Transcript Do*s and Don*ts of Marathon Training

Top 5 Marathoning Tips
BY STEVE LONG
1. Know why you are doing what
you’re doing…
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Motivation
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Changes
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Setbacks, injury, illness, fatigue
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To become better
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So you don’t make mistakes
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Creates independence
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Help others
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Because it’s the right thing to do!
2. Long run
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Glycogen (energy) depletion
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Psychological depletion
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Training effect: understanding and experience with longer bouts of
running
Blood lactate accumulation
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Training effect: empty the tank, so when it fills up, it fills up a little more
Training effect: your body becomes more efficient at reusing lactic acid
as a fuel source.
Other biomechanical & physiological benefits
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Joint strength, muscle repair, cellular changes, capillary development,
etc.
3. Recovery
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Training effect
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Repair

Build
More important than the workout
4. Goal setting
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Process Goals (i.e. mastering your training schedule, reading about
marathoning, eating better for the purpose of marathoning)
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Help make the process more rewarding
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More long term

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Outcome Goals (i.e. setting a PR, breaking 4 hours, beating your
husband)
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Motivational
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Short term typically
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Future benefits (psychologically and physiologically)
End after the marathon (emotional let down)
Shorter goals on your way to longer goals (Half leading up to marathon)
“Success is a journey, not a destination”
5. Have a plan and stick to it
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Progression, progression, progression
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A plan is more than just a collection of workouts
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Magazine workouts or through the grapevine workouts
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Trains multiple systems (aerobic capacity, aerobic endurance,
anaerobic capacity, anaerobic endurance, running economy, etc.)
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Individual plans are the best (coaches or knowledgeable people)
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Train based on current fitness, NOT goal fitness
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Stick to training intensities
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Faster does not equal better most of the time
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Faster may mean way worse
And 1: Keep a training log
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And brag!
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Digital vs. paper
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Motivational
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Record of progression
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Helps with future training
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Keeps you accountable
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Visual
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What works and what doesn’t
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Motivational quotes
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Tracks setbacks
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It’s proof you did it (time tends to warp accomplishments)
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Fun!