Marathon Training 101

In the spirit of a New Year, let’s talk marathon training. A couple months ago, my husband looked at me with a twinkle in his eye and nonchalantly suggested we run our 3rd marathon. I must have been highly inebriated or clinically insane, because I agreed. So here we are, currently building mileage for another race. Did I mention I’m off my rocker? As I began putting together a training plan for us and assembling all the information we needed, I was struck by how much work marathon training entails.

Training Plan

The first step after deciding to run a marathon is actually putting together a training plan. There are loads of free options online such as Hal Higdon plans for all skill levels. Simply google free marathon training plans and a plethora of options will be at your fingertips. Many well known sites offer free and paid plans including Runners World, Nike, Addidas, etc. As a beginner, a 16 week plan is most likely best. If this is not your first rodeo or you already run consistently, you may want to consider a 20 week plan.

In addition to looking up a plan, you may want to consider adjusting it to include a few different workouts and weight lifting. I AM NOT a running expert and still consider myself a novice, but I have found that lifting at least twice a week and focusing on speed workouts has helped my muscles withstand miles upon miles of long runs. Types of running workouts to incorporate are cruise intervals, cutdown workouts, tempo/fartlek runs, and surge workouts. Some favorite blogs that I have found that detail these types of workouts and provide tons of valuable insight are: Laura Norris Running, Coach Debbie Runs, and Hungry Runner Girl.

Gear

The appropriate gear for training is essential. Below is my list of running items and personal favorites.

• Shoes: Asics Dynaflyte or Brooks Ghost. Shoes are SO SO SO important and not having the right shoes can completely derail training and cause injuries. To ensure that you have the best fit, visit a specialized running store so they can assess your gait. Depending on your gait, you will get a few recommendations of types of shoes to try. Keep in mind that your feet swell when running, especially at long distances, so going a half size up in your shoe is typically a good idea so you don’t loose any toenails.
• Socks: As someone who gets hella blisters, the right socks are key. My go to socks are Balega and Injinji socks. I never thought I would be a toe sock gal, but after trying them, count me in for life.
• Underwear: Sweat wicking is what you need, but I’ve personally found some random ones on amazon that work great.
• Bras: Honestly, I’m part of the itty bitty titty committee so I don’t have too many issues in this department. That said, my favorite ones that I own are from a brand called Montiel. They are meant for yoga, but they work great for me for running.
• Shorts: I am in love with Lululemon and Gymshark shorts. I am also itching to try the Outdoor Voices running shorts.
• Winter Jacket: If you don’t live in the frozen tundra like me, you can skip this item. I got a Lululemon running jacket a few years ago on clearance and it has been a lifesaver. Side zips, a front pocket, and a high funnel neck allow me to control my body temperature. The one I own is no longer sold on their site, but this one is similar.
• Light Jacket: The current light jacket I use is a champion jacket that I got years ago. You can find a lot of quality jackets for pretty decent prices at the big sports retailers.
• Tanks: I’m a cheapo when it comes to tanks so I’ll buy ones on sale from most brands. I tend to jump on Poshmark to get any tank, or long sleeve because you can find last years stuff for half the price.
• Long Sleeves: Poshmark.
• Leggings: Where to start? It is the era of leggings. My go to’s for running are from Nike, Lululemon, Lorna Jane, and Underarmour.
• Running Pants: The BEST running pants that I have are from Moving Comfort. They aren’t the sexiest, but they are the best over a pair of leggings for cold weather runs. A lighter pair that I’ve also been falling in love with are the session pants from Tracksmith.
• Head Lamp: We got ours off of amazon and it works great. Most running stores carry them and I would recommend having one if you plan to run outside from December – April since it gets dark so early.
• Body Glide: Basically the best thing since sliced bread for runners. I put this everywhere that I have tight elastic bands or am prone to chaffing during a long run.
• Running Watch: My husband and I both use garmin watches. Garmin makes a wide range that can do many different things. Personally, I don’t need all the bells and whistles. I prefer to be able to track distance, mileage, and pacing. The garmin app is also great because it collects even more data than what you see on your watch.
• Water Bottle: There are really 2 types: handheld and belt. I prefer the handheld whereas my husband prefers the belt. If we are going on a run under 15 miles we can typically get by with just one bottle.

Pre-Run

Before going on a long run, there are a few things you should do. First thing, check the weather. The weather shouldn’t necessarily stop you from doing your thing, but it will help inform how you dress. Additionally, it will give you a heads up on what you can expect. The best guidance I ever received on dressing for a run was to dress like it was 15 degrees warmer then what the forecast said. Since you’re running, you heat up pretty quickly, so you don’t want to dress too warm and be your own mobile sauna.

