Great things only need three ingredients. Best example: pancakes. Second best example: Marathon training. In this blog, I’m highlighting the three most important parts of a marathon preparation. Obviously, it’s a bit simplified, but my own training revolves around three main aspects. I’ll talk about them in detail, ànd in order of importance, although they are all essential pieces to the puzzle.
The aerobic fitness
This is the training. You can’t get around it. The easy runs, the long runs, the tempo runs. You have to do a huge amount of running to build that engine that will keep you going for two, three, four or five+ hours on marathon day. Planning the exact work-outs can get vastly complex, but it essentially boils down to this. Do lots of easy running, one weekly long run and mix it up with some intervals where you run faster or at marathon pace. Everything else is a variation on this, and will become more nuanced as you get better at it. We tend to underestimate the amount of time it takes to build this aerobic fitness. For the marathon to be an enjoyable experience, you should be able to run three times a week for at least a year, before getting into a three-month period where you specifically prepare for the marathon distance. And this is for those who just want to be able to finish it. The marathon rewards those who are patient and willing to work for something for a very, very long time. In my own case, it took a decade to be able to handle the training to perform at the highest level.
The muscular fatigue
Seeing a marathon runner in shorts is not a great sight. Those marathon shorts are not the best look for skinny legs. But make no mistake, these legs are strong. Maybe not in the weight room per se, but the amount of muscle damage they can withstand, is astounding!
I feel like this is the most underrated part of the preparation. Preparing for the excessive pounding on your legs by running 42 kilometers is no joke. It can be in conjunction with building the aerobic fitness, but if we ignore the simple fact that your legs have to withstand a massive muscle breakdown process during the marathon, then the last 10km will always be a suffer fest.
The legs will give out way sooner than the lungs. Believe me. You will not be out of breath. Your legs will just refuse to go on. It’ll become harder to lift your knees, your stride will become inefficient and the pace will slow dramatically. This is the part where athletes are on their way to a massive PB after 35km and end up finishing minutes slower than their projected finishing time. That is not a fitness problem, that is muscle fatigue. There are different ways you can and have to prepare for this. Most of it comes down to lots of running on tired legs. You can plan a long run the day after you’ve run intervals. You can do a gym session before your tempo run. You can run hilly routes to challenge your muscles with uphill and downhill running. Just keep in mind that if you feel fresh and fully recovered before every workout, you’re probably doing it wrong. This part is tricky, though. You càn do too much. There’s a fine line between great marathon training and just plain stupidity. The most important thing is to communicate with your coach how you’re feeling. Or to be very honest with yourself if you’re doing it on your own. The goal is never to risk injuries. It’s to callous the legs so much that in the end, 42km is just not that big a deal.
The fueling
There are two main parts in which fueling will help your marathon performance. That is before the big day, and during the actual race. The before part is what we in the running bizz call ‘carboloading’. You eat an excessive amount of carbohydrates 48-72 hours before a long race, to fill up the muscles with extra energy in the form of glycogen. It’s a great way to start the marathon with some extra fuel on board, but it’s important to test it out in training first to minimize GI problems.
During the marathon, fueling revolves around getting in sugar and water. This can be gels + water or a sugary sports drink. But whatever you choose, you HAVE to practice this in your preparation. Taking in fuel at race pace intensity is a lot different than drinking some water on your easy run. You have to familiarize your stomach with taking in fluids when running fast. But this energy intake is essential if you want to finish strong, and to perform at your potential. Research suggests that you can take up to 90 grams of carbohydrates per hour while running, but this takes a lot of practice. Figure out what works for you and stick with your race day plan!
I think this mostly shows you that the marathon is not only about talent. It is about finding a way to get better at different parts of the preparation to get the best out of yourself. There is always something that you can improve on. That is what makes this event so exciting!
