A friend just informed me that he is planning on doing a marathon in the Fall. I couldn’t resist a brief lecture that consisted of the following:
1. Just finish it-don't worry about your time too much-trust me, you won’t win it on your first go, and you’ll want to save something for your next one. If you only think you only want to do one, just tell me that two weeks after you’ve done your first. Then I might believe you.
2. Don't increase your training by more than 10% per week
3. You don't need to do more than 18 miles in a training run prior to running the marathon, though you may want to do that distance more than once.
4. Strongly recommend 1-2 strength training sessions per week
5. Tendon pain is bad-stop. Muscle pain is good-go harder. If you don't know the difference, you shouldn't do a marathon.
I could go on and on along this vein, mentioning the folly of over-training, race day nutrition, carb loading and so on, but I think my top five are the key essentials of what I have learned in the course of my 4 marathons and 2 LDTs (long distance triathlons).
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2 comments:
I can't wait for my "first" marathon in October! Been just working on speed and strength now since I got the endurance. Can't wait to hit those 20-milers!
My favorite training runs are always the epic 20 milers. I seldom follow my own advice. Slapping on a camel back loaded with gatorade and a hundred gels is sublime.
A mere marathon-ha! you will crush.
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