Hope that you are all well. If any of you will be doing the Standard Chartered Marathon this year I would highly recommend that you start to think about training in the next week.
The key is to start gradually. There is no benefit at all in doing so many miles per week at this stage. If you are a beginner, 15 miles per week would be a good starting point. For the more advanced runner, I would start at 30 miles per week (including a 10 miler at the weekend).
This week I will focus on the long run that you will do once a week. I will focus on other aspects of your training in later weeks.
Long runs
Your long runs are possibly your most important aspect of your marathon training. It’s OK to miss out on a few shorter runs throughout the week, but you definitely don’t want to miss any of your long runs!
Maybe the most important thing to do with your long runs is to mimic the surface and terrain that you will run on in your race. If you have been running on trails when the race will be on flat tarmac, your body will need some time to adapt to the tougher surface.
Your long runs are the best way to allow your body to acclimatise to the energy demands and constant pounding on the pavement. One long term benefit of your longs runs is the increased ability for your body to use your stored fats as energy rather than the carbohydrates (glycogen) stored in your muscles. This will hold you in good stead come marathon day as you will then have more glycogen to push us along in the latter stages of your race. When you are super low on glycogen then you will see surely your performance deteriorate.
You should feel relaxed during your run. Your running pace will be little slower than you would do the race in, maybe a minute slower than normal per mile. If you feel strong in the latter half of your training run you can increase your pace. Remember we are not racing here, so there is no benefit here in busting a gut on each long run that you do. This is actually more pointed towards experienced runners who are less inclined to want to run slower than normal.
Together with running a little slower, you will want to increase the mileage of your long runs on a weekly basis. You will not need to do the whole 26.2 miles in training. 20 to 22 miles should be sufficient. Especially when you combine the rest of the training that you will do during the week.
I will be posting a blog on some speed sessions that you can do to help improve your running pace and power. This is also a valuable part of your training as your heart will be working at very high intensities, and will hold you in good stead for your race.
Happy running to you all.
Simon
Thursday, 10 June 2010 13:29
Hey fellow runners!
I would like to introduce myself to you all. My name is Simon. (You may view my profile in the trainer profiles section!)
My running experience stems from when I was 7. I had always been active playing any sport that I could. One day whilst on tour with my Dad and his band we took part in a charity run. I took to the running quite well and by the end of the event I had managed to run a half marathon! I remember receiving an elastic band upon each completed lap, eventually you could barely see my arm for elastic bands. I have been running ever since. My main goal this year is to do the Standard Chartered Marathon this year (Dec 5th). I will be going for a personal best time of around sub-3 hours. My previous best time is 3.30 so it will be interesting how I get on... This is actually my first marathon for a while, as over the last few years I have been doing longer distanced events. I will be following a 16 week programme in which I will be mixing up my sessions between doing long road runs, to doing intervals down the track. I will be chronicling my progress in a training blog week by week. In each blog entry I will be giving out tips. Tips on how to improve running performance as well as on the nutritional support required. My hope is, that not only will beginners be able to use this information, but that seasoned runners will also find the content informative. Good luck to all of those who are participating and don't forget you can join in the discussion with other runners on our chat forum!Take care everyone. My warmest regards,Simon P.S. If there is enough interest, then I would like to host at least a couple of seminars. Each seminar can provide you with valuable tips that you can take away and immediately use to better enjoy your running.
Personal Fitness Training 
