You have a few marathons under your belt, but now you want to do more than just complete the race. You want to compete and challenge yourself for a personal best. Follow these suggestions for peak performance.
Consistent Mileage
Most distance running coaches agree that you have to build up a good base of mileage if you want to be successful at the marathon distance. The physiological changes that take place allow your body to become more efficient at utilizing a higher percentage of the oxygen and your muscles develop the stamina necessary to run without fatigue. How long is long? Well, what is long for one person may put the next person over the edge so you have to use judgment as you build your mileage. Marathon mileage can range from 45 miles on the low end to upwards of 100 miles per week. Building mileage over months and years is the safest way to increase your running without injury.
Get in Your Long Runs
When you were training to "complete" your first marathon, your long run build up may have looked something like this 16, 17, 13, 18, 19, 13, 20, taper and then race. While this is fine for your build up, this is not the best way to go about trying to race your next marathon. You have to be comfortable logging in 17 - 20 mile runs as if they are a regular part of your training. Build up to your long run so that a 18-20 mile run is not just something you do once or twice before your goal marathon
Practice Pacing
You have to teach your body what it feels like to run at your goal race pace. Simply completing your long runs at an easy pace (1 to 2 minutes slower than race pace) will surely build endurance and bring about beneficial physiological, changes, but will not allow you to push your body. These long runs definitely have their place, but to race a marathon you need to start incorporating some race pace training in the context of your long runs. These race pace efforts or just below race pace should be thrown in gradually. For example, start by incorporating a 20 minute race pace effort at mile 16 of your long run. Over 2 -3 months, build this up to a 7 - 10 mile effort at the end of your long run. If you struggle to keep up this pace at then end of your run, then you can be sure that this pace may be a little to aggressive on race day. These are challenging runs and they need to be Incorporated gradually over time. Too much high intensity running can lead to injury. Every weekend you can alternate between a long run with a race pace effort and an easy long run where your only concern is time on your feet.
Train on Similar Terrain
Running a hilly course? Train on hills. Does your marathon have a lot of downhill sections? Run long downhills in your training? If your course is a trail marathon, make sure you venture out on the trails. Seems logical right? You would be surprised how many people neglect to do this in their training. If you know there is a big hill at mile 17 of the marathon, then try and incorporate some hills at the end of your training runs. You want to avoid surprising your body with the unknown on race day. Teach your body to deal with what it will encounter on race day and your legs will love you for it. The human body has an amazing ability to adapt to a training stimulus.
Taper
Research shows that simply reducing your running volume and taking it easy on your runs the weeks leading up to your race is not the best way to taper. Yes you need to cut back volume, but you still need to keep some intensity. You still need to remind your body what you expect it to do on race day. How much intensity? This will vary from person to person, but make sure you do not throw out your tempo run and speed work leading up to the race. Obviously you should make this tempo a percentage of what you are accustomed to doing, but do not abandon this higher intensity effort altogether.
Incorporate these basic principles and you will be on your way to a faster marathon finish.
Author Resource:-
Joby Gutierrez is the owner of Fitness Coaching, LLC, an Orange County based organization specializing in preparing runners and triathletes for peak performance. Joby Gutierrez is USAT level 1 Coach and Cross Country Coach. For details about services, visit http://fitnesscoaching.us/
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