TRAINING TIPS FROM SUMMA HEALTH

We’ve teamed up with our friends at Summa Health to develop a series of tips to take you from the start of your training to the finish line on race day!

TRAINING TIPS

10 Marathon Truths taken from Hal Higdon’s “Marathon: The Ultimate Training Guide, 4th Edition”

 

Truth #1 – Progressively Longer Runs Guarantee Success
During the build up to the marathon, or half marathon, weekly mileage increases along with the length of the long run. It is suggested to increase both the weekly mileage and weekly long run by no more than about 10%.

Truth #2 – Rest Days Help Keep You Healthy
The purpose of training is to break the body down so it will rebuild itself stronger than before. The musculoskeletal system generally requires 48 hours to recover after a hard workout. It’s when you fail to allow time for the rebuilding phase that problems occur.

Truth #3 – Take One Step Back To Take Two Steps Forward
Taking rest days is not enough to guard against the dangers of overtraining; most successful marathon programs also include rest weeks in which runners both cut mileage and reduce/eliminate the weekend long run. Consider reducing your mileage one week after building mileage for 2-3 weeks.

Truth #4 – Speed Training Serves As A Double-Edge Sword
Speed training can improve fitness level but it can also increase risk of injuries.

Truth #5 – Learning Pace And Learning To Race Are Critical Skills
Running slowly at the start works well for beginners, but more experienced runners eventually must learn to fine-tune their pace to achieve peak-performance. The goal for many experienced runners is “negative splits,” running the first half slightly slower than the second half.

Truth #6 – Consistency Counts In The Long Run
Consistency with a purpose is critical to success in the marathon.

Truth #7- Do Not Overlook Good Nutrition
If you make poor food choices you compromise your ability to train hard. Most successful marathoners follow diets that contain around 55 percent carbohydrates, 30 percent fats, and 15 percent protein.

Truth #8 – Practice Everything Connected With The Marathon
Use your long runs and build up races to practice what food and replacement fluids work well for you. Additionally, use these runs to practice your warm up, drinking on the run, determining what shoes and clothes work best, and your race strategy.

Truth #9 – Tapering Is Both An Art And A Science
The length of the taper can differ for each runner and can range from 10 days to 3 weeks. Tapering not only permits the healing of any damaged or fatigued muscles but also promotes maximum glycogen storage. Although mileage drops during the taper, the speed at which you run that mileage should not.

Truth #10 – Without Motivation You Never Will Succeed
Motivation needs to come from within. Finishing a marathon requires courage and commitment. You need to be committed to your training