Marathon running is one of the toughest and ultimately most rewarding challenges you can set for yourself. As a sport the marathon has increased in popularity and credibly in recent years and more and more people are taking the plunge. Marathon running is hugely accessible and absolutely anyone can complete one with the right guidance, training and advice. It will hurt and you will want to give up before the end, but that makes the victory of crossing the finish line all the more sweet. If the challenge of marathon running is something you are considering then the following are a few of the most important factors to bear in mind.
There are no shortcuts when it comes to training for a marathon. You will have to put in the hours on your feet training. Your enjoyment on race day will be in direct proportion to the hours you spend on preparation and training. If you are a total beginner with no running experience and a fitness level of zero you can still do it, but you will have to allow at least eight or nine months to train and prepare. Even if you are a regular runner you will still need to devote four to six months to marathon training. Time is the most important factor to consider if you intend you complete a marathon.
When it comes to marathon running, your mind is just as important as your body. Mental toughness is something you will need to have in abundance. You will face huge motivational challenges, especially when training through the winter months when rain, freezing conditions and darkness can derail your training if you let them. You will have to banish all thoughts of giving in to conditions from your mind otherwise you render your whole training program useless. Your busy or stressful workday may leave you feeling too tired to run and you will need a huge amount of mental strength to get home, change, and head out for a run but you must do it. Your intense training plan will leave you feeling exhausted and it is your mental strength that will keep you going.
Commitment is vital. You must be totally committed to your training plan from the beginning. It must be your bible for the duration of your marathon training. If you commit yourself completely to your training, you will succeed. If you are running for a charity, they will have to have your commitment. The last thing you will want to do is let down a charity.
You will need to make a few lifestyle changes to accommodate the need for proper sleep, good nutrition and training. You will need to curtail your alcohol consumption as big nights out take a long time to recover from and you will not have time to waste on hangovers. Junk foods are out as you need your body to be a finely tuned machine and will have to fuel it as such.
There you have a brief outline of the various challenges and sacrifices that must be made in order to even consider the sport of marathon running. You now need to ask yourself just one simple question…Am I up to it? There is no feeling to match the euphoria of crossing that finish line and I say that from personal experience. It’s the very same for the second, third and fourth times. If you need a challenge in your life and want question the boundaries of what is possible then this is it! Go ahead take the plunge, you will not regret it!
Kevin Hynes is a veteran marathon runner and personal trainer and provides
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Author: Kevin Noel Hynes
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Tags: Half Marathons, Marathons, Running
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