With the city marathons fast approaching, have you hit the panic button as yet? If not, here’s a set of guidelines to help you create a customized training schedule. Remember, after all, no one plans to fail; they only fail to plan.
Speed track
No, to make up on the days that you missed, don’t just put on your running shoes and get jogging. In stead, figure out your speed by simply timing yourself. You don’t have to faint trying to cover an obscenely out-of-your-reach long stretch. Just two to three kilometres and you will arrive at your average.
Go goal
Participating in a marathon doesn’t necessarily mean running all the way to the finishing line. Fret not if you think you cannot keep up the pace till the finishing line. In stead, chalk out your own marathon distance and work towards it. Walk-running a marathon few miles down the track has its own joys.
Space your pace
Once you have fathomed the gap between your current average and your dream speed, break up your training schedule. If you have a month to go before the D-day, set 20 per cent of your actual goal as the target for the first week. Once your body starts enjoying the routine, make way for intense challenges. And yes, don’t overstress towards the end. Otherwise, chances are you may run out of steam when it’s time for the kill. Finally, put up your schedule at a place where you are likely to see it often. Positive thinking does work wonders.
Shock matter
If you have registered for a marathon, it almost goes without saying that you own a pair of great running shoes. But what you may not know is they lose their ability to absorb shock after 564 kilometres (350 miles). So if you have been running for a good ten kilometres every day with the same pair over the last two months, it’s a good time to make the most of the winter sale offers.
Ways to warm-up
Unlike what you were taught in school, warm-up is not restricted to those four and eight count exercises you learnt way back in school. In fact, it is a disciplined branch in itself with four levels – general warm up, static stretching exercises, sport specific warm-up and dynamic stretching exercises. So while you have got the general exercises right by now, make sure that you also spend time on static stretching, which involves exercising the calves, hamstrings, quadriceps and hip flexors. Follow it up with jogging – the running specific warm-up. As for dynamic stretching, these muscle swinging exercises require you to hire a trainer.
Carb count
Many novice trainers make the mistake of reducing their carb intake while switching over to a ‘healthier’ diet. While greens and fruits are essential energisers, your body needs 65 per cent of its calorie intake from carbs. While this is no excuse to go binging on chips, cookies and the lot, unprocessed foods such as potatoes, wheat bread, chapattis, cereals and even apples and bananas should figure high on your list.
Hydration hazards
Well-hydrated doesn’t always mean the opposite of de-hydrated. Though eight to ten ten litres of water is the general recommendation, don’t forget that each meal, especially fluids, adds to you hydration quotient. Too much of water can dilute the concentration of electrolytes, resulting in cramps and upset stomach. Your best bet would be visiting a nutritionist to understand your hydration needs. Another good option would be to buy a digital hydration monitoring water bottle available with local brands such as Hydracoach.
Play positive
With all the do’s and don’ts chalked out, remember the most important thing affecting your performance is your state of mind. Rather than cursing yourself the day you committed to the marathon, look forward to it as some fun time with yourself. Treat yourself with a new iPod or MP3 player and download your favourite fast paced numbers to get you going. Or better still, if you have been contemplating how to ask that hottie from your office out, casually enquire about his/her training progress and suggest he/she could do better with a partner.
Live the club life
With most public jogging parks down in dumps and the good ones far and few, it may be a good idea to opt for a club membership. That way, you would have made enough fitness buddies to keep you sweating it out even after the marathon. Before you log off and push away membership plans for another day, here’s a list of clubs in your city: Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Pune, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Chennai and Kolkata.
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