Best Fitness Blog

First Marathon ... by Karli Taylor

The marathon’s popularity growth began 30 years ago and is still going strong.  In more recent years, the realization spread among runners and the population in general that it wasn’t necessary to be a hardcore runner to complete a marathon . In 2008, a record-high 468,000 runners finished U.S. marathons.

As the interest among “non-runners” grows, the questions about how to prepare for a marathon become more and more common. So if you are one of those “non-runners” or maybe even an recreational runner right now, where do you start and how long will it take to get ready?

In order to start training for a race, the first thing you need to do is pick one.  I would recommend picking one that is at least 9 months away if you are a recreational runner and 12 if you have yet to pound any pavement.  The first step is to get out there and run. Get your body use to the motion of running by completing short runs every other day. In the beginning your run may be no more than a mile.  Don’t  panic- it gets easier as your body and your breathing  become more efficient.

Six months out from race day you, should be able to comfortably complete about 25 miles of running each week. At this point, you will start adding a longer run to your schedule each week. Start with a 5 mile long run, building up to a 22 mile run about 3 weeks out from race day.   

Long runs are not only physically challenging, but are a huge mental challenge as well.  I would highly encourage you to join a running club or find a running partner to keep you moving when you want to turn around and go home.  Not sure where to find someone to run with?  Try a charity organization that trains new runners to complete marathons such as The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Team In Training.

Having trained for and completed a few marathons myself, I can assure you  that the experience of crossing the finish line is well worth every second of  training and personal sacrifice involved in preparing for your event.