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Or at least, that's the big intention. No, it IS going to happen! Training for your first marathon: with our eight tips, you'll be a good deal closer to a historic victory over yourself.
We don't need to draw you a picture anymore. The marathon is a physical ordeal. However, you'll mainly need to make mental strides. Because more than the race itself, the long preparation period is crucial to achieving your goal.
1. Learn how your body works
Aerobic, anaerobic, tempo or extensive endurance run... Whether you're getting professional help to prepare for your first marathon or building your running program entirely on your own. The better you understand all the training concepts, the better you'll understand how your body works. This means you'll build up fitness faster and recover more quickly.
2. Take your time, build up slowly
A specific marathon preparation lasts about twelve weeks. The complete build-up to a marathon? Several months to two years, depending on your basic level and running experience. Build up slowly: 5k, 10k, 10 miles, half marathon, and finally the marathon itself. In the meantime, you'll get to know your body inside out: how do you react to different running conditions and varying distances?
3. Keep an eye on your nutrition
Building up to a marathon is impossible without your body getting the right fuels. Thousands of books and even more web pages have been written about this. However, we do have two personal recommendations: Food2Run by Renata Rehor and The Sports Cookbook by Stephanie Scheirlynck.
4. Include simulation training
You need to learn to run at marathon pace. That starts with short distances. And yes, you may lose heart the first time (more on this in point 5). The final simulation training takes place about two weeks before your big marathon race. Here you run at least 21k at marathon pace.
5. Training for a marathon: full focus on the next session
As we said at the beginning of this blog: you'll come across yourself more than once when training for a marathon. Especially for your first one. So, approach your training schedule session by session. Don't think too far ahead in your planning, only focus on your next run. This makes you mentally stronger and keeps you focused.
6. Think about something else occasionally
Just because preparing for a marathon demands a lot from you over a long period, it's nice to occasionally think about something else. Relax, do something else, don't let training dominate your life. And in between, go shopping for new running gear for your marathon race, choose new running shoes, etc. Don't forget that you have to look stylish in your arrival photo of your first marathon!
7. Learn to eat and drink while running
Eating and drinking while running is crucial during a marathon. Your body needs sufficient energy for hours on end. Train for this enough because the last thing you want is a protesting stomach halfway through your race. Moreover, it's an art in itself to find or drink a gel while running without getting water up your nose.
8. Get support from friends and family
Okay, now we might sound very serious. But your first marathon preparation will demand a lot of your free time. So, you can count on the support and understanding of those close to you when you put on your running shoes at six in the morning on a Sunday, or leave the pints aside at the pub with your friends, or swap your weekly fries for pasta with brown sugar. Yes, you read that right.
Training for a Marathon: Trenara coaches you towards success
With these eight tips, you already lay the perfect foundation for your very first marathon race. But you're not alone along the way. With Trenara, you have a professional running coach in your pocket.
Enter when you want to run your first marathon and Trenara will create your unique schedule, taking into account your personal recovery capacity, so you peak at exactly the right moments. Download Trenara for free on the Apple Store or via Google Play.
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