3 things to do when training for a marathon

3 things to do when training for a marathon

October 19th, 2011 // 7:30 am @ Chris

Training for an endurance event like the marathon isn’t just about covering 100 miles in training to get you ready for the big day.

Here are 3 things you must do when training for a marathon:

Interval Training

One of the physiological benefits to interval training when training for a marathon is that it will help break up the long distance runs you will be doing and stop you from growing bored of doing the same type of training. One of the hardest things when it comes to training is actually getting in the right frame of mind to do it, so breaking your training up in to different types will help immensely.

Interval training is also great for improving your VO2 Max (the maximum oxygen uptake) and for improving your cardiovascular system . Basically, it will make you fitter.

Another great benefit is to interval training is that it will help increase your overall running speed and will help your bodys ability to produce more energy.

Weight Training

Marathons and training for marathons will greatly impact your joints & muscles, so its important to focus on increasing the strength, stamina and endurance in your muscles and joints, and weight training it a great way to do this.

Lifting weights doesn’t only affect muscles, but it also increases bone density, strengthens ligaments and helps losen joints.

Since a marathon is an endurance event, your rep ranges should be high and target the slow twitch muscle fibres.

Eating properly for recovery

You are placing your body under some intense strain when participating in long distance runs, so you really need to provide your body with good nutrition to allow it to recover properly, which will also help reduce risk of injury.

Eating a varied, balanced diet is key, making sure that you get sufficient protein and carbohydrate intake, along with your healthy fats. Providing your body with the right balance will help with muscle repair and provide you with enough energy to train.

Also important is your vitamin intake to help with your joints and spare them from damage. Supplementing with Glucosamine and omega-3 will help with recover times and limit any potential injuries you may pick up.

If you require any training, nutrition or supplement advise contact me today and we can work you out a plan to get you in shape for any up and coming event you may have.

 

 

Category : Blog &Exercise &Nutrition &Running &Weight Training