So, you’ve decided to run a marathon. Throwing yourself a challenge like this, you can gain plenty of benefits. These include improvements in muscular endurance, cardiovascular fitness, mood, and mental health. Additionally, you will likely feel less stressed and anxious, and you will even improve your self-esteem. As a bonus, you get weight loss and better overall fitness.
But how do you get ready for this? Running a marathon is rather dangerous without due preparation. Therefore, you will need to train and get ready for it the right way. Read on, and we will give you some hints on how to attain this goal while in college!
Getting Started: Find a Smart Solution for Your Homework
There is an unspoken rule of 16-20 weeks in terms of marathon preparation. Nevertheless, some athletes spend 24 weeks getting ready. The time you need is individual and depends on a variety of factors. But one thing can be said for sure – it won’t happen quickly. Thus, as a student, you, first of all, want to have enough free time in store.
Knowing that student days are incredibly busy, the first tip we want to give you is to have a backup plan for your studies. Ideally, find a place where you can college essay writing service and rest assured that your grades won’t be affected negatively. By delegating your assignments to professionals, you will get enough time for training, will maintain high academic performance, and also will reduce stress levels. It’s a crucial tip for success.
Gearing Up
Once you find professional writing help to back you up academically, you can start preparing for your challenge. You may want to start running and training straight away. But don’t do it before you gear up accordingly.
Although running has plenty of health and fitness benefits, it can also be quite dangerous when done wrong. Simply wearing the wrong pair of shoes can lead to serious injuries. Namely, you can harm your back, hip, knee, and even feet. Thus, one more hint before you start training is to invest in the right gear.
First, find a good pair of shoes. It should be meant specifically for running, fit perfectly, and provide enough support to protect you from injuries. Then, invest in a few sets of comfortable clothing that will help you perform your best during training and the marathon.
6 Tips to Prepare for Marathon Physically and Mentally
Now that you’ve taken all the pre-training steps, you can start working. Below are a few handy tips that will help you get and stay on the right track.
Build Up Your Mileage Gradually
Obviously, the best way to prepare for a marathon is to start running regularly. But that’s where many beginners make a fatal mistake. They rush into it and attempt to go many miles right away. And this only leads to fatigue, injuries, and many other issues.
In order to do things right, start with shorter runs and gradually increase the distance over time. A good rule of thumb is to not increase your weekly mileage by more than 10% per week.
Incorporate Different Types of Runs
As a beginner, you might not know this yet, but there are several different types of runs:
- Long run is the most common training for marathons. Basically, this workout focuses on the distance rather than the pace. Simply put, you can light jog as long as you reach your mileage.
- Tempo run is a type of workout that requires sustained effort. Instead of jogging, you need to pick up the tempo and get your heart rate up. Basically, you need to get faster than normal but reduce your distances.
- Speed work is an interval workout. During each interval, you will have to change the pace from a light jog to sprinting as fast as you can.
Each of these workouts aims to build up your endurance, strength, pace, and speed. Ensure that your schedule is a blend of different workout types to get the best results.
Cross-Train
Another big mistake beginners make is that running is all they do. Although this kind of training will teach you how to run to your best ability, you also need other activities. Combine your workouts with cycling, swimming, or weightlifting to strengthen your muscles and prevent injury.
Stay Hydrated
This is one of the basics you should never forget about. Proper hydration is crucial for your physical and mental performance. Drinking enough water will help you perform better during training and during a marathon too.
Practice Good Nutrition and Sleep
When you start preparing for a marathon, it will be a huge stress for your body, especially if you haven’t been very active before. Due to this reason, it’s absolutely crucial to eat a balanced diet and focus on foods that provide energy and help with muscle recovery.
Apart from eating well, you also need to get enough rest and recovery. Adequate rest is important to prevent injury and allow your body to recover. Make sure to get enough sleep and take rest days.
Prepare Mentally
No matter how tough and strong you are, added physical activity and stress can affect your mental health a lot. So in order to stay sane, you need to take good care of yourself mentally. Set achievable goals and visualize yourself completing the marathon. Also, practice positive self-talk and use strategies to cope with any anxiety or nerves; for example, try meditation or yoga. All these tricks will help you find and retain motivation. As a result, you will achieve greater results in a shorter time!
The Bottom Line
Running marathons is fun. It can let you challenge yourself physically and, at the same time, mentally. And it’s also an excellent opportunity to restore your physical and mental health. But you will only get all these benefits if you prepare yourself for this challenge the right way!
While in college, getting ready for a marathon can be tough. But it’s possible! Use the tips from this article to guide yourself to success, and good luck!
This content is brought to you by the FingerLakes1.com Team. Support our mission by visiting www.patreon.com/fl1 or learn how you send us your local content here.