Get Up Off The Couch To 5K Running - A Quick Start Up Guide

If you're considering getting fitter and would like to go from lounging on the couch to 5k training then there are a few things you need to do first.

Give some consideration to the next few points before you start any 5k training plan: -

#1 Give Your Body The Once Over

First things first. Make an appointment with your doctor or physiotherapist to make sure you’re in good health or you have any joint or muscular complications before you begin your training.

#2 Invest In Your Health

The bare minimum any new runner needs is at least one pair of good quality running shoes, ideally selected for you by knowledgeable staff at a highly regarded running store that have the equipment to monitor your running style.

You’ll also have to do some research so you know exactly what changes you ought to be seeing throughout your training and how and when to take your training forwards or take a step back.

Lastly it will be a big help to you if you get some running clothing such as waterproofs, gloves, shorts, thermal underwear and running socks etc.

#3 Get The Foundations Right

Start off slowly, increasing your distances little by little, making sure you can allow an adequate amount of recovery time between training. I advise that you leave at least 24 - 48 hours in between very demanding runs to begin with, but more if you need it.

If you plainly are going from the couch to 5k training and can’t run at all to begin with then you should begin by power walking until you are able to jog easily, from then on you can push yourself a little faster. Running 3 times a week is usually enough to start seeing improvements in your fitness levels.

To find out more about going from the couch couch to 5k running, I would suggest ‘5k Training For Beginners.’ It’s one of the most effective 5k training schedules for beginners offered on the internet, perfect for anyone that wants to study how to run a 5k race in the quickest possible time. Click here to find out more.

The Significance Of Good Marathon Nutrition

Marathon nutrition is a little unlike most other forms of healthy eating. While the focus on most ways of eating is to minimise calorie intake and possibly reduce the intake of carbohydrates, in order for you to run at your best you will need to eat more calories than you need, but at the same time the likely outcome is that you will end up losing weight.

You'll be burning large amounts of calories during your marathon training, so it is important to eat more to make sure you have an adequate amount in store. If you've also got some weight to lose then this could make your running more difficult, so getting a rid of a few pounds will definitely help you to run faster, longer and with less stress on the joints.

One of the most foremost factors of marathon nutrition is that your body requires a supply of superior quality fuel to get the most out of your training.

The amounts of nutrients also have to be altered for somebody who runs frequently. Where most weight loss diets would recommend that you select somewhere in the region of 50 - 60 % of your foods from carbohydrate sources, a distance runner will need nearer to 70% calories from complex carbohydrates.

Carbohydrates are your body’s perfect choice for energy and this energy is saved in your muscles in the form of glycogen. You also require fats to create energy and if there aren’t enough being supplied in the diet, they’ll be taken and used from your own fat stores.

Another factor in creating a well balanced supply of marathon nutrition is that you’ll need a regular amount of low fat proteins. Proteins are required to help rebuild and repair damaged cells of the body which are a by product of your marathon training.

An ideal ratio of nutrient intake for marathon nutrition is: -

Carbohydrates = 65%
Protein = 15%
Fats = 20%

Always consider the quality of foods you select, try to choose foods as near to their natural state as possible with minimal processing. Opt for low fat and low sugar as much as workable and once or twice a week have a treat.

If you’d like to really run at your best then getting the right marathon nutrition is absolutely essential. The top runners in the world eat a diet specifically geared to improving their running ability. Whilst your aim might just be to actually finish a marathon it won’t be critical that your diet is perfect but getting it right will make a big improvement to the way you run.  Click here to find out the ideal runners diet and discover how to successfully run a marathon in the shortest possible time

The Problem With Most Marathon Training Schedules

Anything that has ever been achieved in life can usually be traced back to a plan or design, following a haphazard approach rarely gets the results we hope for.

Marathon Training Schedules are a bit like this in that you do need one. You need direction and goals and without a roadmap to stick to you will likely end up not achieving anything.

Watch out for any of these types of marathon training schedules: -

Ideal

Training for a marathon requires a routine and any worthy schedule should contain this. Also there need to be enough rest days, which allows your body to recover and the opportunity for you to add in further training if for some reason you haven’t been able to make your scheduled days.

