Runlikeh3ll! A Runner's Blog For The Rest Of Us. » “marathon

The Guide To running Your First Marathon

Steve Persipidus — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 09:17:05 +0000

by Steve Persipidus

If you can run two miles you can run marathon! So here’s how it goes. I remember about 8 yrs ago I never thought I could run a marathon. I started to exercise and run to help get over the bad habits I developed and as I did I felt energized.

I started running one mile and soon that became three and then five As I read books and learned how to expand I decided to run a marathon. My first was the New York City Marathon in 2003 and my goal was to finish.

The first step is to find a marathon and sign up for it. This will show your personal commitment and will help you knowing that you have a goal. Look for one approximately six months out from the beginning of your training. Take the first month and start running 3-4 days a week being sure to stretch before and after your runs. Stretching will help prevent injuries and promote long term health.

Use this first month to build a base run of 3-5 miles a day. As you approach the second month start to increase this base run to about 4-6 miles a day 4 -5 days a week. At this point it is not necessary to run fast. The goal here is to finish, if you need take 30 seconds to 1 minute in between each mile.

I will discuss hydration and nutrition in the next article as this is very important as well. Now that you have a nice base run of about 20 miles per week you can build nicely on this over the next 12 weeks.

Starting month 3 begin to build on your run intensity and duration. You will need to add at least one “speed” work out and one “hill” exercise to your routine and also one long run to your weekly mileage.

Here is an example of what is can look like. Monday run 3-5 miles at an average pace. Tuesday run some hills (8-10 times up a hill that is approximately 100meters in length at a brisk pace and slowly jog down) and take Wednesday off and then on Thursday run a brisk 4-5 mile run. Friday try some speed work and then Saturday off. And last try a long run on Sunday of about 7-9 miles that are at a slow pace. As you do these routines add mileage to your long run every other week by 2 miles, your mileage will increase dramatically along with your stamina until you reach around 20 to 22 miles on your long run.

The last thing to do is the taper. Three weeks prior to your planned race you need to taper off the long runs and decrease your mileage by fifty percent. Cut your long run in by a third at the first week of your taper and then run an easy 10 miler the weekend before the marathon. The week of the marathon try a few short 3-5 milers and then take some rest on Friday and Saturday before the race.

Try this and you will finish your first marathon. Happy running!

The Guide To running Your First Marathon is a featured post by John Vantine from A Runner's Blog.

Do You Run Too Fast?

John — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 07:56:28 +0000

Have you ever had people tell you that you run too fast? You can admit how good that feels.

Are you telling that running buddy of yours to slow down? If you are then I have a few great ways for you to learn how to run fast.

Anybody can learn how to run faster. I don’t mean that you will be setting world records. I mean that you can learn to run your best.

Here are just a few of the ways to run faster: Mechanics, Hills, Treadmills, Tempo Runs, and Stretching.

Stride Mechanics can be one the easiest and hardest parts of running to understand and perfect. Watching the really fast people run is a free way to learn what good stride mechanics looks like. Watch how they lift their legs; hold their arms, how they swing their arms, listen to their breathing, etc. When you run by yourself try and picture what you have seen. By visualizing good running form you will become faster.

Hills will give you the biggest bang for your buck. No other training method will get in you in shape faster or improve your speed like running hills. Running hills once a week for 4 weeks will improve your speed guaranteed. The beauty of hills is the improvements in stride mechanics and speed that you will gain.

Treadmills are a secret weapon that can be used to learn how to run really fast. By setting the treadmill at faster speed than your race pace and running repeats of three to five minutes great performance gains can be made. On a technical note there is a speed difference when using a treadmill. Always set the incline to 1 or 2 % when running your repeats.

Advantages of tempo runs for running faster show up in races longer than the 5k. Distances of 10k through the Marathon are better for tempo runs. The great advantage of Tempo Runs is that you can train longer without the long recovery involved with all out racing. People who use heart rate monitors have a great advantage by being able to zero in on their tempo pace. For those who do not use heart rate monitors remember to run comfortably hard and not all out.

There is a lot of debate about the merits of stretching. I personally stretch each time before I run. I have run for 10 years now without any real serious injuries. I don’t believe in stretching more than a couple minutes at a time. I do just three stretches that take about 3 minutes to complete. My feelings about stretching are that if my stride is longer by even an inch I will cover more ground and I will run faster.

Try these methods for yourself and see how your speed will improve. Don’t expect to go from a snail to a cheetah in one week. Give your mind and body a chance to learn how to run fast. Listen to your body it will tell you when you have trained enough.

Do You Run Too Fast? is a featured post by John Vantine from A Runner's Blog.

How To Buy The Right Running Shoes

John — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 11:36:21 +0000

Wearing proper shoes for different types of running is vital. There are three different types of shoes that should be worn. For easy days and long runs, daily trainers work fine. For tempo runs, hill workouts, and races longer than 10k light weight trainers are the best choice. For track workouts and races shorter than 10k racing flats work great.

