How To Train For A Marathon From Scratch

How To Train For A Marathon From Scratch – Learning how to train for a marathon from scratch is easy to do, but hard to actually accomplish. A marathon is 26 grueling miles on a hard surface, so you must devote a lot of time to training. Make sure you are eating enough when you train for a marathon from scratch, since you will burn a lot of calories. If you start to experience any leg or lower back pain during training, take a few days off to recover.
Marathon Training Tips For Beginners

Plan Your First Session
Since you are a beginner and have to begin practicing for a marathon from scratch, you need to keep it light on your workout schedule. As such, you will find completing even five miles to be tough and difficult. Perform some warm up exercises and start jogging slowly for the first mile. Keep a running watch to make note of the time used to cover the distance. In the initial stages, run for three to five miles and take breaks whenever you feel out of breath.

Take A Break
Accept it or not, you will feel the pain and stretch in your lower back and legs after your first workout. You will even experience pain in your shins from the pounding, also known as “shin splints”. As such, do not get up and start running again on the second day. However, continue to perform stretching exercises for the next two days so that you do not exert the same amount of pressure once you are back on the running track of marathon training.

Complete Five Miles
If you were able to complete three miles on the first day of your workout, target your distance to four miles on your next training session. Add one mile every time you run, thereby preparing your body for the marathon. Also, keep a check on the time taken to cover the distance. Ensure that you run at an even pace. Since running for longer distances for a marathon from scratch takes time, you are likely to notice changes in your total time taken. Be patient as with time, you will be able to see progress in your training.

Increase Miles
Once you are used to running for distances, it is time to increase the distance that you have been covering for all these days. Running for five to seven miles will not help as a marathon comprises of around 26 miles. Thus, as your body gradually gets used to handling the pain and you have a good hold of it, add more miles to your workout. Once you are able to cross the 10 mile distance on a regular basis, take a break in between to have a drink; lest you get dehydrated.

Reach 20 Miles
While running 10 miles is good, it is not enough as you have another 16 miles to put in your workout to reach the ultimate goal of 26 miles. Now that you can handle the pain and distance of 10 miles, gradually increase your workout to 20 miles. And when you have crossed the 20 mile mark, adding another six miles would not be a big deal. If you desire, you can reduce your speed to preserve energy for further miles to cover up.

Speed Up
After you have successfully accomplished the 26 mile mark, you are now a step ahead towards running the marathon. Train vigorously and quite often to keep yourself energized as though you have another 26 miles to run. Include weight lifting in your workout to help you recover from your running. Your next focus should be towards reducing the time taken to run 26 miles. After all, completing the marathon should not be your soul target. You should be able to complete the distance in the lowest possible time. Thus, work more, run often, and increase your speed to lower the time taken.

While preparing for a marathon from scratch, you should begin fast, slow down in between, and speed up again towards the end. With these simple tips and steps, you can train yourself to run a full marathon in a year’s time.