Marathon training season: tips and tricks to train and prepare

For those runners considering running a marathon this fall or winter, training begins soon.

It seems early to think of running a marathon sometime in late November, December or even January. The amount of running a person has done over the summer will determine how long it takes them to get ready to run 26.2 miles. For the average runner, it seems a time period of 12 weeks is needed to run a marathon and feel good after the race. There are a few runners that can finish the distance after a month of training. Those runners are usually more experienced runners that have been running for many years and have maybe completed a marathon. For most runners, the buildup in long runs is the primary focus. Most recommendations suggest a gradual increase in mileage on long runs. The chance of some form of injury becomes more prevalent if the runner jumps up to 15 to 18 mile runs after a summer of 5K and 10K races. Starting at eight miles and increasing two or three miles every two weeks gives the muscles and body a chance to adjust to the extra demand on them.

For a runner considering running their first marathon, there are three levels of finishing the race — the first level is just to finish, the second level is to finish and still be able to talk to friends and walk around and the third level is that you are still able to walk normally at work on Monday — walking up or down stairs mostly pain-free is an added bonus.

There are a number of training programs for getting in condition to run a marathon. There are also various books published on how to run a marathon. “Target 26” by John Graham and “RunSmart” by Allan Besselink are some examples. These books offer training programs and advice on preparation to run a marathon.

Despite all the factors that go into being able to run a long distance, there are only a few that improve a person’s finishing time. Factors that need to be considered for your finish time include the runner’s VO2 max capability — this is the number that relates to the runner’s ability to take in oxygen and use it for replenishing muscles with energy. That can be improved a little with training, but most of it is genetic and you either have a great VO2 max or you don’t.

A factor closely related to the VO2 max is a person’s anaerobic threshold. This is the ability of a muscle to keep using oxygen you breathe in to keep working. When a runner reaches their anaerobic threshold, the muscle runs out of oxygen and cannot work efficiently anymore. 

A few other factors affect the efficiency of the runner. An efficient runner does not waste energy with unnecessary movements from the arms, legs and feet. Weather is always a concern. This is especially true in Texas with the long season of hot weather. Hot or even warm weather works against a runner wanting to run a long distance or a faster time.

There is always the nutritional factor in how well a runner does. Eating a meal that does not provide energy during a run, or causes an upset stomach before the race, will be a definite item to consider.

Things that haven’t seemed to be a factor include the body shape of the runner. Some are tall, some are short, some are skinny and some are a little heavier than others. The runner’s gender does not seem to be a factor. Running a faster marathon seems to favor the runner with less body fat but it is not an absolute fact.

For a person considering a marathon there seems to be two major programs — one is the over distance program that focuses on long runs of 20-25 miles, and even up to 30 mile runs to get used to running 26.2 miles. The other program focuses on more speed work in training. It seems that the speed training program brings the most improvement. It is possible to combine the two and achieve good results. Every runner is different and each has to find which of the programs works best for them. I found that running a 10K for a fast time on Saturday followed by a long-distance run at an easy pace on Sunday brought my times down in a marathon.

The marathon season is from late November to February, so a training program of three months needs o start soon. If you are not into running a marathon keep running those 5K and 10K races.