If you have been running or training for marathon or half marathon or any other endurance training for some time, you must have heard this piece of advice several times. And there is a reason why most wise experienced coaches will tell you to listen to your body when training especially for long distance running events such as marathon and half marathon. Why? Because nobody else knows your body better than yourself. You know how you feel during different situations, how much your body can take before breaking down, and most importantly when your body is in trouble. In other words whether you admit it or not, your body will give you signals or warning signs about your internal state before anyone else can. Depending on the type signal, if you fail to respond accordingly especially in endurance training, you may end up paying a heavy price in the long run.

Marathon and half marathon training are some of the most challenging endurance training events that can push your body to extreme levels. The types of training workouts for these events are by nature long and demanding. That means, as a marathon or half marathon runner, you should be wise enough to find and follow the right marathon or half marathon training program that suit your needs. If you have been running marathon for some time, you will agree with me that despite following a good marathon or half marathon program your body can occasionally refuse to perform as expected.

Listen to your Body and Prevent Marathon and Half Marathon Training injuries

Most of the running related injuries happen because we pushed our bodies beyond the limit. This can occur in form of http://www.marathontrainingplan.net/signs-of-overtraining-in-marathon-trainingovertraining. No matter how great a marathon or half marathon training program may look, if it will lead you to over-train it is not worth it. Running injuries are costly; it is better to do less by listening to your body than to over-train and never achieve your running goals. It is important to realize that our bodies are not machines that can be programmed and they will respond the same way all the time. Our bodies respond differently to different programs all the time. So following the same marathon or half marathon program may not always give you the same results.

Learn to Tell Training Soreness from Pain!

It is really important for you as a marathon or endurance runner to pay attention to the internal signals that your body is giving you. Learn to differentiate between soreness from training and pain. Soreness usually goes away after a short recovery, but pain does not. Pain no matter how small it may be in marathon training is a good indication of an injury. As a runner it is highly advisable that you take precautions as early as possible to treat the pain before it becomes an injury. Listen to your body and respond to the internal signals even if it means taking a break from training or modifying your current marathon or half marathon plan to accommodate treatment.

Types of time-off in Marathon and Half Marathon Training

Before we look at the importance of taking time-off in marathon and half marathon training, it is important to remember that there are two types of breaks as far as marathon training is concerned. You can either take a short break or a long break both of which can be scheduled (planned) or unscheduled. Both short and long scheduled time-offs are normally included in your marathon and half marathon program if you are using a reliable program. However, unscheduled breaks as you may have guessed arise from unexpected happenings during your training, for example when you sustain an injury during your training that may stop you from training.

Short breaks can be one day to a couple of days off training, for example the recommended one day-off per week during regular marathon and half marathon training. A short break can also include few days up to 2 weeks taken after a marathon or half marathon event. Long breaks on the other hand can be few weeks to months depending on your running and training goals. For example after a major championship or marathon race, most runners take 3 weeks to a month or more time-off from marathon training before resuming training again.

3 Reasons Why Planned Marathon and half marathon Training time-off is important

Time-off helps in Recovery

Of all the benefits of taking time-off from training, most runners and coaches will agree that the most important one is that of recovery. When you train especially for marathon and half marathon, you are putting your muscles and other body systems through a lot of pressure. These body systems must regenerate through the repair of cells and tissues that makeup these systems.  Therefore taking time-off from training will allow these body systems to recover and rebuild. That is why you always feel sore when you train without enough time-off. Good recovery means healthier body systems and therefore better performance.

Time-off from Training will Improve Performance

Another benefit of time-off from marathon and half marathon training is to improve performance. This may sound obvious to experienced marathon runners, but I often see beginners with on clue. You see, the reason why most runners (including you) train hard is to get better in their running and is measured in performance such as time. Your body will have to adapt to any new level of training before you experience any significant improvement in performance both in training and competition. Adaptation will only happen effectively when your body recovers from previous training. Your body must get rid of all the lactic acid (which is a byproduct of working your muscles) and rebuild before adapting to the level of training you are subjecting them to.

Time-off helps in Injury prevention

Most running related injuries are as a result of training without time-off. As mentioned above, your body systems must recover fully after every training session if you want to experience any improvement in your marathon training and competition. However, when you fail to take a break, your will be subjecting yourself to overtraining and eventually injuries. Overtraining is the cause of most injuries in marathon and half marathon training. That is why the only true remedy to overtraining is to take time-off from training. However, if you find yourself injured during training, it is advisable to seek proper treatment in addition to taking a break from training. Some injuries may only require a partial time-off.

