Training for a marathon from scratch

Marathon

Marathon is a 26.2 mile running race. If you are not an athlete or you do not practice any sports, but you set your goal to run the marathon, it will be challenging experience to prepare yourself physically for this race. It is important that you stay motivated and that you enjoy the process, but in order to prevent any harm to your health you must follow the advice from your doctor or instructor. The most important thing is to participate, and not to win.

Training

If you want to check whether you are physically prepared for marathon training, try to run for a half an hour. If you can manage it, you are ready for some serious training. The training program should take several months, so your body could gradually adjust itself to all the changes you are about to make. You should find the time for exercises at least six days a week. If you want to lose some extra weight and increase your strength, seek professional advice for your training course. Exercises such as sit-ups, bench press and crunches will do you good. Remember that you must not strain your muscles. When you start, do only a few sets of exercises a day and then gradually increase the number of sets. In addition, run for 30 minutes a few times a week. After a while, you should find it easier to run and you can increase the time spent running and you can run more often. You can combine running and walking phases at the beginning to avoid injuries.

Nutrition

Proper diet and nutrition are extremely important for your training. Alcohol, smoking, and greasy food will strain your heart muscles, so you might put your health in danger. Carbohydrates and proteins are recommended to provide you body with energy. You must also take plenty of vitamins and minerals. Eat fresh fruits and vegetables on a daily bases. You should eat potatoes, carrots, corn, rice, wheat bread, apples, bananas, cereals and raisins because they are an excellent source of carbohydrates. In order to have proper protein intake, eat fish, chicken, cheese, beans and soy products. It is also important to get enough iron and calcium. Drink plenty of fluids every day. In addition, you must know when is the right time to eat. Before the training, eat a light meal. After the training, eat a meal rich in protein and carbohydrates so your body could regain its strength.

Injuries

In order to prevent injuries, you must have proper running shoes. After a strenuous training you should put some ice on your muscles to prevent ache. If you injured yourself or you feel any pain in the body, do not exercise or run. Take several days break, so your body can heal. If your health is not restored after a few days, you must see your doctor.