Download TOPIC: What Is The Best Workout When Preparing For A Marathon

A marathon requires a lot of aerobic endurance and, above all, an impressive amount of
dedication.
A marathon is not something just anyone should try without proper training. If want to
take up running, it may be best to try a half-marathon out first, to take a “test-drive.” If you can
handle the half, then step up to the full 26.2-mile race. Keep in mind, marathons can be very
taxing on the body, so it is recommended to get a full examination and be cleared by a physician
before taking up intense training.
What is the best workout when preparing for a marathon? Be specific.
Typically, when preparing for a marathon, you should already have at least some
experience with running and have a good aerobic base. If you’re a runner, you’ll be running long
before the big race, but the intense training should start about 4 months out.
Remember to always stretch before and after your running sessions. Pre-run, spinal
flexion and extensions, torso rotation, leg adductions and abductions, calf stretches, and lunges
are great to prep your body. After your run, loosen up by stretching your adductors, calves,
quads, hams, glutes and hip flexors. Hold these post-run stretches for a good 25 seconds each.
(1)
Now, for the serious marathon runner, your 15-weeks out workout is:
Week Monday
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
Jog - 4mi
Jog - 4mi
Jog - 4mi
Rest
Jog - 4mi
Jog - 4mi
Jog - 4mi
Rest
Jog - 4mi
Jog - 4mi
Jog - 4mi
Rest
Jog - 4mi
Jog - 4mi
Rest
Tuesday
6x200m Sprints, 200m CD
8x200m Sprints, 200m CD
10x200m Sprints, 200m CD
6x400m Hill, 400m CD
8x400m Hill, 400m CD
10x400m Hill, 400m CD
12x400m Hill, 400m CD
6x800m Interval, 400m CD
6x1000m Interval, 400m CD
6x1200m Interval, 400m CD
6x1600m Interval, 400m CD
12mi Race Pace
10mi Race Pace
6mi Race Pace
3mi Race Pace
Wednesday
Jog - 6mi
Jog - 6mi
Jog - 6mi
Rest
Jog - 6mi
Jog - 6mi
Jog - 6mi
Rest
Jog - 6mi
Jog - 6mi
Jog - 6mi
Rest
Jog - 3mi
Jog - 3mi
Jog - 3mi
Thursday
4mi Anaerobic
4mi Anaerobic
4mi Anaerobic
Jog - 12mi
4mi Anaerobic
4mi Anaerobic
4mi Anaerobic
Jog - 12mi
6mi Anaerobic
4mi Anaerobic
4mi Anaerobic
Jog - 6mi
4mi Anaerobic
2mi Anaerobic
2mi Anaerobic
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Jog - 4mi
Jog - 4mi
Jog - 4mi
Rest
Jog - 4mi
Jog - 4mi
Jog - 4mi
Rest
Jog - 4mi
Jog - 4mi
Jog - 4mi
Rest
Jog - 4mi
Jog - 4mi
Rest
Jog - 12mi
Jog - 15mi
Jog - 18mi
Jog - 12mi
Jog - 15mi
Jog - 18mi
Jog - 22mi
Jog - 12mi
Jog - 18mi
Jog - 22mi
Jog - 24mi
Jog - 12mi
Jog - 10mi
Jog - 6mi
Jog - 3mi
Jog - 4mi
Jog - 4mi
Jog - 4mi
Rest
Jog - 4mi
Jog - 4mi
Jog - 4mi
Rest
Jog - 4mi
Jog - 4mi
Jog - 4mi
Rest
Jog - 4mi
Jog - 4mi
RACE DAY
The distances “mi” is miles, and “m” is meters. Jog pace should be slightly slower than
the pace you plan to run during the marathon. On these jog days, just go easy, no need to rush
and really get your heart rate up. 65-75% of your maximum heart rate is just fine. On sprint days,
the training is geared to increase your stride length, to pull you further ahead of the competition.
The sprints should be done in intervals, so a cool-down (CD) should be performed after each
sprint. The hill training days are meant to help build strength in your muscles, also to help stride
length. The hill should not be too steep, and try to get your heart rate up to 90-95% maximum.
Interval training helps for an all around leg muscle strengthening. These intervals will help you
speed past the other runners on race day. On anaerobic days, you will be pushing yourself to 8590% of your maximum heart rate. This portion of the training helps your body fight lactic acid
build-up due to glycogen breakdown. Using this program, by race day you should be more than
prepared to stay ahead of the pack and cross the finish line with ease. (1)
What are some of the worst habits long distance runners can fall into?
