Year’s Eve party you go to each year, right?
There really is no reason why you can’t be one of the participants in next year’s race. After all, being a part of something so grand and big is a milestone event for anyone. Being a part of the over 50,000 finishers, it’s come a long way from the 55 original finishers who ran around Central Park in New York, 45 years ago!
If you commit, you’re going to need to prep and for any marathon, especially this one you need to build up your endurance to tackle that 26.2-mile course. We made a list of some key points you need to tackle to make sure your body and also your mind are in shape for this kind of trial.
Know why you want to run a marathon. Keep it personal and reminding yourself of the reason your training so hard each day, week and month will help keep you committed to reaching your goal of crossing that finish line.
Know what kind of shape You’re In! The 26.2 miles in a marathon put you at a significantly higher risk for injury than your daily neighborhood jogs. Consult with your physician before embarking on any training program. Make sure everything is in working order and your good to go.
Start early: We don’t mean start early in the morning!!! We mean that to train right, you need to train often and most aspiring marathoners run consistent base mileage for at least a year before embarking on a marathon training program. So you see, making that resolution at your New Year’s Eve party might just get you in under the wire, physically wise, but you need to commit!
One of the most common causes of injury is building weekly mileage too soon, too fast—so don't underestimate the importance of consistently running at least 20–30 miles a week regularly before committing to training for a marathon. This is important! You need to build your stamina so that your body has the conditioning it needs to tackle that distance. If you currently just jog occasionally, you need to ramp things up. Set yourself up with a schedule for each day in the week, but make sure after two days, you give yourself an easy pace day to help your body adjust.
Start small: Running a few shorter races—5Ks, 10Ks, or even a half marathon—is an excellent way to prepare physically and mentally for a first marathon.
There really is no reason why you can’t be one of the participants in next year’s race. After all, being a part of something so grand and big is a milestone event for anyone. Being a part of the over 50,000 finishers, it’s come a long way from the 55 original finishers who ran around Central Park in New York, 45 years ago!
If you commit, you’re going to need to prep and for any marathon, especially this one you need to build up your endurance to tackle that 26.2-mile course. We made a list of some key points you need to tackle to make sure your body and also your mind are in shape for this kind of trial.
Know why you want to run a marathon. Keep it personal and reminding yourself of the reason your training so hard each day, week and month will help keep you committed to reaching your goal of crossing that finish line.
Know what kind of shape You’re In! The 26.2 miles in a marathon put you at a significantly higher risk for injury than your daily neighborhood jogs. Consult with your physician before embarking on any training program. Make sure everything is in working order and your good to go.
Start early: We don’t mean start early in the morning!!! We mean that to train right, you need to train often and most aspiring marathoners run consistent base mileage for at least a year before embarking on a marathon training program. So you see, making that resolution at your New Year’s Eve party might just get you in under the wire, physically wise, but you need to commit!
One of the most common causes of injury is building weekly mileage too soon, too fast—so don't underestimate the importance of consistently running at least 20–30 miles a week regularly before committing to training for a marathon. This is important! You need to build your stamina so that your body has the conditioning it needs to tackle that distance. If you currently just jog occasionally, you need to ramp things up. Set yourself up with a schedule for each day in the week, but make sure after two days, you give yourself an easy pace day to help your body adjust.
Start small: Running a few shorter races—5Ks, 10Ks, or even a half marathon—is an excellent way to prepare physically and mentally for a first marathon.
Choosing a First Marathon
Marathons range from quiet, low-key races on backcountry roads to spectator-lined urban races with tens of thousands of runners. To help you get used to the race vibe and identify your preference, run a few shorter races, cheer on a friend or volunteer at marathons.
Choosing a marathon close to home may offer a "home field advantage" with the opportunity to run on familiar roads; on the other hand, choosing a "destination" race can really stoke your motivation fire in the months leading up to race day.
The primary elements of marathon training are:
Base mileage. Build your weekly mileage over time, running three-to-five times per week.
The long run. Do a long run every 7–10 days so your body can adjust gradually to long distances.
Speed work. Practice intervals and tempo runs to increase your cardio capacity.
Rest and recovery. Adequate rest helps prevent injuries and mental burnout.
Base Mileage: Most marathon training plans range from 12 to 20 weeks. Beginning marathoners should aim to build their weekly mileage up to 50 miles over the four months leading up to race day. Three-to-five runs per week is sufficient. The vast majority of these runs should be done at a relaxed pace. You should run at an easy enough pace to be able to carry on a conversation.
