Training for a Marathon

Marathons have become one of the most elite sports in the world, with hundreds of thousands of people taking an interest in them worldwide. Because the marathon is such a demanding sport, with the generally accepted distance being just over 26 miles, runners who plan to participate in a marathon need to train extensively before the big race in order to be able to compete, finish, or possibly even win.

It is important to note that very few people who compete in races – some of the best-known races such as the New York and Boston marathons have over 20,000 participants – are aiming to win the race, per se. As a matter of fact, it is far more common for people to set their own goals for the races, such as simply to finish the course, or to beat a former personal best time. In order to do any of the above, training is integral. However, there is no universal way to train; no single training regiment that works for all people. Even the experts tend to argue as to what the optimal ways of training are, and what works best.

In general, people start training seriously about six months before the big race. Depending on the person’s fitness level, experience, and goals, it could be a longer or shorter period of time. In general, most people run various distances over the course of the week, with the average longest run being about 20 miles – which is a bit shorter than the marathon’s length. Some runners try to do the marathon length of 26 miles, and others recommend doing a run that is far more than the marathon, something around 40 miles.

It is recommended that a runner training for a marathon get out and run at least four days a week. The training should build over the course of the training period, with a tapering off period of one to three weeks just before the marathon. The reason for this is to allow the body a chance to recover. The tapering period should be no more than three weeks prior to the race so the body does not lose any of the conditioning and stamina that was built up over the course of the vigorous training. Further, a few days of complete rest will complete the tapering period. This allows the runner to enter the marathon fully refreshed, and would also allow any minor injuries that could be a result of vigorous training to heal up before the big race.

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Running is a sport that relies on the person’s body and the power built within it. This makes it a rather unique sport, as other sports generally involve using different equipment properly and to its fullest. The runner has only one piece of equipment: his own body. As such, it is a true test, and testament, to the runner’s skill and training.

There are other aspects to training beyond the actual running. Because a marathon can put so much stress on the body, many runners elect to cut food consumption, and to hold back on heavy, solid foods due to potential digestive system issues during the race. However, hydration is key, so the runner will make sure to be fully hydrated going into the race, as well as to maintain his hydration levels during the race itself. Consuming water or sports drinks during the race are important, as dehydration is one of the leading causes of illnesses during marathons, exhaustion, or even full collapse. Also, many runners chose to “carb-load,” which means eating carbohydrate-heavy foods in the week before the race in order to build up glycogen for the race. Low glycogen levels during the race can be almost as dire as becoming dehydrated.

As you can see, training for a marathon is not easy. Then again, is anything that is worth doing ever truly easy?

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