The most important aspect of a good marathon training schedule is knowledge, you need to understand how your body and fitness should be developing. This will keep you motivated, but also you will be able to spot any signs of injury or overtraining long before they happen.

No Good To Anyone

Any training schedule that is a chart that just contains days and distances of runs or times for you to do is absolutely useless.

Training techniques have developed significantly over the last few years. Gone are the days of simply plodding away day after day, mile after mile. There are more effective ways to improve your fitness which don’t place the same stresses on to the body.

Just A Pack Of Lies

Any program that promises you can run a marathon as a complete beginner in just a few weeks is nothing short of scandalous. This type of claim may well sell training programmes, but it won’t yield many if any marathon runners.

Want to know more about training for a marathon?  ‘Marathon Training For Beginners’ will teach you all you need to know. It’s one of the most effective marathon training schedules for beginners available on the internet, ideal for anyone that wants to learn how to successfully run a marathon in the shortest possible time. Click here for more details.

Marathon Fitness - 3 Important Rules

Whilst training to run a marathon needn't demand any actual skill or talent as such, it does take determination and commitment, you will need to consistently give enough time to improving and developing your marathon fitness.

Marathon fitness can be summed up as the ability to be able to run the marathon distance completely (26.2 miles) in one go without stopping or giving up.

To accomplish this level of fitness, you will need to adhere to these 3 Important rules: -

Only Practice Makes You Better

To become good at anything requires practise. To become exceptional at anything requires practise, dedication and a will to be the best you can be. For the purposes of running your first marathon you are just aiming for a steady improvement in your body’s fitness and stamina levels which needs to be gradually encouraged over the course of many weeks, by following a marathon training program that is both structured and progressive (gets a little harder each run as your fitness improves)

Variation Spices Up Your Training

Running at a slow steady pace (steady state training) is desirable to some degree in order to build up your mileages, but you will boost the distances you can run far faster and more effectively by varying the way you train each session. By using advanced training techniques that push you in different ways such as hill running, speed work and interval training to name just a few, you will increase your marathon fitness at a much greater speed.

Once You Believe You Will Achieve

Once you know you can do something, you are much more likely to believe that you can do it. You’ll also understand how hard it feels when you go through it again and be prepared for it mentally. This is why at some point during your training you will have to try a long run at or around the marathon distance.

It is very important to ensure that you leave at least 2 or 3 weeks between your longest run and the real marathon so you have plenty of time to recover because the distance will take it out of your legs.

If you’re a marathon newbie that wants to learn how to quickly improve your marathon fitness and run a marathon in the shortest achievable time, then you need to turn your attention to finding out how your body adapts and changes during training, so you know when to move forward harder and when to back off a little. Without this awareness you really are playing a guessing game with your fitness.

If you've always wanted to run a marathon, ‘Marathon Training For Beginners’ will teach you everything you need to know, an entertaining and easy to use marathon training schedule for beginners that want to learn how to successfully run a marathon in the shortest potential time. Click here for more details.

Marathon Running Secrets - 5 Tricks Of The Trade

Marathon running has changed over the past few years like most other sports. The elite athletes have continuously run quicker and faster pushing the limits time and again.

The way that you train to run a marathon has also evolved, with many of the archaic beliefs and training techniques simply abandoned in favour of newer, more effective ways of improving fitness and endurance.

Perhaps the most important changes over recent years is that to become better at running longer distances, you don’t simply need to just run. In order to improve stamina it is still vital to ensure that you do perform some longer runs at marathon running pace, but these should only form an integral part of well balanced marathon training schedule and not be the sole type of training you use.

Whilst performing your training, these marathon running tips will help you to stay focussed:-

Keep an eye on your speed. A wrist watch with GPS tracking abilities will give you readings of your times per mile and running speeds as well as many other statistics which can provide various means of motivation and target setting.

If you have a heart rate monitor you can use it work within specific zones. For your longer steady state runs you should be working at between 60% - 70% of your maximum heart rate. (You can calculate this by subtracting your age from 220 then calculating the percentages in to beats per minute). For this type of training you need to be working hard enough so you begin to perspire, but not too hard so you can’t hold a conversation.

Listen to some motivational music, wherever possible opt for tunes that have a comparable beat to the pace you will be running at, music which is too fast has a tendency to raise your running pace.

