1. Do Your Research
In addition to doing your homework on the marathon you are going to run, you should also spend some quality time researching the training program you will utilize. Some popular training programs with proven success include: the Hal Higdon training program, www.runnersworld.com, where you can create your own training schedule, Furman FIRST training program, where your training consists of only three runs per week and www.logyourrun.com, where a customized training plan is made for you.
These are just a few of the many programs available. When selecting, consider your fitness level, your personal goal for completing the marathon and the time available to train for your marathon.
2. Pick Your Marathon Pace
Before setting out on your long runs, note your pace in your daily runs and races that you have completed. Your pace should be comfortable enough that you can carry a conversation without being winded. Time how long it takes to run a mile at this pace. This pace will be your marathon pace. Your pace for long runs will generally be slightly slower than your marathon pace. The goal of long runs is to complete the mileage, not to set a pace record. By running your long runs slightly slower than your marathon pace, you avoiding overtraining and reducing your risk of injury. For intermediate runners, running negative mile splits during your long runs will help to improve your speed. By altering your miles with some miles run at marathon pace plus 40 seconds, then the next set of miles run at marathon pace plus 20 seconds and so forth, you are progressing your running and speed.
3. Join a Runners Club
Running with other fellow runners offers support, information and knowledge from those more experienced and motivation when yours is running low. Check out www.runningnetwork.com for lists of various running clubs nationwide. Running clubs often have training programs specifically catered for marathon runners. Most of these programs include group long runs, seminars on nutrition, selecting running shoes and general marathon information; sometimes the club even sponsors water aid stations set up along selected running routes.
4. Do Your Long Runs
One of the key components in any marathon training program is running your long runs. The only way to train your body to run 26.2 miles is to increase your body's ability to convert glycogen in your muscles to sugar used for energy. This is a gradual process which takes months. There are no short cuts. You must put in your time on the trails to cross the marathon finish line.
5. Remember to Rest
Resting during any training program is often an overlooked piece of advice. Runners are inherently ambitious goal oriented individuals. We become obsessed with logging our miles, making sure we are on task recording our weekly numbers. This is great and this attitude will help us succeed, but remembering to stop and let your body recover is an essential part of any training program. The most important goal is to cross the finish line injury free.
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