It is also important to follow a reliable marathon or half marathon program with inbuilt breaks. That will help you especially if you are a beginner to train for your marathon or half marathon event without guesswork.

Training for a half marathon or full marathon is not always something easy to do if you are new to marathon running. There is a lot of confusing information on the internet on how to train for a marathon or half marathon and it is advisable for beginner runners to be conscious when using them. This is not meant to scare you as a novice marathon or half marathon runner, but rather to guide you. In this article I will give you some simple steps to follow on how to train for a marathon or half marathon.

Plan Ahead for Your Marathon or Half Marathon Training

Planning is the most important step in marathon or half marathon training and most beginner runners miss this step only to find themselves frustrated weeks or even months into their marathon training. Planning involves setting your goals and trying to answer the question why. Before even thinking about how to train for a marathon or half marathon, you need to ask yourself why you want to run marathon in the first place. It may sound obvious, but I can’t tell you as a marathon coach and former professional athlete how many runners I have asked that question as I design marathon or half marathon training schedules for them and are not able to tell me why. Remember it is one thing to talk about running marathon and totally a different thing to actually train for a marathon or even run one. As you think about training for marathon sit down and set some reasonable goals before you even look for a marathon or half marathon training plan. It is easier to find a reliable marathon training program if you have a clear
plan.

Setting goals include important factors such as:

• Which marathon or half marathon event you want to run
• What kind of experience you have i.e. are you a beginner or experienced marathon runner
• Are you running for time, course, fun, socialization, or just to finish
• What do you hope to achieve from the marathon or half marathon event you choose to run

These are just some of the guiding questions I often ask my athletes or marathon runners before I design a training program for them.

Choose a Marathon or Half Marathon Event to Train for

Though this can be considered part of planning discussed above, I like to consider it as a separate step in learning how to train for marathon or half marathon. The main reason for that is because the event you pick will determine the type of marathon or half marathon training schedule you will need for your training. It is advisable to pick a marathon event that is at least four months ahead; the further ahead the better for you. Due to unforeseeable problems such as marathon running related injuries giving yourself more time between the beginning of your marathon training and the big competition day will ensure that you can recover and still compete. For beginner marathon runners more time for training is advisable. Additionally, most of the good marathon or half marathon training plans are at least 16 weeks. Of course longer programs are better.

Find a Good Marathon or Half Marathon Training Schedule to follow

Marathon training plan is one of the most important tools that you will need for your training. As I mentioned before, there are several sources of marathon training information on the internet which include training programs, but not all of them are reliable. If you have knowledgeable marathon coach onsite I would recommend that you ask him or her to design a good marathon or half marathon training schedule based on your goals. However, if you don’t have a coach, you can easily find a reliable training program online. You can read on another article what to look for in a good marathon training schedule.

Start Training and Stick to Your Marathon or Half Marathon Training Program

This may also sound obvious, but I have seen several runners who follow different training programs at the same time. Please stick with the one marathon or half marathon training plan that you have chosen or that you coach has designed for you. Believe in it and follow every small detail in the program. Remember it is the little things that make the difference between achieving your marathon running goals and not achieving them. Also remember to follow other marathon training tips discussed in related articles on this site.

Training for marathon is wide topic to cover in one article, but these are just a few steps to help you on how to train for a marathon or half marathon.

Having a good marathon or half marathon training schedule or plan is by far the most important factor that can determine your success in marathon training and running. This is true for both beginner and experienced marathon runners. However, there are other factors that are rarely spoken about by many coaches and nonetheless crucial when it comes to training for or running a marathon successfully. For seasoned runners these factors may be common sense, but for the majority of beginner marathon or half marathon runners, they are not.

Once again, I have to stress that these 3 factors are not the only ones to watch for as you follow your marathon or half marathon training schedule. I also assume that the program you are using is effective; otherwise if the marathon plan is bad, doing everything else right is not going to make the program better. So to be on the safe side, let your coach help you design a reliable marathon or half marathon training schedule, but if you don’t have a coach, you can find a good program online.

