1st marathon in April - give me your one best tip...

4 watchers

mulbs Dec 2013 1:24pm, 3 Dec 2013 9,953 posts	0 mulbs snow-white I trained with a plan from a book called "marathon running for non-runners" or something like that - I had been running for years but furthest had been half distance and I am v slow, it was a brilliant book and a realistic plan - find a plan that suits your time/lifestyle and don't fret if you can't always follow it so long as you more or less do
Tiny Runner Dec 2013 1:24pm, 3 Dec 2013 20 posts	0 Tiny Runner Totally what they said Also test the on course nutrition before the race. If you can't handle it you'll need time to find out what works for you and carry it. And don't believe the instructions on the gel wrapper, you don't need one every 20-30 mins. One an hour is plenty for most runners (the compromise is necessary as you don't want your blood directed away from your muscles BUT you don't have enough calories on board to run the whole thing either). When the going gets tough think about what an awesome thing you are doing. Think about the medal, about meeting your friends and family at the end… Don't let negativity in and ENJOY IT!
Son of a Pronator Man Dec 2013 2:00pm, 3 Dec 2013 7,608 posts	0 Son of a Pronator Man 3 tips. You wanted one but you can have the others free.. Do the training Get to the start line fit and healthy Have a realistic race plan and stick to it.
snow_white78 Dec 2013 2:05pm, 3 Dec 2013 80 posts	0 snow_white78 oh wow mulbs - i have that book and had totally forgotten i'd bought it!! Just rediscovered it on bookshelf upstairs - yay!!!
snow_white78 Dec 2013 2:06pm, 3 Dec 2013 81 posts	0 snow_white78 3 for the price of 1
MarkyMarkMark Dec 2013 2:24pm, 3 Dec 2013 First-time poster!!	0 MarkyMarkMark Vaseline on bits that rub. Oh, elastoplasts on the bits that you didn't realise rubbed! Good quality ones - the £1 shop specials sweat off......
DeeGee Dec 2013 2:33pm, 3 Dec 2013 15,052 posts	0 DeeGee No alcohol before mile 14.
Watford Wobble Dec 2013 2:35pm, 3 Dec 2013 2,648 posts	0 Watford Wobble A very wise young runner who has a big bushy tail told me 'Winter miles, summer smiles.' It's all about the miles.
Wirral Dave Dec 2013 2:39pm, 3 Dec 2013 74 posts	0 Wirral Dave Most important thing about a training plan is understanding it's a plan, not a recipe. Missing the odd session will leave your body feeling slightly fresher, but many stress that if they don't do every run it will majorly ruin their race. It won't. Think of every session you miss ais a little more pain at the end - so it's not good to miss them, but not that bad either. The other advice, about running more generally, is that every training session should be about how you feel the next day, not how well you train that day. Don't think you need to run fast, or well, in training. Concentrate on getting the distance in your legs and still feeling able to run the next day. If any sessions leave you waking up with aches, you ran them far too fast. Even the long runs, which might sound daunting, shouldn't be leaving your legs feeling that tired the next day - if they do, slow them down (or walk parts if you wish).
jog-on Dec 2013 2:47pm, 3 Dec 2013 1,365 posts	0 jog-on some great advice on here, Ill echo "slow long miles" The more miles you can manage to fit in per week (building up sensibly of course) will make the marathon experience more enjoyable and recovery quicker. The slower the miles the better so you reduce the chance of injury and running with a heart rate monitor will help with this this as most people are running a lot faster than they need to. (One of my big mistakes training for my first mara) So to repeat many other on here..... miles miles miles