THE FOUR CORNERS OF MARATHON TRAINING

By Lee Zohlman

Most everyone has run at some time or another. Maybe it was when you were a kid and you were chasing the ice cream man or perhaps you ran cross country in high school. Running is a great pastime, activity or sport depending on how you look at it. Now, marathon running is another story. 26.2 miles of blood, sweat and tears peppered with moments of elation and punctuated with periods of self doubt. But, endorphins and the finish line bring joy and happiness few will ever know or fathom feeling. You have to get to the finish line first. As full service multi sport coach I believe preparing for a marathon is much like building a house which has four walls. Each of these walls is held up at the corner. Thus, the four corners of marathon training. The four corners are: running, sport specific strength training, nutrition/hydration and flexibility. If you’re ready to learn about the four corners then read on.

Corner 1: Yes, the obvious one is running but how much, how long, do you walk? There are so many questions even for the experienced. There are two main ways to prepare for the race, either by time or distance. Whichever you choose there are so many fundamentals that should be followed based on your level of experience? First, if you are a beginner you should intersperse walking breaks on your medium and long runs. These could be 1-5:00 in length and could be every mile or 10-15:00. Aim to keep a conversational pace as heart rate monitor training might not be realistic for you. One of the best ways to avoid injuries is never increase more then 10-15% in time or distance per week, no matter how good, strong or confident you feel. If you’re an intermediate level runner or have run marathons before then do your best to run the whole length of time prescribed. If you are using a HRM to gauge your runs then it is best to find someone to calculate proper training zones for you. The old formula of 220 or 226 minus your age to predict your max HR is just not good enough so professional advice should be sought. On your long runs it is a good idea to walk 2-3 times for a minute or two to give the legs a bit of rest and it will also give your mind a mental break as well. If you’re an elite level marathoner then you might want to have two longer runs per week and use one of them to run some mile repeats at tempo pace or faster. A good workout is one mile @ 75% and one mile easy for 12-16 miles.

Corner 2: A very crucial part of any marathon training program is sport specific strength training (SSST). By sport specific I mean exercises that put you in the posture and position you would be in while running. One of the best benefits of a For instance, to strengthen the legs in SSST why not try isolated leg squats instead of the leg extension machine. This is a good example as you are standing exactly as you would be while running as well as balancing on one foot as you are in running and it’s a great way to strengthen the glute muscles which take a lot of impact during the deceleration phase of running. Other important exercises are: crunches on roman chair, low back extensions, seated and standing calf raises and lat row. The use of a physio ball in all or some of the exercises will to improve core muscle strength, balance and proprioception.

Corner 3: Nutrition, hydration and supplementation (NHS) are really essential in training and racing a good marathon. Remember you have to have quality training sessions to make your race a good one! Some good solid nutritional hints are to eliminate fried foods, heavy dairy like butter, red meat more then once per month and desserts/ remember the lighter you are the faster you’ll go and less stress will be put on your joints. For any runs over one hour aim to have a carbohydrate replacement gel like Clif Shot or a sports drink with you. For runs over 2 hours you might need 2-3 gels and if you are heavier you might need more then that. After your long hard workouts you have a 20-30:00 window when your body is the most ready to replenish carbohydrate stores so be sure to take in an energy bar like Clif Bar or something as simple as chocolate milk with skim milk. After that aim to get in a fist size of lean protein and complex carbohydrates within 1.5-2 hours. For example, chicken breast and a small sweet potato. As your runs get longer make sure to take in water and sports drink continually during the day. It is a good rule of thumb to drink until your urine is pale yellow. Supplementation is a complex subject and each individuals needs may vary. Simply put some important nutrients to take in are a multi vitamin, calcium and magnesium and glucosomine/chondroitin for good joint support.

Corner 4: Maintaining good range of motion and flexibility in your soft tissue will help prevent injury and aid in ease of motion your harder faster runs. The hips are the key area to start with along with the glute muscles. Be sure to stretch after your runs or workouts as your muscles are more pliable and easier to manipulate. All the muscles are important to hit but hamstrings, calves and quads are key muscle groups. Stretch and yoga classes can be very beneficial in keeping your muscles and tendons strong over the course of your marathon training. Make sure to keep stretching as a daily part of your exercise routine. Even if you don’t have time to stretch right after your run then take some time later in the day to do some light stretching.

Each of the four corners are equally important and work synergistically together. When you put these four corners together you will have a great marathon experience.

Lee Zohlman is Owner and Lead Coach with BodyZen A Full Service Multi Sport Company. He has been coaching all endurance athletes since 1998 and has coached hundreds of marathoners to successful finishes. He can be reached at leezee@bodyzen.com or www.bodyzen.com.