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To avoid stress injuries, it is important to train right and train with commitment. It is always better to practice on the roads to train your muscles. A workout for 90 minutes on various machines like treadmills, stationary bikes and stair climbers is not equivalent to half-marathon which would take almost the same time.
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Running long and slow is the best practice for a marathon. It takes runs longer than 25 km and slower than marathon race pace to get the physiology of endurance. Training short and fast or even up to 32 km at too fast a pace guarantees that you will 'run out of energy' on race day.
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Running in a marathon is not the same as running a short distance. It is much more demanding and calls for strong muscles which are the ammunition for completing the run. Strengthening the muscles is important in order to avoid cramps and injury. Weight training is vital to develop muscular strength and endurance.
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Marathon performance is usually dictated by endurance, not speed. The endurance to maintain the desired speed is what most runners need. The body needs to be trained to burn more fat and to spare glycogen to have enough energy.
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Carbohydrates are the best foods for long distance running. Pasta, which is packed with carbohydrates, is an important fuel for energy. It is stored in the liver and muscles as glycogen, and if these stores run low, it can often cause tiredness.
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| 6. |
Carbs do not necessarily make you fat; they are, in fact, a major source of energy. A typical marathon training diet is one that is around 65% carbohydrates, 25% protein and 10% fat. The idea behind a carefully designed eating plan is to ensure optimum hydration, nutrition and protein-building for a runner whose needs for muscle repair and building is much higher than usual.
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| 7. |
The body needs water to work. The exercising body needs a minimum of 236 ml of water every 20 minutes during exercise. This is true in training as well as racing. The replacement can come from sports drinks, energy bars, gels or candy. They need to be of the proper concentration to be absorbed, making it essential to drink water when using bars or gels. |
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