Saturday, July 23, 2011

Marathon Training And Running

By Larson Childress


Running a marathon is something that so many novice runners aim to do. It's a very reachable goal and something that is very attainable if trained for properly. By considering fluid intake, injury prevention, motivation, and health even the most amateur runner can complete a marathon.

New marathoners often feel the need to run themselves into an injury. Today's marathon training programs blend science and skill into a combination program that allows athletes to train smart and hard. It's no longer okay to run yourself ragged in preparation for a race.

All too many runners have ignored this principle however and have found that running too much is the quickest way to an injury. Over training, especially for beginners, is the most common cause of ending a training program. Marathons take time to prepare for so do so slowly.

Motivation and determination alone are not enough. You will need the help of a good training program that will teach you how to cope with the stress of running twenty six miles. By following a good program you will also realize the health benefits of marathon training. Running long and slow teaches your body to burn fat more efficiently and your heart to function better.

The next question is, of course, how does one go about training for a marathon. This article doesn't cover that as it's only a short post, although I have included a few guidelines on what to search for when reviewing from several schedule. Perhaps the most important criteria is time. Marathon training schedules range in training time from 10 weeks to, sometime, upward of 30 weeks. Therefore you need to know how much time you have between your starting point and the race.

You also want to make sure it is within your fitness window. Runners start training schedules at various levels of fitness so do a few training runs to determine your particular starting point. Jumping into a marathon training program that begins with a 10 mile long run, when you can only run 6 miles, will only get you hurt.

There are thousands of poorly designed training schedules on the internet. Selecting one that is designed by someone who knows, and better yes some who has completed marathons in the past. Hiring a coach who can guide your through the process can be even better and often time they are very worth the expense.

Finally, make sure you check with your physician. Although running is a hobby that promotes health it can be taxing on your body and cardiovascular system. A good sports medicine professional can always help you to determine if you're healthy enough to undergo such a training regime.

We hope these tips will help you find a good marathon training schedule to work from. Below are a couple of additional resources and website links where you can find more information on running and marathon training.




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