Ask Yourself Before You Hit the Road

Marathon Training - What Main Questions to Ask Yourself Before You Hit the Road
By Marius Bakken

A marathon is 26.2 miles long. That is not a distance to be run or walked as a light-hearted undertaking. You have to train for it and pick the right type of marathon training. But, with the right sort of training, that distance is within the capabilities of many more of us than we might imagine.

Look at the number of sick and even terminally ill people that tackle marathons head-on and get through them! Yes, often they do that for charity, so is that the motivation you need?

26.2 miles can seem a little daunting at first, so you need to have a good reason to do it that will carry you through the weeks of sometimes very hard training. Do you want to finish in a certain time? Whatever your goal is, having one in mind will really help your marathon training.
There are three main questions you should ask yourself before you start on your marathon training schedule.

1. Set your goals. What are your goals ? Just as it is important to have a motivation for the actual marathon, if you set goals for your training, it will help you stick at it. Being clear about your goals will help you to decide upon an effective marathon training program and stick to it. Following the program with the its and downs is extremely important but with the right motivation it is so much easier.

2. Pick good running shoes for your feet. Do you have the right gear for the challenging marathon training? For marathon running, when you are going to be on your feet a long time, it is essential that you wear really good running shoes that fit well and support your feet and ankles. You would be best advised to visit a specialist running shop for marathon shoes.

3. Find out what marathon training schedule that fits you the best. Have you chosen a good training program ? There are a variety of different marathon training programs which differ both in length and difficulty. Usually they are between eighteen and twenty four weeks long, so be aware that it is a serious commitment you are making here. How long a training program you opt for depends on your goals.

If you aren't bothered about your time and simply finishing without being hospitalized is your goal, then a training program of 18 weeks should be long enough. Most top marathon runners in the world do 2-3 marathons yearly and this is in line with the 18 week type program.

If you aim for a longer program, you may want to consider some alternative training on the way to avoid getting injured on the way.

There are many marathon training programs around in books and on the internet, so do some research before you decide what is right for you. A popular training program is to train five days a week: four of them running and one day of cross training.

Marius Bakken is a two time Olympic runner and expert in the fields of running and health. For more detailed information on training for a marathon visit his website http://www.marathon-training-schedule.com

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