Marathon is cool, fashionable and very trendy. A kind of running gestalt, which every self-respecting runner should close. Beginners, having overcome 5 km for the first time, immediately set themselves the ambitious goal of 42.2.
Preparing for a marathon from scratch in a few months is considered the norm, the finish of an obviously unprepared person on the strength of a buffalo is heroism, and numerous injuries are inevitable for an amateur who wants to develop and progress.
I suggest moving away from the approach "everyone ran, and I ran" and honestly answering a few questions for yourself that will help you figure out whether you should join the general marathon flash mob or postpone it for now.
Warning just in case: the article is not motivating, not in the style of "You can do it", "Kill yourself by running, Beat yourself" and other pathetic nonsense. Rather, about the difficulties of preparation, which should be known in advance, as well as reasons not to register for the marathon.
Do you really need it?
1. Do you have a sufficient base?
A marathon is not 4x10 or even 2x21. This is a serious distance that requires thorough basic and special training, and does not forgive mistakes and shortcomings. There are, of course, unique people with an amazing reserve of strength who manage to run a marathon from scratch without training, and nothing is done, but most people do not treat them.
The task of basic training is to make running a regular activity for the body, having adapted the cardiovascular system, musculoskeletal system and developed sufficient endurance to this task. These are big changes that take time, especially if you've been an office plankton for years.
Gradually, equal distribution of forces and patience – during training and at a distance
What can be considered a sufficient basis for a marathon? The following criteria emerged from the sifted books and articles:
- at least a year of regular running (for people who do other cycle sports, it may be less). Jogging once a week to suit your mood is not considered regular.
- the ability to run 40-50 km per week, without overexertion and without injury, on duty and recovering normally.
It is clear that this is very averaged without taking into account the individual characteristics of a particular runner and her physical form, but for general understanding it is good.
If you have a base, you can start special training for the marathon, which usually takes 3-4 months of targeted training.
Experience of preparing for the first marathon: analysis of flights
2. Will you be able to allocate time for preparation?
At first glance, it is not difficult to estimate how much time will be needed for training. Different sources indicate different minimum training mileage required to run (rather than crawl) a marathon. On average, figures of 50-60 km per week are given as a minimum peak volume for a marathon. As always, this is an average for a spherical runner. If you, for example, still have a decent amount of bike loads, then running can be less, etc.
We take the average weekly raid, the average pace and get an estimated number of hours. There is a big caveat here, because In fact, it will take significantly more time to prepare. Other things to consider:
- travel time to the training places
Preparation for a marathon in winter; in the absence of appropriate domestic routes for long-term or high-speed works; if you are going to train with a running club etc.
- time for warm-up before training and stretching after
- time for cross training
"Just running" is a bad marathon training plan, especially for sedentary runners. In order to run well, recover, and minimize injury, other types of exercise are needed, including strength training for runners (STR). Swimming and stretching classes will be on the topic. Feel free to add another 2 hours a week.
- sleep time
Sleep is the basis of full recovery. If you do not have the opportunity to sleep regularly, preparing for a marathon is not a good idea. With increased loads, the number of hours the body needs to sleep may increase.
In general, preparing for a marathon is a time-consuming process, and it is better to soberly assess your capabilities in advance than to find out later that training does not fit well into your current lifestyle. And yes, the option "I will run when I can, according to my mood" will not work here, you need a clear plan and schedule.
How to find time to run: some ideas
3. Do you often get running injuries?
I have repeatedly encountered the opinion among amateur runners that without injuries there is no progress and development, and this is the norm of life, a matter of life. Feelings that reason in this spirit are people who make a professional living by running, and not ordinary amateurs, for whom, by design, health is a priority. Artificial ambitions defeat common sense and the instinct of self-preservation.
A marathon with an injury (as well as with an illness, if you're talking about me) – it's stupid
I will say the unpopular: injury is not the norm and not inevitable. It just means that you, sorry for the directness, have fixed. And it is much more promising to consider it your personal mistake (which you can analyze and draw conclusions), and not some offensive phenomenon of nature that does not depend on you in any way. If you make these mistakes with an enviable frequency, not remembering when you ran without injuries for at least six months or a year, then instead of a marathon, you should start reviewing your approach to training, strengthening the musculoskeletal system and other boring but useful things.
