How to Prepare for Marathon

The popularity of marathon has grown. It has become the ultimate phenomenal athletic event worldwide. Marathon might not be a child’s play but a strong determination makes it all possible. It is not age-bound. Good training sessions prior to your first marathon can actually make it a congenial event for you.

Here are some smartest tips to follow for making your marathon a success:

• Be goal-oriented
Right from the moment of inception of the idea of running a marathon, stay goal-centric. Your solid purpose has the sole power to empower you! Your one purpose for joining the marathon should be stronger than those thousand excuses that might tell you to give up! Keep your mind focused on the positive and shrug off the negative vibes that weigh you down. A positive goal-oriented attitude can make you recuperate from all the dark times.

• Working on time-management skills
It is very crucial to manage time while carrying on with the daily training schedules. You need a proper plan and then execute it efficiently. It is as important to work on your mileage as eating, sleeping and drinking! You might not be able to multi-task on the first day but it is sure to come to you with unwavering practice.

• Stretching exercises and strength training
A good stretch can make your body highly resistant to injuries. Take out a short time period just to devote to body-stretching activities. Stress upon all the running muscles. Do not miss out on stretching your hip flexors and quads. Strength trainings such as push-ups and squats can give you extra flexibility and agility.

• Discover your source of self-motivation
Every individual has a different source of motivation. For some it is plain music, for some it is their role models’ success story and for some, it is plain yoga. So, know your source and use it to absorb more and more positive energy. You should also indulge yourself in pre-marathon meditation to relax your nerves, focus your mind and run a memorable marathon.

• Consistent and smart training
The longest miles are not the toughest part of marathon but the maintenance of consistency is. Retain your energy early in the marathon and avoid going too hard. It is not a myth but a true fact that a winner is one who starts off slow and steady. Emphasize on your speed mainly in the latter half of the marathon. It keeps you mentally focused and allows you to run with more intensity than ever before. You should train yourself for solo running and workouts. Do not overstress yourself but maintain a steady pace gradually getting your body adept to more endurance. Rigor and rest should go hand-in-hand! One day of challenging training session should be alternated with a day of light workout followed by rest.

• Work on your weekly mileage
Do not add more and more mileage on a daily basis. Do it on a weekly basis. Make sure that you can run the distance on race day with healthy legs. Add work load along with a good amount of rest to your schedule. Running is a vital exercise for your pre-marathon training. You need to manage running every single day amidst your busy schedule. Set your priorities straight. Give more stress to your mileage than your pace. Pace comes after a long time of practice. Keep a track on your weekly mileage.

• Say yes to cross-training
Aerobic cross-training on your non-running days is a great way to enhance your running vigor. Cycling, trekking and swimming are some of greatest exemplary cross-training routines. Focusing on your core and upper body will help you in maintaining a good running posture and for longer durations. It should even help you fight frequent fatigues.

• Listen to your instincts on the day
Follow the usual routine on the day of the marathon. Do not try acting like a hero and trying out new things on the day. Your body might respond negatively to the changes! Maintain the same diet and morning routine on the D-day! Listen to your body and avoid new eating patterns or diets in the last week. Stick to your daily schedule at any cost.

• Familiarize with the marathon course
Instead of wasting the extra time before the race, get to know more about the course map. Download the course map. Don’t take stress to memorize the route but knowing more about it shall give you a clear overview of the start and finish lines. You can accordingly design a mental strategy and regulate your pace every mile. It is better to compartmentalize the total distance into simpler parts and then make the strategy likewise.

• Walking in between
Add walking intervals in with your running in the marathon. Try walking for one to five minutes at every mile marker. This shall lead you to the finish line in a much simpler and relatively effortless way. Walking intervals greatly help you move forward and keep you mentally relaxed. The best part of such a strategy is that it allows your muscles to relax and rebuild for the next phase of running. This makes it possible at the end of the marathon to speed up towards finish line rather than having to walk to it.

Robust, leaner and flexible muscles are the most apparent benefit of training for a marathon. Also since running is the number one weight-bearing exercise, it helps strengthen the bones of the body. Strengthening your endurance level and immune system, it can be a great power-booster for middle as well as old-aged individuals. In case you are a newbie, it is always better to consult with a veteran runner and gain inspiration as well as practical do’s and don’ts’ before the day of the marathon.

Training for a marathon can be real fun. Set a goal and enjoy every part of the training. Finishing a marathon is the ultimate goal of many individuals of all ages for various purposes.

Follow the above guidelines and live the experience of your lively marathon.