5 Top Tips For Your First Marathon
Are you gearing up to tackle your very first marathon? Whether you’re a seasoned runner taking the plunge into longer distances or a newbie aiming for a significant fitness milestone, preparing for a marathon requires more than just putting in the miles. At Inner Strength Bayside, we understand the physical and mental demands of marathon training. Our experienced physiotherapists have compiled their top five tips to help you prepare effectively and stay injury-free on your journey to crossing that finish line.
- Start Gradually and Build Mileage Slowly
One of the most common mistakes novice marathoners make is ramping up mileage too quickly. A key concept in preventing running injuries is being aware of the balance between your training load (i.e. how much you are running/training) and your capacity (i.e. how much load your body can manage). Your training load is dependent on your volume, your intensity and also your frequency, but this load also takes into consideration your other sports, work, habits, hobbies and stress levels. While increasing your load through sports and exercise is healthy and promotes improvements in strength and fitness, problems can occur when this increase in load is done too quickly. By incorporating an individualized training plan that promotes a planned, gradual increase in mileage will not only reduces the risk of overuse injuries but also improves your endurance progressively [1].
- Don’t neglect your strength and mobility work.
Running a marathon isn’t just about logging miles; it’s about having a strong and balanced body. The body’s ability to handle the load discussed above is dependent on a host of factors including strength, flexibility, running gait and other biomechanical factors. As highlighted in research by Cook & Docking (2015), in order to increase tissue ‘capacity’ to manage the increasing load of marathon training, strengthening needs to be achieved not just in any injured tissues, but throughout the whole kinetic chain [2].
- Listen to Your Body and Rest
Rest, recovery and sleep are as crucial as training itself. Your body needs time to repair and rebuild after challenging workouts. Research from athletes found an increased injury risk in adolescent athletes who sleep less than 8 hours per night [3]. Pay attention to any signs of fatigue, pain, or persistent soreness, and don’t hesitate to adjust your training schedule or seek advice from a physiotherapist if needed.
- Fuel Your Body Properly
Nutrition plays a vital role in marathon training. Make sure you’re fueling your body with a balanced diet and stay hydrated throughout the day and especially during long runs. Resent research found poor diet and energy supplies to be involved in the development of bone stress injuries, alongside other factors [4]. By ensuring you are adequately fueling your body, you are not only ensuring optimal performance, but also reducing injury risk.
- Practice Race Day Logistics
As race day approaches, simulate the conditions of the marathon as much as possible during your long training runs. Practice your race day nutrition and hydration strategies, test out your race gear and apparel, and visualize yourself crossing the finish line. Familiarize yourself with the course map and elevation profile if available, and mentally prepare for the challenges you may face during the race.
By following these five tips, you’ll not only increase your chances of successfully completing your first marathon but also enjoy the journey along the way. At Inner Strength Bayside, we’re here to support you with expert advice and personalized care to help you reach your running goals. Remember, every mile you run in training brings you closer to achieving something incredible on race day. Good luck!
Click here to book a physiotherapy consultation at Inner Strength Bayside.
Written by Laura, Physiotherapist
[1]: Tom Goom (2015), Balancing training load and tissue capacity. The Running Physio. Available at: https://www.running-physio.com/capacity/ (Accessed 27/06/2024)
[2]: Cook J, Docking S. (2015) ‘Rehabilitation will increase the ‘capacity’ of your …insert musculoskeletal tissue here….” Defining ‘tissue capacity’: a core concept for clinicians’, British Journal of Sports Medicine. 49 (23), pp. 1484-1485. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2015-094849 (Accessed 27/06/2024)
[3] Milewski, M.D, Skaggs, D.L., Bishop, G..A, Pace, J.L., Ibrahim, D.A., Wren, T.A.L., Barzdukas, A. ‘Chronic Lack of Sleep is Associated With Increased Sports Injuries in Adolescent Athletes’. Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics 34(2) pp. 129-133. Available at: DOI: 10.1097/BPO.0000000000000151 (Accessed 27/6/2024)
[4] Warden, S.J., Davis, I.S., Fredericson M., 2014. Management and Prevention of Bone Stress Injuries in Long-Distance Runners. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy, [online] 44(10), pp. 749-765. Available at: https://doi.org/10.2519/jospt.2014.5334 [Accessed 20 June 2024].