Set yourself smaller goals to achieve along the way. Instead of focussing on completing the entire distance in one go, simply break it down in to smaller sections to beat your mind, then go and run each one until you do the entire distance. Doing this makes it much easier to stay motivated and keep going.

Find a running partner. This reason for this isn’t just for companionship, although this can often be a big help, but mainly for the extra encouragement and drive you will have if someone is running alongside you. For safety reasons this is also a very good idea.

Use a selection of running routes instead of sticking to just one. By choosing running routes that are interesting or attractive will serve to occupy the mind and provide a focus when you begin to feel tired.

The secret to successful marathon running is in the preparation. If you have trained properly and are adequately prepared, the race itself will seem a breeze. If you don't get your training right then your first marathon may well be your last.

My marathon training schedule will ensure that you are completely compared and ready to run your first marathon. Click here for more details.

Marathon Tips For Running Your First Marathon

Understanding how to actually run a marathon is essential to any first timer and any marathon tips you can use that will help should be followed to the letter, but test them first.

Without following the right advice, you run the risk of injury and falling short of achieving your goals. Here are my top 5 tips to help see you through race day.

Marathon Tip #1 

Don’t set off too fast. The buzz of excitement when you are lining up for the start of the race is usually electric and this can lead to a massive adrenalin burst which will lead you to running the first mile or two much faster than you would usually run them.. this can be a big blunder as it will take its toll on your energy stores especially in the latter stages of the race.

Marathon Tip #2 

Always, always, always thoroughly wear in a new pair of running shoes well in advance of your first marathon.. This should be done weeks before. New shoes can take many miles to get comfortable in and really mould to shape of your feet.

Marathon Tip #3 

Avoid eating anything at all in the two hours prior to the race because you will struggle to digest it properly. When you run, blood is diverted to the working muscles away from your stomach and digestive system which is then unable to break food down. This leads to nausea and stomach cramping which will severely jeopardise your race.

Marathon Tip #4 

Drink plenty of water. Not gallons of it in one go, just regular sips to take care of normal hydration levels.

Marathon Tip #5 

Don’t be competitive. It is very frustrating to see someone you think is out of shape, older or not as fit as you pass you by, but don’t try to keep up with them as this is a dangerous practice. They will almost certainly run at a pace that is right for them, you have your own pace. A marathon isn’t the time to let pride take over your judgement or common sense.

If you've always wanted to run a marathon, ‘Marathon Training For Beginners’ will teach you everything you need to know, an entertaining and easy to use marathon training schedule for beginners that want to learn how to successfully run a marathon in the shortest potential time. Click here for more details.

What Makes The Perfect Marathon Training Schedule?

This year is the one, you've decided to run a marathon and achieve one of your long term goals.

You’re ready, willing and able, but what do you do next?

At this point most people would look for a marathon training schedule. You can download them for free from most running or charity websites and generally they’ll give you a bunch of numbers, either distances or times that you need to run for each day.

The biggest problem with these giveaway marathon training schedules is that you’ll learn absolutely nothing about running a marathon and this puts you at serious risk of long term injury let alone ever being able to run one.

Any marathon training schedule worth reading shouldn't just be a list of times of miles for you to run each week and should include all of the following: -

• Nutritional advice including menus, snacks and foods that will help boost energy levels allowing you to run further and faster.
• Up to date marathon training techniques, not simply a list of miles or times to run each day. Modern marathon training techniques have progressed significantly. Overusing the same muscles and joints using outdated training techniques places too much stress on the body. Using advanced strategies as shown in my new guide ‘Marathon Training For Beginners’ will quickly improve fitness levels and reduce the time spent pounding the streets.
• How to pick the correct clothing and running shoes.
• Strategically placed rest days that account for the intensity of the previous days training.

But above all, an effective training schedule should teach you exactly how your body changes from the start of your training right up to race day. This way you’ll understand exactly when and how to change your training to boost your progress, quickly spot the signs of overtraining and sidestep debilitating injuries.

If you'd like to run a marathon, you need to understand how your body adapts and changes throughout the course of your training, choose a marathon training schedule that educates, not simply a free sheet of numbers that you've downloaded from a training website. You won't achieve your goal of running a marathon this way.