Getting ready to run — or race — a marathon is an undertaking of significant effort. Having miles in your legs isn’t the final arbiter of race day success — or performance. Here are some critical points to consider as you prepare for the final push to your marathon.
One of the most frequent marathon training questions I am asked has to do with the “best” distance for the weekly long run. At first I thought everyone was obsessed with the long run, but I have come to realize that people are really asking me something entirely different: “How far do I need to […]
When it comes to eco-friendly exercise, outdoor running is about as low-environmental-impact as you can get. It doesn’t require much in the way of gear. You don’t have to drive to a field or other location in order to train. You can run in virtually any environment or weather conditions (except lightning storms). If you […]
Not all marathon running schedules are created equal, and your training might be suffering because of it. This isn’t the case for everyone, but it’s especially true if you run slower than 9-minute miles during your long runs. Here’s how you can adapt your training plan.
One of the most challenging aspects of running long, especially in the hotter months of the year, is managing your fluid intake. It doesn’t matter how fit you are, or how smartly you pace yourself — your body simply can’t perform to it’s potential if it’s lacking fluids. Every long run in your training cycling […]
Once you get over the initial fear of running and running long, most beginner runners fall head over heels (yes, pun intended!) for the sport. But like anything else, too much running can be less than ideal. Here’s how you can channel your newfound passion for running into improved fitness and results without risking injury.
photo credit: maryames Note: This is another installment in the Marathon Nation Guest Post Series. I hope you enjoy the fresh perspective! For many years, I avoided the marathon because of its distance. I couldn’t fathom how I would train for the 26.2 miles, let alone race it. And so I bought a book on […]
The period of time leading into your next marathon brings a lot of distinct challenges that are entirely unrelated to the race itself: tapering, traveling, eating, sleeping, etc. While important, these disparate elements don’t matter as much as the fitness you bring to the starting line and the plan you have in place to reach […]
On a recent trip to Portland OR, I fell in love with running. Again. This happens every so often, and every time it does I am reminded of how lucky I am to be able to run at all, much less with my whole spirit. In a world full of deadlines and splits and mounting […]
A well-executed marathon is the intersection of three key variables: fitness, strategy, and race execution. You could also argue that a solid dose of good fortune can also help, but experience has shown that even perfect temps and a slight tailwind can’t compensate for not being in shape, having no plan, and making poor in-race […]
With the Goofy Challenge mere days away, and the growing popularity of more hard core running events that let you stack up serious miles like Reach the Beach or Bay to Breakers, this article is meant to address the need for almost instant run recovery. Success in endurance running events has less to do with […]
With the New Year upon us, your peers and countless websites are undoubtedly urging you to make resolutions to be a newer and better you. While I think this annual exercise can be a useful one, the changes we pick almost never turn out to work the way we planned — sometimes this is good, […]
If marathon training is hard, then training for a marathon though the winter is downright difficult. Instead of just worrying about mileage, you now have to take the weather, daylight, and countless other factors into account. If you are training for Disney or a similarly timed event, you have little choice but to get tough […]
There is no such thing as being 100% ready for a marathon. While we can strive for perfection in terms of training and scheduling and recovery, the reality is that many of us simply fall short of the perfect-little-world that’s outlined in the training plan taped to our fridge. This is partly due to extenuating […]
Whether you are coming back from injury or just realized you only have a few weeks left to race day, your problem is the same question I receive almost daily via email: How can I modify my training plan to get ready for my next marathon in a short time frame? Here are the official […]
One of the most challenging aspects of marathon training has to do with what makes it so effective: a repetitive weekly schedule. Here’s how to include some variety in your training program with unique workouts to keep things fun and fresh. Check out Run Roulette, our new iPhone app that will help you be a […]
