Whether you’re an avid runner or a total beginner, setting the goal of running a marathon is certainly noble, and will probably have a number of positive benefits for you such as giving you a sense of accomplishment, improving your fitness, and boosting your confidence. But it’s also a massive undertaking that shouldn’t be taken lightly. So here are some things we’d recommend knowing before you sign up for your first marathon.
Plan for the Unknown
It doesn’t matter how perfectly you plan your training; it’s pretty much guaranteed that something will happen to interrupt it. Whether it’s weather, illness, or mood, be prepared to have to rethink your training plan at least once.
Go Slow
In order to protect your body, it’s absolutely critical that you take your sweet time increasing your mileage, ideally never increasing by more than 10 percent in a week. Generally, plan about 25 weeks to train. Beyond that, it’s also important to keep your pace slow, as this is the only way to sustain running for 26.2 dang miles.
Don’t Just Run
You might be running to get yourself into shape, but the truth is that to be a good runner, you need to get yourself into shape to run. Strength training can help support your running habit without injuring you.