What helps me run without injuries (more than 8 years and 20,000 km)
4. Do your loved ones support you?
The support or at least a calm and neutral attitude towards your antics from the people you live with is very important. The extra time spent on training is usually at their expense, and the ability to balance all areas of life comes only with experience. It rarely works the first time.
Supporting your friends during training and at the distance is a serious advantage
It is unlikely that a partner who has a negative attitude to the very idea and believes that you are wasting time on nonsense will be sympathetic to a schedule in which a few hours of the weekend are spent on a long run, and after that the priorities of life are shifted to the side of "lie/sleep/eat" ". Unusually difficult workouts become a tangible stress for the body, and recovery after them is not always compatible with household feats and active family time.
The insults and dissatisfaction of loved ones can be understood: after all, by and large, all these running around are quite selfish hobbies. Are they ready to understand and support your desire? If not, is the goal of family tension and damaged relationships worth it? A question worth thinking about.
5. Are you ready to take a break from an active social life?
It's hard for the sociopath in me to appreciate the depth of the delusions, but rumor has it that marathon training really does have a negative effect on the social lives of people who have it. Which is quite logical: more time is spent on training, and in the rare free intervals you want to mostly sleep and rest, preferably in a horizontal position.
Yes, the way of life in general shifts towards the boring-healthy: almost or completely without alcohol (after it, running is harder, and the heart rate is higher), you have to go to bed on time (training with lack of sleep is a pleasure for connoisseurs), the diet changes to be more useful.
There is a big chance that not all acquaintances and friends will understand your enthusiasm and shifted priorities, and during the preparation for the marathon, you will have to slightly fall out of the usual company and joint activities.
6. Are you ready for additional financial expenses?
The cost of participation in the marathon is not limited to the entry fee. Of course, there are the occasional lucky few whose running gear turns out to be just right. But most often when mastering long distances of 30+ km, all kinds of unpleasant surprises are revealed. In the usual sneakers, the knee begins to hurt, or they turn out to be too small (and it did not bode well for the half-marathon). Such a trifle as unsuccessful socks can deliver a whole range of indescribable sensations. The old tried-and-tested T-shirt suddenly rubs. And further down the list.
It is not always possible to choose sneakers the first time
Until something has been tested for long periods of training in different weather conditions, it is impossible to say for sure whether it will work for you or not. As a result, you have to experiment and it is far from always possible to guess on the first try - this also requires experience and knowledge of one's own characteristics.
If training is planned for the summer, you will most likely need a bottle belt or other drinking system. In winter, you may have to pay for the opportunity to sometimes train in the arena. All food and beverages to be used in the marathon must be purchased and tested in advance. In general, there are many ways to spend money. Not all of this is so vitally necessary, but, at a minimum, shoes and clothes should be carefully selected and not cause trouble.
Nutrition also needs to be checked
7. What about motivation?
The fastest thing in a marathon is not overcoming 42 km and not even the famous last ten. And training, which allows you to turn it into hard work and even some perverted pleasure. Collecting likes on social networks under the status about registering for a marathon quickly ends, and 3-4 months of self-discipline, leaving the comfort zone, insecurity, doubting one's abilities and slowly but constantly moving forward begin.
The last 10 km – not the most difficult
It's actually a very cool and useful life experience, but only if you know exactly why you need it. The motivation "for the company", "because everyone is running a marathon", "I don't know" and the lack of a clear understanding of why this is important to you is unlikely to work here. If you have doubts and are not ready to invest in preparation, then you should honestly answer the question whether you really need it now, or whether the goal is imposed by fashion, the desire to be in the flow and ideas about how it should be.
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Read more:
- Mriya.run: Your Space for Self-Discovery & Motivation
- The Mental Run
- 7 questions to answer BEFORE registering for the marathon