The good news is you are already 50% of the way to your goal because you want it! My first tip would be to write that down somewhere so you can look at it when the training gets tough. Remembering that you want to run, and enjoy running, will be the magic cure for everything I promise.
So, 50% done. Check. Awesome. Now what?
How do you get to that 100% goal achieved status? Well the next 49% is going to be all training. There are a lot of training plans out there and my second tip is to use none of them. Training for a marathon should not take over your life or be an add-on for a few months. Running should complement your lifestyle and work with it rather than against it. I’ve never understood the people who spend the 16 weeks complaining about running too much and seeing their friends to little. With a little planning ahead I promise you can fit in the training you need to do to run a marathon and still see your friends, succeed at work, and even *gasp* have a few fun nights out.
How?
Learning how to run a marathon is a lesson in focus. Plan your weeks ahead and focus on what sessions are important. If you are looking to improve your time or hit a specific time goal? Do those speed sessions. If you are building up to marathon distance? Get the long slow runs in with lots of time on your feet. If something comes up and you miss a session? Let it go. Do not try to squeeze it in another day or add it to another session. Your body will thank you more for the extra recovery time than the marginal gains of that missed session.
Rest as hard as you run
We are really good at pushing ourselves during hard training sessions, but we are rubbish at resting. Resting hard will complement your training and give your body the time it needs to absorb what it learned during training. Really think about resting hard and just resting. I’ve used yin yoga and meditation techniques to a lot of success in my marathon training. Find what works for you.
Repeat the above a few times and we’re up to 99% of your goal achieved!
The next 1%? Run the marathon. It’s your victory lap (I never believed anyone who told me this until I ran my first marathon) – enjoy it!
Article created by Laura Stewart
