Archive for the ‘Marathon Training’ Category
Be careful about what you read, especially when it comes to health and fitness articles. There is a lot of noise out there and it’s up to you to determine fact from massaged truth to total crap.
Last week I came across a blog posted by City Sports that I found quite upsetting. They described how carbohydrates are not fattening and that weight gain before a marathon is a good sign. I understand the point they were trying to make, but the average reader will not. Many people will see that article and think “Oh, carbs are good, I should probably order a pasta bread bowl tonight.”
It’s a case of taking something that may apply to very few athletes and generalizing it for the public. Carbohydrates are a macro-nutrient that many people would love to hear is good for them. They are easy to find, cheap and easy to store, but the majority of your daily caloric intake should not come from carbohydrate.
I am about to run my fourth marathon. I have taken eight of my clients from never running more than a mile to finishing a half marathon and two of them went on to run the Chicago Marathon with me this past October. I have never practiced “carb-loading” and certainly never encouraged any of my clients to practice it either.
After two hours of an endurance event your primary source for energy is no longer carbohydrate, no matter how many bagels you’ve eaten the night before. Carbohydrates play a big role in recovery and can be useful during your event in the form of “Gu”. With that said, Your body’s most efficient source of fuel during an endurance event is going to be fat. When I’m training for a marathon 40% of my daily intake of calories comes from “good fats”.
I’d advise you to be careful about what you read, there is a lot of good information out there on health and nutrition. Make sure you check your facts or enlist help from a professional before you practice something you’ve taken out of a magazine ad.
Photo Credit: http://blogs.mirror.co.uk
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Last weekend two of my clients and I ran The Chicago Marathon. This was my third marathon and their first. My clients had been training for this event since January. They first built up to running in Boston’s Run To Remember Half Marathon last May. From there they continued to build on their training base for The Chicago Marathon in October.
We all successfully completed The 26.2 mile race and made an interesting observation afterward. There seemed to be many runners hobbling around the next day, while the three of us spent 6 hours happily touring the city on foot. The reason we felt so great afterward was because we trained properly. Here are a few reasons to take marathon preparation seriously.
- Be Kind To Your Body. Marathon training takes work and it is worth it to get through the race injury free. While training for my first marathon, I didn’t pay enough attention to recovery and I spent too much time in the gym. I ended up suffering through the second half of the race and nursing runner’s knee for a month afterward. After doing some research and enlisting help from a more experienced coach(a big Thank You to Rob MacDonald from Gym Jones). I trained for and successfully completed my second marathon pain free and with an hour shaved off of my first marathon time.
- No Stress, No Mess. The more you train the more confident you will be on race day. Mental stress can really take a toll on your body. You don’t want to start your race with an upset stomach or a panic attack. It is normal to be nervous the day of the marathon, and if you take the time to prepare it will cut that stress in half.
- Enjoy The Day. Marathon day is very enjoyable when you are properly trained. You can take in the scenery and enjoy the crowd while your cruising your 26.2 mile tour of the city. When you cross that finish line it means much more knowing you have put in a lot of time and effort in preparation for your moment.
Jenn, Myself and Heather on race day
Whether you are training for a 5K or an Ultra-Marathon, spend the time and build up to your event. You don’t want to be the one limping around town the next day.