When building base mileage, never increase your weekly mileage by more than 10 percent from week to week.
The Long Run: Your next step is to build up to a weekly long run. This should be done once every 7–10 days, extending the long run by a mile or two each week. Every 3 weeks, scale it back by a few miles so as not to overtax your body and risk injury. For example, you might run 12 miles one weekend, 13 miles the next, then 14 miles, and then 12 again before moving on to 15 on the fifth weekend.
Doing these runs at a substantially slower pace than usual builds confidence, lets your body adjust to longer distances, and teaches you to burn fat for fuel.
Max distance: Most marathon training plans usually peak at a long run of 20 miles. So where do those last 6 miles come from on race day? With proper training, your body will take advantage of the peak shape your body will be in, the rest you offer it during a tapering period, and the adrenaline and crowd support of race day.
Speed Work: Speed work is an optional element to incorporate into your training program. It can increase your aerobic capacity and make your easy runs feel… well, easy! Intervals and tempo runs are the most popular forms of speed work.
Intervals are a set of repetitions of a specific, short distance, run at a substantially faster pace than usual, with recovery jogs in between. For example, you might run 4 X 1-mile repeats at a hard pace, with 5 minutes of slow jogging or even walking between the mile repeats.
Tempo Runs are longer than an interval—generally in the range of 4–10 miles, depending on where you are in your training—run at a challenging, but sustainable, pace. This kind of workout teaches your body, as well as your brain, to sustain challenging work over a longer period of time. Always allow your body to warm up and cool down with a few easy miles at the beginning and end of any speed workout.
Rest and Recovery
Rest days mean no running. They let your muscles recover from taxing workouts and help prevent mental burnout. The greatest enemy of any aspiring marathoners is injury, and the best protection against injury is rest.
If you are itching to do something active on your rest days, doing some cross-training is a great option. Cross-training can include walking, hiking, cycling, swimming, yoga, lifting weights, or any other active pursuit that isn't as high-impact as running.
Tapering: In the two or three weeks leading up to your marathon, scale back significantly on overall mileage and difficulty of your runs to let your body rest up for race day.
Hydration
Nearly all marathons include water and aid stations along the way.
If you plan to carry some of your own water on race day, buy a hydration pack or belt long in advance and get accustomed to running with it. Never try something new on race day.
While training, of course, you will be doing plenty of long runs without the benefit of aid stations. Several tried-and-true techniques to consider:
Carry your own water using a hydration pack or belt, or with handheld bottles
Do long runs on a short loop course, so you can stash water in one spot along the way.
Plot your long run route to pass water fountains (but during colder months, make sure that they're turned on).
Fueling
You've probably heard about the phenomenon many marathoners experience right around the 20-mile mark, commonly called "hitting the wall" or "bonking."
Your body can only store so much glycogen—its primary source of energy during the marathon. As this level gets depleted over the course of your marathon, your muscles will begin to tire and feel heavy. While no amount of fuel consumption during the race can entirely replace your depleted glycogen, consuming small amounts of carbohydrates can help prevent you from hitting the dreaded wall. Energy gels or chews are the easiest to carry and often easiest to digest—but a few pieces of fruit or an energy bar can also do the trick. For any run over 2 hours, aim to take in about 60 grams of carbohydrates per hour.
As with everything, make sure to test out various types of fuel on your training runs to see what your stomach tolerates best, so you can fuel confidently on race day.
Race Day Tips
Don't try anything new on race day—no new shoes, new shorts or a new shirt. Don't guzzle 3 cups of coffee if you usually have one. Your long training runs are when you should be fine-tuning your clothing, gear and fueling strategies.
Before the Race: Hydrate well for several days leading up to your marathon. Drink a big glass of water before you go to bed the night before race day. Drink another one first thing in the morning.
Eat a simple, high-carbohydrate breakfast several hours before the start of the race. Bagels, oatmeal, bars and fruit all work well.
Lather up with a little Vaseline or BodyGlide in any areas vulnerable to chafing (you probably learned where during training runs).
Get to the starting line early, and if needed, get in the port-a-potty line 30–40 minutes before the official start time. The lines may be long.
The temperature is apt to rise over the course of the race, so don't overdress. If you're really cold at the start, wear an oversize trash bag over your clothing to keep warm until the starting gun goes off.
