1. Cross Train
It may surprise some runners to know that cross training is an essential part of marathon training. Cross training with other sports such as swimming, cycling, tennis or even golf are great ways to enhance your overall athletic performance. You can not deny that in order to cross the finish line of a marathon you need to log lots of long miles, but the consistent pounding of your feet can leave you bored, with sore leg muscles and even prone to injury. If you do suffer an injury while running, cross training is a great way to maintain your stamina while nursing your self back to running condition.
Swimming as a cross training exercise for marathon training is a great relaxed way to improve cardiovascular and arm strength. The buoyancy of the water is also a gentle relief for overused leg muscles. Cycling can help alleviate the pounding of the legs on pavement while still offering the cardiovascular endurance. This is a great way to maintain your fitness level if you're taking some time off because of shin splints. Tennis and golf can help to promote strong upper body strength. It is amazing how tired your arms and shoulders can feel after running 26.2 miles. When you are training, your focus tends to be on building leg muscle strength and endurance. Carrying your arms at your side, even if at a minimal swing to conserve energy, can take its toll on your overall fatigue level.
2. Lift Weights
For novice runners, heavy weight training is not recommended. The long runs alone will be enough stress on your body. Nevertheless, the overall tone and shape of your body is imperative to the completion of your marathon. Lifting a small amount of weight and in high repetitions for both upper and lower body development will help get you across the finish line.
Adding weight training for intermediate and experienced runners is a natural part of continuing to refine their performance. Lifting weights should be done on your non-running days. Otherwise, muscles may be tight and you may find it difficult to run comfortably. Lifting weight should not be an afterthought to marathon training. Do not start lifting weights in the final weeks of your marathon preparation. This should be an integral part of your training from the beginning. Weight lifting will contribute to the overall performance of your runs.
3. Run Those Hills
When you run up a hill, you are putting your running focus on your toes and lifting your legs high. Your arms will need to pump a little higher to account for the incline. The actual running up a hill strengthens your calves, hip flexors, the muscles that run between your lower abdomen and upper thighs, and shoulders. Marathon running utilizes a lot of quadriceps muscles, hill running is an excellent way to build those muscles. If you have researched your marathon course and noticed a few hills along the route, it's best to tackle them in your training rather than race day. Hill running demands specialized strength and endurance. A surprise hill in a marathon course can bring a properly trained runner to an out of breath halt, throwing off his overall fatigue and endurance level.
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