We outline some key points to remember when you are starting marathon training or beginning base training.
Marathon training is good base training for all runners and there are five key things to follow when marathon training.
It is the volume of Chatty running you do that is the key to success.
When starting marathon training remember that the marathon is 99% aerobic so doing lots of fast ‘huffy puffy’ or anaerobic running will not benefit your training. Interval sessions are not needed. Instead you need to build up the amount of time you are running for. The amount of running you do during training will dictate your performance.
Should you train at your marathon pace?
Many people make the mistake of training at a pace faster than than their marathon pace. An elite runner will train two and a half minutes a mile slower than their marathon race pace. Your Chatty pace is slower than your marathon pace unless you are going to run four and a half to five hours plus for the marathon. Then your marathon will be run at Chatty pace. If you are going to run a marathon in four hours or faster, then you will run it faster than Chatty pace. Therefore your general running must be done at slower than marathon pace. Lots of Chatty running is essential in training.
Train your body to use fat as a fuel
This is vital for marathon runners but useful for all runners as it helps with recovery from any faster running sessions. Running gently on the long run will stimulate your body to use fat as a fuel. Start of more gently than the average speed of your run. Walking for a short while then running Superchatty will get the fat metabolism going. Build up the long run to two hours or more as once you are running for two hours your body will switch to using fat as a fuel. There is no need to eat anything on the long run. Save that for the actual marathon and practice taking fuel in on long run closer to marathon day.
What to include in a training week
In the first first six to nine weeks of your training the focus should be on building up the volume of your running. The long run is the most important run of the week and you should build this up to a maximum of two and a half hours. You can add five or ten minutes a week to this run as you build it up. Listen to your body and if you feel tired after increasing a long run go back a step and build more slowly.
Running three times a week
Alongside the long run you need to do a Chatty run with Sparkles and another run that includes a slightly faster ‘breathy’ section. Start with fifteen minutes and gradually increase the ‘breathy’ section to thirty minutes. Remember to warm up and cool down either side.
Running four times a week
Ideally running four times a week is the minimum if you want to prepare yourself to run a marathon. Include the long run, a Chatty run with Sparkles, a ‘breathy’ run and a medium length Chatty run. Build this last run up to eighty minutes in length.
Running five to six times a week
Add another Chatty run of 45 minutes and a shorter 30-40 minute run. You can add Sparkles to two runs a week when you are running this much.
Chatty Sparkly running is a great way to marathon train. Keeping it Chatty makes it enjoyable and it keeps your enthusiasm high.
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