3 Factors that can affect your performance in Marathon Training and running

Adequate source of energy for marathon training

This may sound obvious, but I have seen several runners especially beginner marathon runners drop out in the middle of training or marathon race due to insufficient energy in their bodies. Marathon or half marathon running demands a lot of energy regardless of whether you are a beginner or elite marathon runner. The best source of energy for marathon running and training is carbohydrates. That is why it is important to take in more carbohydrates as you get closer to your race day. This does not mean you should ignore other nutrients, you still need a balanced diet, while increasing carbohydrate intake. Some good sources of healthy carbohydrates for marathon runners include foods such as bagel, whole wheat bread, pasta, chapatti, rice, and ugali (a Kenyan stable food) among others. Lack of enough carbohydrates will mean less energy during the later parts of your marathon or half marathon run. This is where most people hit the wall during the race.

Monitor your body temperature

If you are new to marathon running, this may sound new to you, but if you have been running for a while you know what I am talking about. Overheating is a common problem in marathon and half marathon training and running and can significantly affect your performance. It is really important that you understand your body so that you don’t go overboard. It is advisable to train for marathon in cooler conditions. If the outside temperature high (close to your body temperature) it may be too high for training. Plan to train early in the morning or late in the evening when conditions are tolerable for your body.

Watch your hydration level

This is related to overheating, but should not be mistaken to mean the same thing. Your body can be dehydrated even when you are feeling cold. You can also overheat even when you are hydrated. Though there is no given amount of fluid that must be taken during marathon and half marathon training or running, it is a rule of thumb to drink half a glass of water after every 15 to 30 minutes depending on the rate of dehydration. You can tell if you are hydrated if you are using the toilet more frequently and your urine is clearer. Your body loses more fluid when it is warmer, windy or less humid outside or when you are doing a lot of work such as training. Other factors that accelerate dehydration including drinking drinks high in caffeine, eating sweets or candy, and eating too much protein among other factors.

I always tell my athletes to do the little things right and their training schedule or program will help them do the rest. Once again, the bottom line in all these is your marathon or half marathon training schedule must be reliable.

Training for marathon or half-marathon is demanding and requires good planning. Besides finding a reliable marathon or half-marathon training plan or program, it is important to have an overall plan. Most runners especially beginners start marathon training without first sitting down and laying down a reasonable plan and as a consequence, they don’t make it beyond the first few days of training. They quit because of disappointments most of which could have been avoided if there was a good training plan. Assuming that you have a good plan and you have started your marathon or half-marathon training, you will still need some benchmarks along the way before your ultimate marathon race.

What is the Importance of Benchmarks in Marathon or Half-Marathon Training?

If you don’t know what benchmarks are, they are simply milestones that will help you know if you are making any progress in your marathon or half-marathon training. Benchmarks can be inbuilt smaller races or road races such as 10K, 15K or even a time trial in your marathon training plan or program.

Marathon Training benchmarks will guide you as you prepare for your big race. It is easier to correct or adjust your training accordingly early in your program if you have a benchmark than if you just trained all the way to the marathon race day. For example if your marathon or half-marathon program predicts that you will be able to run a certain time at a certain point in your training, your benchmark will confirm it for you. Of course this may just be a range not an exact time and as long as you are within that range you will be sure your marathon or half-marathon training plan is working for you. If the program is not showing good results, you can modify it to suit your situation. That is why you need to be careful when designing or choosing your training program. A good marathon or half-marathon training plan should be flexible enough to allow you to modify it to suit your needs.

Good training programs usually have inbuilt benchmarks or races that are part of the program. However, if you are using a marathon or half marathon program that does have benchmarks anywhere, you need to talk to your coach about including some. If you don’t have a coach I would advise you as an experienced coach to find a reliable program that has benchmarks. If you are a beginner marathon runner, you should be very conservative on the number of races you choose, it is tempting to choose more than you can handle. It is also advisable to limit benchmark races to at least 3 weeks before the big marathon or half-marathon race you are preparing for. This will give your body time to recover and be ready for ultimate marathon event. 
 

Your Marathon Training Program Determines Your Success

Finally, it is also important as a coach to remind you that planning begins with a passion for the event you want to train for. Unlike other events marathon running requires a lot preparation therefore early planning is crucial. Choose a marathon or half-marathon event that is several months ahead so that you will have enough time to training for. Most reliable marathon training plans last for at least 4 months. So identify the marathon or half-marathon event you are interested in and find a reliable marathon training programs before you are scheduled to begin training for marathon.