A problem seen in many runners is drinking water far too much. This will affect the runner
the most on training days and the big race day. What happens during a run is that some
electrolytes are sweat out of the body. Drinking lots of water can actually dilute the electrolytes
left in the body, called hypoatremia, which can lead to some serious health issues. A solution to
this is to “recharge” your electrolytes during and after running with a sports drink, or with a packet
of salt to eat when needed. (2)
Another pitfall a runner can get into is not eating enough protein. Often, runners focus so
much on carbohydrate intake they forget about protein. Protein is not only important to keep the
muscle on your body, but to repair tissues damaged from running. This is very important. You
can’t expect your body to go through the stress of running and expect it to heal without adequate
resource. For runners training for a marathon, you should be taking at the bare minimum 1g of
protein per pound of bodyweight per day. During intense training, you may even want to increase
that amount up to twice as much.
Often, runners swarm to the bargain bin when buying shoes. Sometimes it’s possible to
get a good pair of kicks for cheap, but try not to be too thrifty. The only equipment a runner really
needs is a good pair of running shoes, so try to invest a little bit to get a decent set. Having shoes
that offer little support or padding can cause or sustain injury. Remember it is common for parts of
the body to ache or be fatigued, but pain is your body’s way of telling you to tone it down a couple
notches. Be sure to treat pains and injuries appropriately.
What is the best meal to eat the night before a marathon?
When I used to run marathons, the couple nights before the big race the event would
host a “Spaghetti-Fest.” Basically, it was a buffet of pasta for runners to fill their bodies with
carbohydrates. “Carbing-up” saturates the muscle with glycogen stores, after a depletion phase
restricting glycogen storage. “Carbo-loading” fills your muscles with glycogen, without the
depletion phase. Most of the time, the depletion phase is not needed, so carbo-loading is the
recommended option. During the run, this stored glycogen will be broken down into glucose
moieties to provide you with energy. The best type of carbohydrates to eat the night before a
marathon is complex carbs. This type of carbs will store in your body for sustained energy. Some
examples of complex carbs are most pastas, breads, brown rice, oats, beans and yams to name
a few. The good weapon of choice is pasta. Eating simple carbs like most fruits and sugary foods
will initially give you energy, but won’t stick around for the big race. (3)
Another nutrient runners should have in their system for the run is glutamine. This amino
acid can help with endurance by keeping up your glycogen stores as you break it down for
energy. Glutamine will also help you keep your immune system up after stressing your body. (4)
Dietary glutamine is usually obtained from meats, dairy and some vegetables. The night before
the big race its best to supplement this amino acid, so you don’t end up eating too much and
have digestive problems during the race.
BONUS QUESTION: How hard is it to gain muscle when training for a marathon?
For most marathon runners, having more weight to carry around means more energy
needed to fuel your body during the run. So typically, gaining mass isn’t a common goal when
training for a marathon. Running also will require your muscle to preferentially repair itself above
hypertrophy. Another issue with trying to gain mass during training for a marathon is that
resistance training will more than likely leave your muscles and body fatigued for the running
sessions. Not ideal.
But, if your goal is to gain muscle, your diet and weight training will ultimately dictate how
much muscle you will gain. If you have the right amount of amino acids in the body, your muscles
will be stimulated to grow. Most of the time, it’s the legs that are the first to grow on a runner’s
body, for obvious reasons. What you need to do if you want to gain muscle mass on your entire
frame during marathon training is eat. Eat constantly. You need to fill your body with a caloric
excess that won’t be fully expended during exercises. Now, when you lift, lift heavy. Progressively
overloading your muscle will ensure your muscles are given the proper signal to start growing.
It is important to recognize before working towards muscle gain and marathon
preparation, it is one of the hardest things to do. Marathon training will burn high calories, leaving
a less than ideal amount floating around to aid in hypertrophy.
Cheers
mrkdrt
References
(1)
Impact Magazine – March/April 2007
(2)
Noakes, T. 2002. Hypoatremia in distance runners: fluid and sodium balance during
exercise. Current Sports Medicine Reports. 1: 197-207.
(3)
Burke, L. M. 2007. Nutrition strategies for the marathon: fuel for training and racing.
Sports Medicine. 37: 344-347.
(4)
Castell, L. M., and E. A. Newsholme. 1997. The effects of oral glutamine supplementation
on athletes after prolonged, exhaustive exercise. Nutrition. 13: 738-742.