How To Start Training for a Marathon?

Yes, as much as all of us casual runners would like to believe otherwise, marathon indeed requires intensive training. Your body needs to be in practice and well-prepared for the physical and mental stress that you are going to put it through on the big day of the race. It takes immense dedication and practice, even though successfully completing it might not be your sole agenda. Gaining a pleasant marathon experience, without any injury is the ideal goal.

Being India’s BEST hospital in Orthopedic Care and a global leader in knee and hip replacement, we at Shalby Multispecialty Hospitals, are dedicated to the bone & joint health of all. We believe we can take care of our bones and joints with some easy-to-follow measures. With the marathon season here, we want all of you to have a thrilling and fulfilling experience. Here is a guide on how to be prepared for and well-trained for a standard marathon.

When we talk about training, we should keep in mind the significance of the duration of training required, which basically depends on the kind of runner you are, whether you are a beginner or a pro, training is essential. Additionally, the distance of the marathon is also something that needs to be kept in mind while finalizing on the duration of the training period. This is a guide for things you must know about training for a marathon of 26.2 miles, that is about 42.195 kilometers, the standard marathon distance.

For Amateurs:

Even if you are a beginner, you need not be skeptical of your performance. Marathon is still a doable thing and that too, with utmost enthusiasm and joy. As a general practice, training for a minimum of 5-6 months is an ideal because obviously, you will not just want to keep it to this annual marathon a year. You would definitely want more of it or at the least want a healthier trained body.

Having a running/training partner might be beneficial for amateurs as this will not only help you perform better, but will also help you be competitive and consistent. You must stick to a routine – fixed timings for your exercise, meals and adequate rest and water. One needs to be disciplined with these schedules, or else, it will not really serve the purpose. The aim is to be consistent, to show up each day for your exercise session is crucial, because this is what actually contributes to building mental strength, endurance and stamina. Start slow to work on building stamina and then gradually extend time by including variations in your exercise.

For Physically Active Individuals:

Now, individuals who keep themselves physically active and engage in exercises on a daily basis or even weekly workout, must dedicate 3-4 months of their time if they are aiming at successful completion of the marathon. Important thing that needs to be kept in mind for such individuals is that you need to be consistent with running and/or brisk walking until the marathon day. Additionally, during this time of training, you will require to cut down on the number of rest days that you are used to. Once a week of rest should be adequate during this period. The key aim of the training is to build muscle endurance and memory to build tempo to run for such a long period of time on the final day without an injury.

For Active Runners and Partial Distance Runners:

Ideally, everyone needs training, whether you are an amateur, a physically active person or even a Runner, running a marathon is no cakewalk and so, proper training is extremely essential if you want to save yourself the horror of any kind of muscle injury. Your body needs to learn and memorize response to longer running periods, which is why consistently running and learning correct forms of doing so is pivotal.

So, individuals who are runners and/or have a past experience in running even half a marathon, should train for a minimum of 2-3 months in order to be marathon-ready. This ensures adequate time for your body to train and prepare itself to be comfortable enough to run longer distances and not cause any strain.

General Guidelines

A few other things that must be kept in mind irrespective of the kind of runner you are:

• You must undergo training in an environment that is similar to the one you will be running the marathon in.
• Maintaining a well-balanced diet – eating the right kind of food your body requires to build the strength needed. Remember, you are disciplining your body and preparing it for a purpose.
• Building strength and endurance is the key.
• Consistency is indispensable.

Well, the first step towards training for a marathon would definitely be mental readiness to run one and to have a great experience at it. Once you are there mentally, we hope this article serves all the guidance and motivation you require to prep up for the most distinguished and celebrated races of all!