Daily trainers are the shoes that you will run the most mileage in. Make sure that your daily trainers are comfortable. I believe that all shoes should be comfortable right out of the box. The daily trainers that I wear fit so great that I am not afraid to run a 20 miler the first time I wear them. Shoes that need to be broke in are probably not the right type of shoe for your feet. Find out what type of foot that you have and then only purchase shoes that fall into that category.

Light weight trainers are great shoes for faster paced training. For tempo runs and hill workouts light weight trainers are the ticket. Light weight trainers have adequate cushioning and support to protect your feet and still are light enough for faster paced running. Be careful when buying light weight trainers. Make sure that you purchase the correct type for your type of feet.

Another great thing about light weight trainers is that they are light enough and stable enough for longer races. I personally wear trainers for half and full marathons. My own experience has been that my feet never hurt after half marathons, finishing a full marathon everything hurts. I would still recommend wearing light weight trainers for these race distances.

Racing flats are very light weight, usually less than 9 0z. Be careful with racing flats, finding the correct fit is extremely important. Don’t always purchase the lightest pair that you can find. I prefer racing flats with some support and cushioning. A few ounces of cushion and support are always better than becoming injured just to save 10 or 15 seconds in a 5k.

I personally would not recommend wearing racing flats in races longer than 10k. I have worn racing flats in a couple of half marathons and my feet were sore for days afterwards. Since I have worn light weight trainers exclusively my feet never hurt afterwards.

The most popular time to wear racing flats is during track workouts. The feeling of wearing light weight shoes during fast paced workouts is what makes racing flats so popular. I personally like to wear racing flats during all of my track workouts. There are others who wear racing flats only for a race. Choose which time works best for you.

There is a lot of discussion surrounding a person’s body weight and shoe selection. I am 6’1 and weigh 180lbs, so being a larger runner I still wearing light weight trainers and racing flats. I would recommend that each person decide for themselves if they want to wear lighter shoes.

How To Buy The Right Running Shoes is a featured post by John Vantine from A Runner's Blog.

Video: 2008 Christchurch Marathon

John — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 11:19:56 +0000

Check out these highlights of the SBS 2008 Christchurch Marathon, including Melbourne Midday Miler, Anthony Lee.

Video: 2008 Christchurch Marathon is a featured post by John Vantine from A Runner's Blog.

Marathoning

Alison Addy — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 21:23:14 +0000

Not just for the marathon but for all of the challenges I know are ahead. … There were all kinds of people running two Sundays ago and all of them had their own goals to achieve….”Marathoning – The triumph of desire over reason” I saw this quote on the back of a girl’s shirt right before the first gun shot went off to sound the start of my f irst marathon. … Truth be told when I saw Charlie running towards me with the 18 mile marker in sight I wanted to burst into tears. My mind was racing. . . “Why did I do this to myself?” , “What was I thinking?!”…

Read the rest here!

Marathoning is a featured post by John Vantine from A Runner's Blog.

KP & Gang: Why Run a Marathon?

Mon, 26 Jan 2009 19:05:31 +0000

I think that when people with PD run a marathon, it raises awareness of PD and among many people, reminds them that not everyone with PD is limited to a wheelchair or to certain activities. I am open about what I have and proud of the …

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KP & Gang: Why Run a Marathon?

KP & Gang: Why Run a Marathon? is a featured post by John Vantine from A Runner's Blog.

9 questions to discover a marathon : Lucca Marathon | Where will …

Sun, 25 Jan 2009 15:33:28 +0000

Because we are runners and we run several marathon in Italy and outside;; Because we would like to give an opportunity to the marathoners to run a marathon in a very very beautiful town and area. What kind of route have you set up for …

Originally posted here:
9 questions to discover a marathon : Lucca Marathon | Where will …

9 questions to discover a marathon : Lucca Marathon | Where will … is a featured post by John Vantine from A Runner's Blog.

Run 9, 2009

Sun, 25 Jan 2009 14:56:21 +0000

It was not a great start to my marathon training as I failed to finish because the weather gods were angry. … No one knows how to pamper like she does. So this run is now history….

Check out the rest of it here:
Run 9, 2009

Run 9, 2009 is a featured post by John Vantine from A Runner's Blog.

I Miss Running!

Alison Addy — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 14:51:35 +0000

Today I was supposed to run 8 miles in course of my training for the Athens Marathon on April 5th….It was all I ever wanted and when I completed it, as my first marathon, I felt so alive and I am still beside myself wondering “H ow on Earth did I ever manage to run 26….Running a race that long requires some mental simulation. I need to know and believe I can do it. … Some of my friends are all training for the half-marathon race and I have considered doing this with them instead, but I do not think I would be able to settle for h…

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I miss you, running.

I Miss Running! is a featured post by John Vantine from A Runner's Blog.

Rabbi Running a Marathon: Jerusalem Half?

Sun, 25 Jan 2009 05:37:09 +0000

At this point, I am continuing running with the group. We are beginning training this week for the Jerusalem half-marathon. I will train with the group and decide later if I want to run the race. Running in Jerusalem is enticing, …

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Rabbi Running a Marathon: Jerusalem Half?

Rabbi Running a Marathon: Jerusalem Half? is a featured post by John Vantine from A Runner's Blog.