Marathon training tips?

bbylaura22

I'd like to run a marathon for a couple reasons: To freakin' run a marathon! To make my heart healthy To lose weight.

My best friend runs like 8 miles every day and I'm so envious of her. I love running, I really do! It's just that I'm really bad. I can run about a mile and a half without stopping then I finish my 3 mile run with running and walking. I want to up my mileage by a lot and so I'm starting training for a marathon. If anyone has any tips on how to run longer, posture, breathing, training methods, how many days to run (I usually run like 2 or 3 times a week).

And if any of you are training for any kind of race I'd love to add you as a friend and keep each other accountable!

ThickMcRunFast

getting from this point to a marathon is going to be a long journey. I would recommend you starting by setting your sights on a 5k. In order to run further, slow down. Even if it feels like just a tiny bit faster than walking. You should be able to carry on a conversation during easy runs. A lot of new runners make this mistake - they think running means sprinting. Sprinting comes much later. First you have to build your base.

Increase your weekly mileage by no more than 10%. Do not start doing speed work. No intervals, no hill repeats. Doing these without an aerobic base is asking for injury. Build to about 3 months of steady running before you start throwing in speed work (and only do one speed session in every 10 days or so for a while).

DO strength train though. Build up your glute, hamstring, quad, and core strength.

I run 5 times a week during marathon training, with 2 days of strength and one full rest day (one day is a short run/strength training; one long run; one speed/stamina workout; one recovery run, one mid-distance run). I start every morning off with 2 minutes of planks and a set of bodyweight lunges or squats. I run 50-60 miles most weeks. Obviously you are not going to be able to jump from where you are right into a plan like this. I would recommend being able to comfortably run 20-30 miles/week for a few months before embarking on an 18-week marathon training schedule.

As far as things like posture- here are some basics. Keep your arms relaxed. A lot of runners tense up their neck/shoulder muscles and carry their arms too high. Shake your arms out and drop them down at your side every so often to remind yourself to loosen up. Swing your arms naturally, but don't let them cross your body. They should be going forward (like you). Keep your posture upright (core strength!) this will keep your chest open and help in breathing. Your foot should land slightly in front of your center of mass. A lot of attention is paid to where your foot strikes first (forefoot, midfoot, heel), but where it strikes in relation to your body is more important.

Speaking of - get good shoes. Real running shoes. Fitted. From a running store. Drop some coin - save yourself from injury.

Good luck - and again, take this slowly, or you are likely to either injure yourself or have an entirely un-enjoyable marathon training experience.

jeepyj93

Great answer you got there, so many new runners try to go fast to far to soon. Slow down and do walk run nothing wrong with that.
Start the Couch to 5 K program and move up to the 10K and then Marathon. You can do it but building a base is so important.
I have been off with a foot injury for months and hopefully have started to make my way back so I can run again and I will start right back at basics, walk run and build on that.

everett9239

Great answer you got there, so many new runners try to go fast to far to soon. Slow down and do walk run nothing wrong with that.
Start the Couch to 5 K program and move up to the 10K and then Marathon. You can do it but building a base is so important.
I have been off with a foot injury for months and hopefully have started to make my way back so I can run again and I will start right back at basics, walk run and build on that.

That is EXACTLY what I did! I did couch to 5k, then wanted more, so I did up to 10k. Then I wanted more. Now I am training for my first marathon and am running on average about 30-40 miles a week.

BerryH

First up, get three miles under your belt. C25K is the best way of doing that, various podcasts and programmes here:
http://www.c25k.com/

Here are my beginner's running tips. Take particular not of point 1: When you start out, it’s HARD! Even if you think you’re fit, running is so different to anything else you’ve done before you will get out of breath quickly. Stick with it. Can’t manage a minute? Go slow. Still can’t? GO SLOWER!
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/BerryH/view/20-things-i-wish-i-d-known-about-running-when-i-started-103936

Enter a couple of 5K races, and when you're ready to move on, start a 10K training programme. Don't consider going beyond 10K in your first year.

If by then you still love running, work towards a half-marathon and only then train for a marathon. Yes, it's slow and boring, but it's better than getting injured and making yourself hate running for the rest of your life!

One note of caution, when you start running, yes, it will help you lose weight. Once you start upping the distances to marathon training levels, your weight loss will probably slow down and you may even get heavier - it happened to me and a lot of friends too!

SonicDeathMonkey80

So umm... when is this marathon you are training for? I ask because most training plans are 12 weeks and 5-6 days of running, and that's just not enough time for a new runner. I would suggest tabling this goal and setting a more realistic one for you such as running a half marathon in 2014 and *maybe* consider a full marathon in 2015. You need lots of time and lots of miles before you're ready for a marathon, unless you like pain and misery.

GiddyupTim

Chi running. Google it. Read up on it. It will teach you about posture and breathing.

msthang444

Yes ma'am! Let me tell you fail/success story. I started out training for a marathon in October. I had never run more than 4 miles before and I hadn't run more than 3 miles in.... I can't tell you how long. My school has a program called Marathon High where they train the students to run marathons. I was inspired. We started training based on a book called "Marathon training for the non-runner".

http://www.amazon.com/Non-Runners-Marathon-Trainer-David-Whitsett/dp/1570281823

Its 4 days a week. We did it Mon/Wed/Thurs/Sat. Saturday being the long run.

We made it to week 10 which was 16 mile long run and I got the flu. Then i got bronchitis. So after two missed weeks I started running again - an 18 mile long run - but felt like I just couldn't pick up where I left off. So, I am now training for a half marathon.

And for the record, I'm 27 and 160lbs at 5'2. So... .I am not in typical runner shape. So, if I can run 18 miles - I know you can do it