How To Prepare For A Marathon

    • TNN
    • Publish Date: Jan 22 2017 5:15PM
    • |
    • Updated Date: Jan 22 2017 5:15PM
How To Prepare For A Marathon

and why fitness trackers can be blessing or a curse

Rick Muhr, Boston Marathon coach shares his insights on how to prepare for a marathon 

On prepping for a marathon
"It takes about four-and-a-half to five months to train someone who has done nothing to run a marathon. It is 14-18 weeks of work that is required.

Most first time marathoners run 3-4 days a week. Two full days of running, a day or two of rest and two to three days of cross running.You could run outside one day and recover: I call it active recovery where you are not just resting, but you are doing something active.The way I work with my runners is that I make them run one day and do active recovery the next as it flushes out the lactic acid from the system. Active recovery is a very innovative technique now. I have been a marathon runner for 42 years and for many of those years we ran a marathon and then we wouldn't do anything for three or four days.Now, when I train someone to run a marathon, we have them take an ice bath after it is done. And the next day I have them do active recovery."


On the right nutrition while preparing for a marathon
Runners need more carbohydrates, the glycogen is where we get most of our fuel. But they also need more protein for recovery, because every time we run, we develop these microscopic tears just like a weight lifter.It's all natural, but you repair them with hydration and proper fuelling.

On whether training schedules differ as per age
The only difference is in the intensity. I provide 15-18 week training programmes. And when my runners show up, there could be 300 of them. They are going to run five miles differently. The 20-year-old is going to run those five miles faster, the 60-year-old is going to run those five miles slower. So that is the only difference.

On precautions to take while running in a polluted city
Running in pollution is difficult.The early morning is the best part of the day to run. Having an indoor machine to run on is a good option, too. I lived in South Korea for a while. I was a running champion over there and I trained outdoors. It was similar to India, I always wore a mask -a painter's mask. But you need to run outdoors if you want to race outdoors.Pollution can elevate your heart rate. It is hard on your system.For me it (ways of dealing with pollution) would be running early in the morning, doing cross training, minimising the time outside.

On fitness trackers

Here's what I say about technology in general -it's a blessing and a curse. It's a blessing as it collects data. Data in the form of average heart rate, average distance, sleep, how far we run. That is good data to have. But I think, it is a curse when people start obsessing about it. I always see people running, looking down at the gadget, while I want them to be focusing on the form.When I coach people, as one of the clauses, they agree not to wear watches and these fitness devices.Because the reality is that they are not going to be able to run any faster that day than they are capable. It does not matter if their goal marathon pace is eight minutes a mile. If they are not prepared physically, emotionally and spiritually to run eight minutes a mile, having a watch is not going to help them.

I see people wearing watches and racing. Their goal marathon pace is eight minutes, so instead of getting to the three miles at 24 minutes, they get there in 25 minutes.Runners are by nature not very patient, so they try to get back on time and run so fast that they burn fuel inefficiently. This can lead to trouble later on in the race. 

For the general exerciser, it is good. When you have dinner at night, your goal for steps per day is at 12,000 and you are on 10,500.Instead of sitting on the couch and eating that donut, you walk and exercise to get to your goal. In that way they are fantastic as they take the average person who sits way too much and helps them be more active.

Keeping fit enhance your living
Map my run is the one I use the most. I am not a big app person. I am looking for advance data like how many steps I am taking.Interestingly the more steps you take, the more efficiently will you run. A lot of people might think, the more steps you take, the more energy you will spend.But the more steps you take the less contact you make with the ground. The strides you take are longer and you are like a little bug on water. Just fluttering along the surface. That is the most efficient way to run. When I look at vertical oscillation -which is how much bounce, the more collateral oscillation, the more bounce you will have.



Have you competed/participated in a marathon? Share with us your experience and insights!

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Comments

SNEHA - R Kulapati munshi bhavan's vidhya mandir

I participated in the marathon called Run for Unity. At first I thought I won''t make it to the finishing line but thanks to the support offered by my teachers and most importantly my friends, I was able to complete the marathon. The dedication and efforts put by my team mates had really brought out the force of unity among us.

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