Marathon and Half-Marathon (10 page)

The volume of the workload has increased, and although it’s a positive lifestyle change, you might be surprised at the far-reaching impact it has on the other areas of your life. Work, sleep, nutrition, and family are all affected. Adjustments and shifts in lifestyle take time. Persevere, and have faith that it will all fall into place as it should.

Phase 3 Programs

Coaching tips: Put the non-running pieces of your puzzle in place

It’s simply not enough to complete your three workout sessions each week. You need to create a positive framework that supports your goals. Here are some tips to remain healthy, rested, and upbeat throughout the 26 weeks of your training:

• Look forward to your recovery weeks. The decreased workload and volume will give you the mental boost and confidence to tackle the increases during the building weeks.

• Try to incorporate a cross-training day into your workout pattern. Besides being relaxing and fun, cross training provides you with the opportunity to improve core strength that will help prevent injuries as your body adjusts to the impact of running and walking.

• A relaxed Sunday walk is a great way to recover from your weekly long run on Saturday. Walking keeps the circulation flowing and helps your legs to recover.

• Make sure you work on your flexibility. Walking and running shortens the tendons and muscles, especially in your calves and hamstrings. Stretching before and after your workouts will ensure better recovery and help to prevent injury.

• Measure the distance of your runs. You will notice in the training program that we have included suggested times as well as specific distances in both kilometers and miles. Take a drive, and measure some of your running routes by using the car’s odometer. Measuring the length of your longer training runs will give you a sense of how long it will take you to complete the various distances. Also, running a measured route gives you confidence that you are getting closer to completing your distance.

• Body awareness is important. Pay attention to any small aches and pains. Keep track of them in your logbook to ensure they are only a result of working hard and disappear as the body gets stronger. It will take a while for you to grow accustomed to some increased fatigue as well as slight aches or pains from training.

• If you miss a week or two of training, do your best to gradually resume the program. Avoid jumping back into the schedule where you left off. Rushing drastically increases the chances of injuring yourself.

Phase 4:Weeks 13–16

You
have to stay in shape. My grandmother, she started
walking 5 miles a day when she was 60. She’s 97 today
and we don’t know where the hell she is.
—Ellen DeGeneres, American comedian

Milestone: You are over halfway through the program: Congratulations!

Goals for phase 4

1. To comfortably and safely walk/run half the distance of your event. For the marathoners that means a half marathon, or 13.1 miles (21 kilometers). For the half marathoners it means about 6.5 miles (10.5 kilometers) or jumping into a 10-kilometer event to test yourself.

Phase 4 Programs

How you might feel during this phase

It’s normal to feel a little anxious before your 10-kilometer or half-marathon event. After all, this might be the first race of your life. Refer to the section later in this chapter on preparing for event day.

Reviewing this section will alleviate some of the pressure you’re feeling. And remember, some anxiety can actually help your performance!

Coaching tips: Tackle the hills along your routes

Including hills in your training runs is a great way to build stamina needed to complete the half-marathon distance. If there are hills on either your half- or full-marathon course, it’s even more important to include at least a few hills on your regular training routes. If you decide to ease back and walk up the hills on race day, that’s okay. And even if your course doesn’t have any hills, you still might want to consider including some in the odd workout to build strength. Even some courses that don’t have big hills have inclines that can be ominous during the event... it’s always good to practice on some rolling terrain.

How to run hills

• Lean slightly into the hill while hinging at the waist.

• Keep the stomach and back strong.

• Focus your attention only a few feet in front of you.

• Shorten the leg stride slightly with small, quick steps.

• The most common mistake people make is over-striding up a hill. Test it yourself: try one hill with small, quick steps and the next with a longer stride. Guaranteed, you will discover your effort is greater with the longer stride.

• Land on the balls of the feet, and the second one foot touches the ground, consciously lift the other knee as quickly as possible and a little higher than normal.

• Remember to pump your arms. As always, the arms dictate the pace.

• Be patient. Take it one step at a time, and before you know it you will be going down the other side. Regardless of whether you walk or run up hills, getting to the top is a great confidence booster.

Tips