Posted by Lu Yee | Posted in Marathon | Posted on 01-11-2011
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I don’t really have a training schedule, but what you can do is to set your own target on your completion time.
The average completion time for half marathon is 3hrs – 3.5 hrs and 10km is around 1.5hrs.
Full marathon, as long as you can complete it, give yourself a pat at the back. Usually it is around 4 hours to 7 hours for full marathon.
Try to run on your own and check your timing, you will know how far you can go. From there, set how much training you need to achieve the timing you desire.
To start with the training, you can start off with weekly/bi-weekly long distance run like 5-10km depending on your target/stamina and other normal days run just a few miles when you have the time.
Each week increase a little more distance that you ran from previous week to allow your body to adapt to long distance run. Remember to have rest days in between for your joints to rest.
Example,
Week 1 , Monday – 3km
Week 1, Tues – Rest (very important)
Week 1, Wed – 5km (you can skip either wed or fri if don’t have the time)
Week 1, Fri – 3km
Week 1, Sun – 3-5km
Week 2, Tues – 3-5km
Week 2, Fri – 7km (increase the distance)
and continue so on…
Initial training you may set to just allow your body to adapt to long distance run, without taking your timing into consideration. After 1-2 months, then you can set to increase the pace you run. Meaning you set a distance you want to complete, example, 3km but you don’t care how long you took to finish it as long as you finish the 3km. For example first week you might complete 5km in 1 hour, then 5th week you might want to target to finish it in 45 minutes.
Our body will not adapt to long distance run immediately. It takes around 1-2 weeks to get the result. Thus if you feel there’s no improvement for the first few weeks, it’s normal.
1-2 weeks before the actual race, DO NOT do long distance run, allow your body to rest. You may run a few miles just to keep the momentum but don’t over push yourself. Long distance training 2 weeks before will not contribute much to the actual race.
Going uphill and downhill
In marathons, sometimes you will go a bit of uphill and downhill. Set your pace right, you may want to go slower during uphill and keep the momentum when going downhill. Rather than, going fast uphill and end up walking all the way downhill. (Personal preference )
During the race, for marathon runners, the most torturing part is the last 5 km for half marathoners or 10km if you are in full marathon, where your legs are tired and your mental strength has degraded. You will start asking yourself why are you doing this and has the tendency to give up.. but don’t!! Push away negative thoughts and keep going, ignore the pain and tell yourself you can do it.
Endurance, determination, passion will get you there. Don’t get stress out and disappointed if you over the average time, as many people exceeded that as well. Most importantly, we can complete the run. We all have different strength, but we run with the same goal in mind, is to get to the finishing line. After all, what’s the fun of marathon if we don’t get legs pain after the run?