If you plan to run with music, check ahead of time whether headphones are allowed on the course; not all marathons permit them. Running with headphones can be dangerous if you can't hear what's happening around you, particularly if you're not on a closed course. Finally, there's something to be said for not tuning out the sounds of the spectator crowds and your fellow runners.
During the Race
Start slowly. It's easy to get caught up in race-day adrenaline, but starting too fast is a big rookie mistake. There will be plenty of miles over which to pick up your pace if you're feeling great.
Don't blaze by every aid station or try to drink from a cup while running full blast. Either practice drinking while running before race day or just pull over for a few seconds to drink.
Bathroom lines are longest at the first few aid stations. If you can wait another couple miles without discomfort, it may save you time.
If you have a friend coming to cheer you on, plan ahead at which spots along the course he or she will meet you. A friend along the way can be a huge boost.
Enjoy the energy of the spectators. However, ignore the guy with the box of chocolate donuts. He's trying to be nice, but chocolate-glazed donuts at mile 18 are not a good idea.
Race day: In the immediate moments after your finish, drink several cups of water or sports drink to nourish your tired muscles. Walk a little, if you can, to let those muscles cool down. Do gentle stretching. Eat some simple carbohydrates, whether you feel like it or not.
After race day: Take at least a week off before resuming any kind of regular running schedule, and even then take your time easing back into distance and frequency.
Get plenty of sleep. Eat well-balanced meals. Take care of any injuries or ailments you may have developed during the race. Nourish your immune system, which will be more vulnerable immediately after the marathon.
When all is said and done, and you’re putting away your number and medal, you know, the one you get for finishing the marathon of all marathon’s, you can be proud of what you’ve accomplished. So, what’s next? Maybe in 2018 you can tackle the Boston Marathon as well?
Marathons range from quiet, low-key races on backcountry roads to spectator-lined urban races with tens of thousands of runners. To help you get used to the race vibe and identify your preference, run a few shorter races, cheer on a friend or volunteer at marathons.
Choosing a marathon close to home may offer a "home field advantage" with the opportunity to run on familiar roads; on the other hand, choosing a "destination" race can really stoke your motivation fire in the months leading up to race day.
The primary elements of marathon training are:
Base mileage. Build your weekly mileage over time, running three-to-five times per week.
The long run. Do a long run every 7–10 days so your body can adjust gradually to long distances.
Speed work. Practice intervals and tempo runs to increase your cardio capacity.
Rest and recovery. Adequate rest helps prevent injuries and mental burnout.
Base Mileage: Most marathon training plans range from 12 to 20 weeks. Beginning marathoners should aim to build their weekly mileage up to 50 miles over the four months leading up to race day. Three-to-five runs per week is sufficient. The vast majority of these runs should be done at a relaxed pace. You should run at an easy enough pace to be able to carry on a conversation.
When building base mileage, never increase your weekly mileage by more than 10 percent from week to week.
The Long Run: Your next step is to build up to a weekly long run. This should be done once every 7–10 days, extending the long run by a mile or two each week. Every 3 weeks, scale it back by a few miles so as not to overtax your body and risk injury. For example, you might run 12 miles one weekend, 13 miles the next, then 14 miles, and then 12 again before moving on to 15 on the fifth weekend.
Doing these runs at a substantially slower pace than usual builds confidence, lets your body adjust to longer distances, and teaches you to burn fat for fuel.
Max distance: Most marathon training plans usually peak at a long run of 20 miles. So where do those last 6 miles come from on race day? With proper training, your body will take advantage of the peak shape your body will be in, the rest you offer it during a tapering period, and the adrenaline and crowd support of race day.
Speed Work: Speed work is an optional element to incorporate into your training program. It can increase your aerobic capacity and make your easy runs feel… well, easy! Intervals and tempo runs are the most popular forms of speed work.
Intervals are a set of repetitions of a specific, short distance, run at a substantially faster pace than usual, with recovery jogs in between. For example, you might run 4 X 1-mile repeats at a hard pace, with 5 minutes of slow jogging or even walking between the mile repeats.
Tempo Runs are longer than an interval—generally in the range of 4–10 miles, depending on where you are in your training—run at a challenging, but sustainable, pace. This kind of workout teaches your body, as well as your brain, to sustain challenging work over a longer period of time. Always allow your body to warm up and cool down with a few easy miles at the beginning and end of any speed workout.
