Run a marathon || HOW TO
PHYSICAL PREPARATION
You’d think a marathon training plan would just be run after run after run but no… it’s a bit more complicated than that
Pre -race
You’ll know if you’ve run a marathon before that 26.2 miles is a distance that requires a lot of respect to cover. It’ll take time to train properly for this iconic distance, so give yourself at least 12 weeks. If you can allow up to 16 weeks, you’ll have a bit more wiggle room to allow for any illnesses, injuries or holidays that could derail your focus for a couple of weeks.
You can train using one of the many training plans that are widely available online, and it’s worth starting with the Women’s Running 16-week base marathon plan (see page 50).
The key to a good training plan is to increase your volume by no more than 10% per week and to include a good mix of the types of runs you’re doing. You willfind that most plans include easy runs, tempo runs and interval sessions. The reason behind running at different paces and distances during training is that you need to condition your body to adapt to the training. You should train at either side of your planned marathon pace, so include some slower running and some faster running, as well your ideal marathon pace.