Training for a Marathon

Training for a Marathon

Last time, I told you about how I came to find myself signing up for the Paris Marathon. So how are my preparations going? Here are some of the things I’ve learnt so far.

Training Plans

The first thing I did after signing up was a search online for marathon training plans. This was when I got my first shock. All the plans I could find assume that you’re already running 15km at a time, which I wasn’t! Luckily these plans were also only 12 weeks long, which meant I had a couple of months to get my butt into gear before I needed to embark on one of these plans! I created for myself a little ‘Pre Marathon-Training Training Plan’. My goal for this was to get into the habit of regularly running, at least three times a week, no matter what the weather was doing, as well as increasing my longer runs.

Most training plans have you running at least three times a week. You have an Easy Run, which is a shorter, slower paced run. A Tempo or Interval Run, where you work on your speed by adding in some faster paced intervals. And then a Long Run which is exactly as it sounds. The plan I’m using bases these on time spent running rather than overall kilometres, so long runs start off at about 60 minutes and gradually build up to about 3.5 hours.

The Right Shoes

The next thing I did was chat to friends who have experience running marathons. This was my second shock; did you know that your feet swell up when you run long distances? Or that your toenails can turn black and fall off?! That was fun to learn! I went to a running shop and, on the advice of my friends, bought myself a pair of trainers that are one and a half sizes bigger than I would usually wear. They are designed for marathon running so have more cushioning than other trainers I have had in the past and are very comfortable. Which is just as well because I could probably feed myself for a month on what they cost! The salesman must have been ecstatic, he even managed to convince me to buy a couple of pairs of anti-blister socks. (No, I’d never heard of them either, but they seem to be working).

Support and Motivation

Another thing that has surprised me shouldn’t have been surprising at all! The support I have had has been overwhelming! Not just from my friends and family, who have of course been amazing, but I often get beeped while I am out running and turn to see one of the locals cheering me on as they drive past me. I set up a Just Giving page to take donations for a charity I support in the UK called HENRY. Everyone has been so generous; I smashed my original target within a few days! This week I reached my new target and donations are still coming in which is so motivating. I feel really privileged to be surrounded by such amazing people!

At the time of writing this, I have just started the 6-week countdown to the big day! I’ve generally been very lucky with the weather. We had a cold snap at the start of the year which saw me dressing up like an Eskimo to go out running in freezing fog. It took a lot of will power to get me out when it was so warm and cosy in front of my fire at home. But we seem to be coming out of winter now, the first signs of spring are here and I’m really happy that the sun has even been shining on me this week!

Consistency Works

I’ve also been surprised at the effectiveness of consistent training! I won’t lie, when I first signed up, I had my doubts about whether I would ever actually be fit or strong enough to do it. But I keep hitting new milestones. In the first week of January, I ran the equivalent of a half marathon and last week I did my longest run so far which was 27km. It really surprises me every time I get a new personal best, but it just goes to show that being consistent really does get results. Plus, these achievements are really reassuring me that I will hopefully be OK on the day!

And, I still love running! I really thought that I would get fed up or find it too hard as the runs got longer, but instead I actually look forward to them. I love seeing if I can run a little bit further or a little bit quicker. I’ll often come across squirrels or deer and when the sun is shining, and the lovely little rural roads are so quiet and peaceful, I don’t really even notice that I’m running, I’m just taking in my surroundings!

The Importance of Recovery

I’ve also had to start paying more attention to what I eat. I’ve been so much hungrier than usual because of the extra calories I’m using. I don’t want to lose weight so I’m making sure I replace the extra calories that are being burned, but I’m making sure that I still eat a healthy, balanced diet. I’ve found myself craving carbohydrates and sugar so I’m being careful and making sure I eat lots of whole-grains and fruit and vegetables rather than biscuits and chocolate!

And finally, I’ve also learnt how important it is to look after myself and recover properly. Taking time to stretch before and after a run really reduces the aches and pains! I’m also very happy that we just managed to get our bathtub fitted before I started training. It’s become my new best friend, there is nothing better than a nice, hot, relaxing bath after a long run for soothing aching muscles! And so far, I’ve managed to avoid any injuries (touch wood).

So, there’s my experience so far, and I have to say I’m really enjoying it! If you’ve ever thought about signing up for a marathon but self-doubt has put you off, I encourage you to give it a try, you might just surprise yourself! That being said, the marathon is on the 3rd of April, so by the time you read this I’ve probably already done it. But did I manage to finish? You will have to wait until the next issue to find out how I got on!

Emma Penrose www.lovenutrition.co.uk Instagram – love_nutrition_2020 Facebook - lovenutrition2020

Emma Xx