Rest and Recovery
Rest days mean no running. They let your muscles recover from taxing workouts and help prevent mental burnout. The greatest enemy of any aspiring marathoners is injury, and the best protection against injury is rest.
If you are itching to do something active on your rest days, doing some cross-training is a great option. Cross-training can include walking, hiking, cycling, swimming, yoga, lifting weights, or any other active pursuit that isn't as high-impact as running.
Tapering: In the two or three weeks leading up to your marathon, scale back significantly on overall mileage and difficulty of your runs to let your body rest up for race day.
Hydration
Nearly all marathons include water and aid stations along the way.
If you plan to carry some of your own water on race day, buy a hydration pack or belt long in advance and get accustomed to running with it. Never try something new on race day.
While training, of course, you will be doing plenty of long runs without the benefit of aid stations. Several tried-and-true techniques to consider:
Carry your own water using a hydration pack or belt, or with handheld bottles
Do long runs on a short loop course, so you can stash water in one spot along the way.
Plot your long run route to pass water fountains (but during colder months, make sure that they're turned on).
Fueling
You've probably heard about the phenomenon many marathoners experience right around the 20-mile mark, commonly called "hitting the wall" or "bonking."
Your body can only store so much glycogen—its primary source of energy during the marathon. As this level gets depleted over the course of your marathon, your muscles will begin to tire and feel heavy. While no amount of fuel consumption during the race can entirely replace your depleted glycogen, consuming small amounts of carbohydrates can help prevent you from hitting the dreaded wall. Energy gels or chews are the easiest to carry and often easiest to digest—but a few pieces of fruit or an energy bar can also do the trick. For any run over 2 hours, aim to take in about 60 grams of carbohydrates per hour.
As with everything, make sure to test out various types of fuel on your training runs to see what your stomach tolerates best, so you can fuel confidently on race day.
Race Day Tips
Don't try anything new on race day—no new shoes, new shorts or a new shirt. Don't guzzle 3 cups of coffee if you usually have one. Your long training runs are when you should be fine-tuning your clothing, gear and fueling strategies.
Before the Race: Hydrate well for several days leading up to your marathon. Drink a big glass of water before you go to bed the night before race day. Drink another one first thing in the morning.
Eat a simple, high-carbohydrate breakfast several hours before the start of the race. Bagels, oatmeal, bars and fruit all work well.
Lather up with a little Vaseline or BodyGlide in any areas vulnerable to chafing (you probably learned where during training runs).
Get to the starting line early, and if needed, get in the port-a-potty line 30–40 minutes before the official start time. The lines may be long.
The temperature is apt to rise over the course of the race, so don't overdress. If you're really cold at the start, wear an oversize trash bag over your clothing to keep warm until the starting gun goes off.
If you plan to run with music, check ahead of time whether headphones are allowed on the course; not all marathons permit them. Running with headphones can be dangerous if you can't hear what's happening around you, particularly if you're not on a closed course. Finally, there's something to be said for not tuning out the sounds of the spectator crowds and your fellow runners.
During the Race
Start slowly. It's easy to get caught up in race-day adrenaline, but starting too fast is a big rookie mistake. There will be plenty of miles over which to pick up your pace if you're feeling great.
Don't blaze by every aid station or try to drink from a cup while running full blast. Either practice drinking while running before race day or just pull over for a few seconds to drink.
Bathroom lines are longest at the first few aid stations. If you can wait another couple miles without discomfort, it may save you time.
If you have a friend coming to cheer you on, plan ahead at which spots along the course he or she will meet you. A friend along the way can be a huge boost.
Enjoy the energy of the spectators. However, ignore the guy with the box of chocolate donuts. He's trying to be nice, but chocolate-glazed donuts at mile 18 are not a good idea.
Race day: In the immediate moments after your finish, drink several cups of water or sports drink to nourish your tired muscles. Walk a little, if you can, to let those muscles cool down. Do gentle stretching. Eat some simple carbohydrates, whether you feel like it or not.
After race day: Take at least a week off before resuming any kind of regular running schedule, and even then take your time easing back into distance and frequency.
Get plenty of sleep. Eat well-balanced meals. Take care of any injuries or ailments you may have developed during the race. Nourish your immune system, which will be more vulnerable immediately after the marathon.
When all is said and done, and you’re putting away your number and medal, you know, the one you get for finishing the marathon of all marathon’s, you can be proud of what you’ve accomplished. So, what’s next? Maybe in 2018 you can tackle the Boston Marathon as well?