The Marathon: Not Just for the Elite Anymore
Not so long ago, marathons were thought of as an activity for the elite athlete-only the hardcore dare to participate. Not so anymore. Now, a swell of charity training teams are making the marathon an activity that almost any average Joe can accomplish. I coach one of the “Train to End Stroke” marathon teams, and we send dozens of first-time runners to marathons twice a year.
I’m not saying the marathon is for everyone. Training for one takes a lot of time and dedication. This includes not only giving up one of your weekend days for long runs, but also making the time three or four times a week to exercise in order to keep up with the program. And for those already dealing with bad hips, knees and feet-a marathon may not be the best course of action. BUT, if you’re up for a challenge, want a new and exciting way to get in shape-maybe it’s time to join a marathon training program!
Kimberly Grover, a participant on one of my “Train to End Stroke” teams says, “I never really ran before joining the (TTES) training group and it was amazing to see your body change and adapt to the distance we added on each week. The run/walk method helped train me to run a marathon! To know that I was running a marathon as well as raising funds to help fight Stroke made it very meaningful. I liked it so much, I have done 2 Ã?½ marathons since!”
Most training programs for beginners are four to five months long-and include both walking and running programs. Participants meet as a group on the weekend (usually nice and early Saturday morning) for their long run of the week, and are expected to follow a schedule on their own during the week. In 16-20 weeks, you go from zero to 20+ miles to prepare for your marathon. During the week trainings vary depending on the coach.
In the training program I designed, I encourage strength training and cross-training throughout. Constant running can wear the body down and cause injury. I even encourage trainees to do half of their endurance training on the bike or in the pool instead of with long runs. For example, if the schedule says to do a 12-mile run and that normally takes you two hours, ride your bike or swim for two hours-making sure your heart rate is as high as it is while you run. I did this for my most recent marathon and took 45 minutes off my time. I also encourage the run/walk method made popular by marathon guru, Jeff Galloway. Many hardcore runners scoff at the theory, but by maintaining a ratio of running and walking (i.e. run five minutes, then walk one minute) throughout the marathon, you preserve your muscles for the entire 26.2 miles. In other words, you avoid “hitting the wall.” It’s also a great mental trick-instead of focusing on the 17 miles you have left to run, you focus on just five minutes at a timeâÂ?¦”If I can just make it through five more minutes, I get to walk for a minute!”
I believe a group training program is the way to go for a first-timer. You are surrounded by other first-timers, so you can commiserate with each other about the aches and pains you are bound to experience. Usually, you can find several people who run the same speed as you, so you have someone to keep you company while on the trail for hours. And, many of the charity teams take you to some pretty neat locations. We’ve taken teams to Kona, Disney, San Diego, Bermuda and Phoenix. You can plan you’re next vacation around a marathon! Training programs also provide valuable information on nutrition, clothing, shoes, sports drinks, carbohydrate gels, stretching and more. And if it’s a charity team, you get that warm fuzzy feeling from knowing you’re doing something good for yourself and others.
I’m sure many marathoners will agree that nothing is more satisfying than crossing that finish line after 26.2 miles of suffering. I will even admit to be teary-eyed as the finish line came into sight. It’s an incredible accomplishment-unlike any other.
Marathons aren’t for everyone. Many aches and pains are involved. Sometimes-even when you’re careful and do everything right-you get injured. And we won’t even get into black toenails! As I write, I’m suffering from the after-effects of my fourth marathon (fourth, and not fifth because I broke my foot while training for one a few years ago). My quads are so sore that I’m walking down the stairs backwards. I had to lift my foot off the gas pedal and place it on the brake while driving home from the airport today. But by tomorrow I’ll start feeling like a healthy woman in her 30s again (instead of a 98-year-old who needs a new knee). And I’ll probably start pondering which marathon I’m going to sign up for next.