Secondly, I cannot stress enough to MAP YO RUN. I use the mapmyrun website and it’s been good to me for many years. It can be quite enticing to just go outside and run, but I’ve learned the hard way that you often end up getting lost because your run is so long and random obstacles can get in the way. If you are familiar with the area it may not be as big of a deal, but if you are traveling or aren’t certain where there are sidewalks and trails, make sure you have a planned out route.

Lastly, ensure you have your phone and watch charged. It absolutely blows to be out on a run and have your watch die. Even worse is when you can’t listen to music anymore and you have to convince yourself to run the last 6 miles in silence. Don’t be me, charge your shit.

Run

Finally, the good stuff. You’ve done all your homework, bought all the things, and now you have to do a run. My biggest piece of advice would be to start slow. I remember when I used to think I had to do every run 100% and I’d get a side stitch. Hated every second. I learned that building your base and easing into it was a much better approach. Start logging your pacing for runs and gauge how difficult the run was so that you can get a better picture of your easy, medium, and hard paces.

Positive self-talk and mantras are ESSENTIAL. Do this on your very first long run and keep doing it on every run. Your mantras do not need to be anything fancy. For my first run, my mantra was simply, “You are strong, you are fast” and “You got this Cate keep going.” Encouraging yourself throughout a run will pay dividends during the actual race when you’re at mile 22 and 4 miles seems like an eternity.

Fuel your body during your long runs. I honestly despise having to do this, but at a certain point our bodies run out of easily available energy to dip into and we need extra help. One rule of thumb is to take a little less than your body weight in calories every hour on a run that’s over 10 miles. Marathontrainingacademy podcast has a few great episodes on nutrition that you should take a listen to. Finding the right nutrition on runs is an individual endeavor and takes some trial and error.

Currently, my go to’s are ucan, MUIR Energy, Spring energy, and Stinger waffles. GU gels gave me an insane amount of GI distress, so I have done a lot of research to find easy to eat gels that have limited ingredients. I am currently trialing different Muir and Spring flavors. Ucan is a life saver if you don’t like taking fuel. If you take it a couple hours before your run, you can typically avoid taking fuel until about 2 hours into a run. For the actual race, this is a game changer because it cuts your need to carry fuel and take it in half. Full disclosure, its not the tastiest, but it gets the job done.

Any runs that are over an hour you should be carrying water with you. Take little sips and drink to thirst, not on a schedule. You do NOT want to become dehydrated while you’re running.

Post Long Run

This is where the real fun starts. Immediately when you get back you should do 2 things: Water and change your clothes. I almost always put an electrolyte into my water to replenish and then fill my water bottle up to have with me during the rest of the day. Please do not drink gatorade or powerade or whatever sugary crap that the major sports drinks brands are peddling. There are numerous quality electrolyte drinks that you can find at running stores or online. The ones I use are Skratch Labs and Nuun. Nuun is nice during a run to add because it comes in the form of tablets and can be easily carried in your water bottle pouch.

About 10 minutes after you finish your run, stretch. And I mean stretch. Be as thorough and comprehensive as possible. If you’re anything like me, you’ll probably stretch a few more times during the day, but getting a stretch in is crucial for a successful recovery.

Within 30 minutes of your long run, consume some protein. I often make a smoothie because it’s a quick and easy way to take in a lot of nutrients and doesn’t require a lot of energy to eat. My all time favorite smoothie is a frozen banana, chocolate milk, peanut butter, and protein powder smoothie.

Approximately an hour or so post run you should get in an actual meal including the following 3 things: Grain, Green, Bean. Once done eating, foam roll like your life depends on it. Any foam roller will do, but this is by far the BEST way to reduce soreness the next day. If you forget or skimp on it, you WILL notice. And no, stretching does not cut it.

I would hope it goes without saying, but I’m going to say it anyway – shower. Immediately after the run it can be tempting to jump in the shower, but that much heat to your muscles right away can make it harder for them to recover. If you are going to shower right away, make it a cold one. Once showered, throw on your cozies, put some compression socks on (if you have them), and make a nice little home on the couch. Later in the day try to get some easy walking in to loosen up prior to going to bed.

Key Takeaway

Well, I basically just threw up on this post. It’s a lot of information, but the one thing I’ve learned through marathon training is that you don’t have to be a self-proclaimed runner to run a marathon. Connor could barely run 10 feet without complaining before I convinced him to run our first marathon. Now, he can keep up with me and I’m not too happy about it.

Running is a major form of stress relief, and there is something about the dedication and resilience that marathon training takes that is highly therapeutic. If you’re not up for a marathon, sign up for a 5k or 10k. Honestly, just get yourself out there and get moving. Life is way too short to spend it on the couch all day (just part of the day).