There are a number of marathon training
programs that you could follow in order to run a marathon. Which one
you choose to use will be entirely up to you, however there are a
number of points to consider when looking at a marathon training
program.
Perhaps the first point to look at is to
choose a marathon training program that reduces the risk of you
developing an injury. The reason for this is that when you first start
training for you marathon is that initially you will be all excited and
will just want to get lots of miles into your legs. There is nothing
wrong with wanting to just go out and start training like that, however
if you do too many miles in your first 1-2 weeks then you are likely to
develop an injury.
The reason for this is that when you push
your body physically then you develop tiny tears in your muscle fibers.
This is normal. When the tears in your muscle then heal, they add bulk
to the muscle and this is how muscle tissue develops. However, when you
push your training too hard, then the muscles can tear too much and
this is when you become injured.
That is why you should follow a marathon
training program that slowly increases your weekly mileage by no more
than 10% each week. If you do develop an injury then not only will you
disrupt your marathon preparation but you will also be more likely to
develop the same injury in the future as your training distance
increases and you place more strain on your body.
Once you find a marathon training program
that works for you, then the next thing to do is have the dedication to
follow it through. If you are like most people you will not want to
train when the weather conditions are poor. For example, if it is
raining outside and blowing a gale then you will need that commitment
to go out and train.
The reason for training in all weather
conditions is that you will not know what the conditions will be like
on your race day. If the weather during your marathon race is rain and
gale-force winds and you have trained during these conditions then you
will know what it is like to compete in these conditions. You will know
that your shoes will feel heavy as they become saturated. You will know
that it feels difficult to run into the wind and that it effects your
performance. And you will know that you can get wind chill in these
conditions.
You do not want any surprises during your
marathon race and that is why it is important to follow through on your
marathon training program despite poor weather conditions.
When following a marathon training program
you should also make sure that it includes days that allow your body to
rest. For example, if you just went out and did long training sessions,
then your body will start to feel fatigued during the week. This will
not allow you to train at your optimum because you will be feeling
lethargic. That is why it is important to follow a marathon training
program that also has a semi-long run during the week and a few shorter
training sessions.
Your marathon training program should also
include two rest days that allow your body to recover. You could also
experiment with having a cross-training day in your weekly sessions.
Cross-training includes activities such as swimming and cycling. The
great thing about cross-training is that it is similar to having a rest
day. The reason for this is that even though you are getting the
fitness into your system by increasing your heart rate, you are using
different muscle groups from when you are training. Cross-training
therefore decreases the risk of you developing over-use injuries.