Are you ready to train for and run your first marathon? Running a marathon is an incredible goal for runners but you need to do a lot of preparation before the big day. Maybe you’ve been hitting the gym with extra venom. Maybe each evening has centered around a run of considerable length and high-octane exertion. Maybe your shelves are bulging (more than your muscles?) under the weight of Protein powder. However you choose to prepare, it’s worth bearing in mind the opinions of the experts. With this in mind, here’s some advice for beginner runners about marathon training and running from Martin Yelling an expert coach from Human Race.
KNOW YOUR PACE
You don’t have to be super fast or super professional to have a ‘race pace’. Knowing to the second your pace per mile (for example, 9min miles) means you actually have a clear target finish time to aim at. Having a clear target and a pace structure to achieve it helps you stay on track from start to finish. Know your target finish time and work out what this equates to for each mile or km of your race.
PRACTICE YOUR RACE PACE TRAINING
To really understand what it feels like to run at your race pace you need to practice it in training. This doesn’t mean you have to go and run the full race distance at race pace but it does mean that you should include sections of training runs at or close to race pace. On routes you know are accurate distances, e.g, a 400m track, or a measured 1 mile, practice running at target race pace. Great pacing is learned. Understand how this pace feels. Start using your watch or GPS to guide you then try pacing without it. Progress to dialing into your target pace on longer sustained ‘paced runs’.
LISTEN TO YOUR BODY
When you run at different intensities your body sends you different signals to let you know how it’s feeling. For example, your heart rate, how hot you feel, your breathing rate, how much your muscles ache. How you interpret these feelings during exercise is known as your ‘perception of effort’ (or RPE – rating of perceived effort) and mastering your sensory signals will help you master your own race pace. Use your perception of effort to gauge and monitor intensity and pace. Don’t be reliant on your GPS. Ditch the distractions and dial into how you feel, your rhythm, heart rate, cadence and effort. As a guide, the faster you are breathing the harder you are trying!
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RACE IT
Try your pacing strategy in a practice race. A race presents real challenges to overcome. Other participants, weather conditions and nerves. Calm down! It’s easy to start off too fast and be pulled along by other runners. Be patient. Be disciplined at the start and in the first few miles. Don’t get sucked in by the pace and speed of other runners and be drawn into blasting off too quickly. You won’t thank yourself in the later stages of the race.
BE CONSISTENT
Even paced splits typically bring about the best results especially in longer races. When practicing pacing aim for consistency. Give yourself a parameter either side of your target time to aim at that keeps your pace on track. For example, if your target pace is 8.15 per mile you might allow yourself a range of 8.10 to 8.20 – if you’re within that you’re on track. Avoid ‘yo-yo’ running and speeding up then slowing down to hit target paces. In longer races take an average of your last 3 miles to keep on track with small fluctuations. Aim for smoothness, control and consistency in your effort to pacing your race for endurance success. At the same time, expect your target pace to feel much easier in the first part of your race than the second. Your effort will increase but your pace will stay the same. Your goal is to not slow down!
BE POSITIVE
Pacing your race right is a positive and motivational way to approach your race. Feeling strong and coming through the field in the second half is better than blowing up, going backwards and shuffling to the finish. Practice your pacing mindset in training. It won’t always feel easy or straightforward to get your pace spot on. Relax and run.
PLAY WITH PACE
Play with pace in your training. Dial in to different paces. This not only helps you avoid being a ‘one-paced plodder’ but really boosts your fitness. Explore running faster than your target pace (this helps race pace feel easier), but also running slower than race pace (this helps you recover). A mix of varied paced workouts helps you understand the spectrum of running speed, broadens your experience of training, keeps you motivated and develops your fitness, efficiency and running economy.
DRESS TO IMPRESS
This doesn’t mean going on in your Friday heels but it does mean making an assessment of the weather conditions and being prepared. If you’ve got the right kit for the job then your workout is so much more enjoyable. Winter gear is now functional and high performing. Layer up and choose kit to keep you warm and dry but also cool and comfortable.
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PACE IN HARMONY
The best pacing comes from experience, practice and training. Effective pacing works in harmony with many other factors that make up a great race. When working on your pace strategy remember that keeping your pace where you want it for the entire duration of the race is a balancing act. Training status, fitness, motivation, race day nutrition and hydration, the course, the weather and your concentration all play in part in pacing your race to perfection.
GO WITH OTHERS
Even for the most motivated going solo can be tough all the time. Running with others, and agreeing to meet at a certain time and place means you’re more committed to being there regardless of the weather. You wouldn’t want to let your best running pals down! Find friends to run with.
