FITNESS AUTHOR
Chad Dyer
TRAINED TO RUN n Ironman Triathlon veteran Devin
R
unning a marathon is a Herculean task alone. But you don’t simply step onto the starting line and go — you must train beforehand. As the saying goes, in order to run, you must first walk. Devin Lofland, who competed in an Ironman Triathlon in November of 2021, weighs in on his experience and what he learned. “The biggest piece of advice is don’t compare yourself to other people because it doesn’t help,” Lofland says. “If you allow yourself to accept that you have to start wherever you are, then you can start! Patience is a big factor.” Once you’ve decided to train for a marathon and found your starting place, now comes the real training.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF DEVIN LOFLAND
Lofland shares his tips on how to effectively train for a marathon.
“I had to sign up for my race in order to prevent myself from having a way out,” Lofland says. “It’s important to have accountability.” Lofland created ultimatums with friends, family and loved ones — things like if he fails to run that day, then he has to do the dishes for a week or buy lunch for everyone. Another reason why signing up for the race early on is a good option is that it gives you a goal to work toward. Lofland warns to not make the goal too far-fetched.
Finding the Motivation
Training for a marathon is rigorous. It’s too often that people don’t place enough stakes on their training, find the act of running monotonous and eventually fizzle out. Getting creative in how you push yourself can be the deciding factor in whether or not you train until the marathon.
APRIL 2022
62
