Last week I blogged some top tips I gleaned for the internet for upgrading your running technique. This week, because the weather is warming up (slowly) and I’m hearing more and more talk of marathon preparations, I thought I’d go through some training ideas to get you ready for endurance events.
Preparation for a marathon or similar long-distance event is more than just practising how to run a really long way. A month before the event, go out to the course and familiarise yourself with the terrain, climate, potential tricky areas and similar specific aspects of the distance. This will give you the best possible idea of how to train in the weeks before the Big Day – and knowing where there are changes in terrain will help eliminate any anxiety which could affect your performance.
If nerves over the endurance event are something you experience, look up some breathing and relaxation techniques that you can employ before and during the event. Breathing deeply and concentrating on relaxing your entire body starting with your head and neck, moving down through your arms, stomach and eventually your legs and feet.
Beyond these techniques, it is key for marathons and similar endurance events that you have a dedicated training regime in the months leading up to the event. Knowing you can do the distance because you have completed it before – on terrain or on a treadmill – provides a confidence boost that cannot come from another source.
If you are running a marathon or half-marathon this year get in touch and let us know! We are on Facebook, Twitter and Google+ and we’d love to hear how you are getting on with your training.
