Steve Haywood Health & Fitness

My work brings me into contact with lots of runners so I get a good idea of what’s on the horizon regarding future races. A good proportion of the people I have talked to are working towards their first marathon next year with London, Edinburgh and Paris high on the agenda for April/May time. It is fairly obvious that a fair number of those people have little or no idea where to start with training so I thought I would put together a few pointers, not so much a specific training programme but an overview.

Let me first say there are lots of good training programmes available and many running clubs have their own advice columns. The first thing I would recommend , once you are committed, is to walk, cycle, or even drive for 26 miles so you are fully aware of the distance, because it is a long way. Most of you will be on your legs for between three and a half to five hours and it will probably be one of the hardest things you have ever done in every aspect. That said , the sense of achievement will outdo all other sensations so your goal is worth pursuing, it’s not easy to describe the euphoria.

The next stage is the planning. The right kit is essential so if you have not had your running analysed get along to your nearest specialist running shop and make sure you have the right running shoes. Remember you are going to take your body, mind and soul to a place it has never been before so treat this stage seriously. Take the opportunity to plug any gaps in your armoury regarding your running kit, I know it is obvious but you will also be training through the winter. So you are now fully prepared to embark on your next stage.

Either use a prepared training programme or work your own out with a few bits of advice. Remember to use your common sense with training, the old adage of the more you put in the more you get out only rings true up to a point, training intelligently is just as important. First decide how to balance your programme, how much time can you honestly give to this venture bearing in mind work, kids, and the other commitments we all have to try and fit in to our lives. This is vital as the time spent training should be increasing week on week, work on 10% per week if you can. However, it is vital you do not deplete your physical and mental levels to too low a level and risk injury or feeling it is all too much. One way of training is to leave your weekly training as it is and use the 10% rule for your weekend long run.

The longer run is vital to your preparation. It helps if you can share this with a group or a friend and keep the terrain interesting. Having a Garmin or equivalent can also be very handy so you can accurately measure your routes and also your progress and it can also be extremely useful on race day especially for your pace judgement. So sit down and plan the next 5 or 6 months, plot it down on your race diary and make sensible goals, do not be too ambitious or you could be very disappointed.

It is important to keep an overview of your training but also to keep it in perspective with the balance I mentioned earlier. Don’t be afraid to rest a little if you feel the training is taking too much out of you, that could be the difference between being able to carry on or getting the first niggles. Whatever you do, do not listen to any advice along the lines of training through a potential injury, I can state from first hand knowledge that it is not the way to go.

Whatever your reason for embarking on a marathon, keep it uppermost in your mind as there may be times when you wonder what on earth you have let yourself in for. Remember there are tens of thousands out there doing the same thing and you will all come together on race day with a common bond and goal. You are aiming for a unique experience, it cannot be bought, it has to earned,  and I wish you every success .