26.2. It may not be a large number, but it is greatly respected one within the running community. Completing 26.2 miles to the best of one’s ability is an impressive feat, especially to those who have suffered through running workouts before. I myself have decided to partake in marathon training this spring. Although I’ve raced 10 milers and done 90 minute progressives before, this distance is double my previous max mileage. Obviously, a lot of thought goes into marathon running and considering my plans to train for possibly multiple sports, I felt as if I should learn the most I could about the nutrition and planning involved in this 26.2 mile race.
The first tip is almost a given – do your mileage. Once you come up with a plan, don’t deviate from that. Normally it takes about 4 months of training to fully prepare for a marathon. If you run more consistently it may just add small changes, like your long run going from 90 to 120 minutes. When doing marathon running with other sports, running plans have to get a bit more creative, but whatever you decide, you have to stick to it in order to be fully prepared for race day.
A fairly standard 16 week marathon plan (they range from 12-20 weeks)
Another important recommendation is to continue to be hydrated and keep a protein rich diet throughout your training. This may seem obvious, but it also means that you have to have an intake of carbs and protein within 30-45 minutes of completing your weekly long run. Also during runs you have to make sure to hydrate and sometimes even take in some calories as well. It is recommended not to exceed 600ml per hour while running, though. A couple ways to make sure you are hydrating the right amount is to take electrolytes tablets with your water before and after workouts. Iverson’s recommendation for calculating the amount of water a marathoner is meant to have daily is by converting their weight to ounces (a simple enough calculation). If you weighed 160 pounds that would be about 160 ounces of water a day.
A commonly used electrolyte supplement
As for protein, you can calculate the amount of protein you should consume daily for your marathon, you divide your weight by 2.2 then multiple by 1.4 and that can serve as a benchmark for the amount (in grams) of protein you are recommended to consume. In the example given by Runners Connect, a person weighing 160 pounds would have to consume at least 102 grams of protein each day throughout training. This protein is best received when it is embedded in a meal. Protein rich foods include (but are not limited to) meats, beans, nut butters, and cheese. A more in depth explanation on protein can be found http://www.marathonguide.com/training/articles/Nutrition.cfm. Also click this link for a great list of protein rich recipes for you to utilize during training season https://www.runnersworld.com/uk/nutrition/recipes/. To keep up on protein servings, protein bars are also great supplements as well, and there is a wide variety of bars at your disposal!
Some protein bar favorites
Next, marathoners must remember to be flexible. This applies in more than one way of course. Maintaining proper stretching routines such as rope stretching and remembering to do yoga post run are necessities. Even on a shorter runs making sure to warm up and stretch is essential, but you can mainly continue with your normal cooldown yoga or whatever feels best for those types of runs. After longer runs, doing guided yoga is often recommended as well in order to prevent injury and increase range of motion. Below I linked a guided post long run guided yoga video in case, it is fairly basic if you aren’t familiar as much with recovery yoga.
Continuing with being flexible… marathoners have to make sure to be flexible in their training and eating habits. Trying out different foods and eating/drinking ranging amounts before workouts is helpful in order to find an eating and hydrating plan that allows you to feel the best you possibly can during your runs. Also, practicing in varying types of weather is also crucial; the weather is bound to fluctuate throughout your training period and by the time your race comes around the weather will most likely be quite different than what it was during your beginning runs. Don’t shy away from doing long runs in rain, snow, or the blazing heat as that may end up being the conditions of your final race. This will also help you determine what you need to wear during certain types of weather (maybe in cold rains you heat up quicker and only need a synthetic shirt instead of a rain jacket or joggers).
Running through the seasons
Overall, the amount of preparation one needs for their marathon is individual and cannot be summed up in a single article or principle statement/plan, but obviously researching as much as possible is still beneficial. Hopefully combining these tips and tricks with motivation will allow “26.2” become more than just a number, but a feat.
Links for further studying:
https://scrubbing.in/ten-things-remember-run-marathon/
https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/training-for-your-first-marathon.html
https://www.runnersworld.com/training/a19599563/marathon-training-basics/
https://www.webmd.com/diet/features/5-hydration-dos-and-donts#3