How To Run A Marathon

So, if you're training for your first marathon, the first thing you need to do is give yourself enough time. If you're not fit, it can take six to twelve months to get you fit enough to run for four or five hours, so you need to plan it. You need to plan everything that's to do with it, so if you're overweight you need to look at nutrition as well.

Another typical mistake that marathon novices make is they try and run too far too quickly. So, if you take a typical internet program, it will have you running five to six twenty milers before you run your marathon. But if your target is to just run your first marathon, the first marathon, and be injury-free and do a good time, you need to pace yourself.

So, start off getting some mileage into your legs. So, for the first four weeks, run one day, rest and stretch the next day until you get used to the whole running motion, and then start increasing the volume every month, every four weeks, by ten or fifteen percent. If you feel that you've got pain, reduce the volume, check with the physio as well, and you need to gradually take it up.

Particularly if you haven't run for a long time, you need to take your time about building your base. Another important part of training is that you don't want to be running at the same pace and the same volume continuously. So, you need to mix it up.

So, you need to do some shorter intervals and some hill running. Hill training is really very, very good for marathon running. It builds your strength, it builds your stamina and it forces you to use technique.

If we look at this endurance runner, he has similar posture to the middle distance runner, but if you notice, the arms are working less fast because we want to get a rhythm, and the heels are coming up, but they're not coming up too high because it's hard to maintain over a long distance. But the posture is still upright and he's got a rhythm to his running. Our endurance runner is breathing less heavily than our middle distance runner because they're working at slower speeds.

So, remember, if you're running your first marathon, give yourself enough time to prepare, so six to twelve months particularly if you haven't run for a long time. First four or five weeks, run a day, rest a day, and then gradually increase the volume and the pace. And remember, intermittently, you need to be doing intervals; you need to be doing strength training as well.

Marathon running takes time and preparation in order to be successful. In this video, professional trainer Mike Antoniades provides tips on training for a marathon. He gives advice for novice runners or those who may be starting out of shape on how to begin training and what it will take to complete a long distance race.