October 6, 2024

Essentials of Running your First Marathon by Jim Lynch

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Five Essentials of Running your First Marathon by Jim Lynch
 

So, you’ve finally decided to run a full marathon. Congratulations!  First and foremost, you will need to train a minimum of six months before your marathon.

Here are 5 essentials to successfully completing your first marathon:

Believe.  A marathon is 26.2 miles, no more, no less. If you get in your car and drive 26.2 miles you will think to yourself, how in the world will I ever be able to run this far?  Guess what…you can! Many have done a marathon that thought they never could. It’s a very self-rewarding accomplishment. Just believe you can do it and you will be 50% of the way there.

The Proper Running Shoe. There are many theories on running shoes. Most wear them, some don’t.  Since you are running your first marathon, get yourself a good pair of running shoes. Don’t try to save a few bucks; your running shoes are vital to overall successful running and especially running a successful first marathon. If you have a local running store in your community, they will hook you up with the best pair based on your personal running form.

Train, Train and Train. Take your training serious and be consistent. If you have a local running group, join it.  You’ll meet professional coaches, as well as like-minded runners who will help you develop a training plan. Training with others makes the process an enjoyable experience. Stop by your local running store for running group recommendations.

Once you have your plan laid-out, follow it as if your life depended on it. You will slowly build up your mileage and reach benchmarks along the way. Eventually you will build up to 20-mile plus training runs. Logging miles into on-line programs such as Runkeeper, MapMyRun, Daily Mile or LogYourRun is also helpful and will boost motivation as you see the miles compound.

There are many components to marathon training such as nutrition, fluid intake, performance gels, hill work and speed work. By belonging to a running group or reading on-line articles, running blogs or running magazines, you will get acclimated quickly and understand what these mean, and how important they are to a successful marathon.

Target Your Marathon. Choose your first marathon to be a well-established race that has a proven positive track record. Go to www.marathonguide.com for a list of all marathons and read comments from people to get a feel for their experience. Marathons are popular these days and fill up fast when registration opens, so once you find one you believe you’d like, register early! 

Some first-timer marathons worth consideration are Chicago, Twin-Cities, Houston, Disney and Phoenix. The Rock N’ Roll series also have some great well-run marathons.

Preparation. When you finally register for your first marathon, book your flight and hotel right away. Having these details confirmed in advance, will allow you to focus on your training with no worries before race day.

Finally, to really understand what a marathon is like, pick up the DVD, “Spirit of the Marathon.”  It will speak to you.

 Crossing the finish line of your first marathon will change you forever!

Jim Lynch is a Runner and author of One Foot in Front of the Other – expected to be released in fall of 2012!  Jim has completed 87 marathons and is certified for completing a marathon in all 50 States plus DC. Jim Lynch may be reached via @authorjimlynch on Twitter and http://www.facebook.com/authorjimlynch  If you sign up for updates at Jim’s website at http://www.authorjimlynch.com you will receive free the first chapter of his upcoming book. You may also read Jim’s blog published twice weekly at http://www.authorjimlynch.com/blog

 

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