How to stop marathon training from haunting your nightmares
Chris Scalese
Start small Begin your training cycle with mileage you consider to be easy and low-volume (these figures will obviously vary based on your personal fitness level). From here, slowly add to the length of your typical training runs, the length of your long run, and the progression of the overall mileage you are accumulating each week.
Recover well Proper marathon training involves a lot of hard work, but it also entails appropriate recovery time. A basic marathon regimen typically involves three primary “hard� days: two workout days and a long run day. Every other day of the week is commonly dedicated to recovery — in other words, these runs should be completed at a comfortable pace that allows you to maintain your aerobic fitness while backing off enough to rebound from a hard day. The best rule of thumb here is to listen to your body. Additionally, be sure to take an occasional day off from running in general.
Know when to taper When you are two or three weeks out from race day, be sure to implement a “taper,� or a period of time where you cut your mileage back and allow your body to rest without resting, so to speak. If timed properly, a taper will allow you to toe the line in peak physical condition. Your taper will ultimately rest on your unique fitness level and prior training. In most cases, runners tend to slowly taper off their mileage bit-by-bit while keeping their workouts the same as they had been.