Getting Ready for Your First Marathon
Walking and running are natural movements our body. Our ancestors ran to hunt wild game or flee from danger. By running regularly, you simply seek to emulate daily activities of our ancestors. Getting involved in marathon events is a good way to keep on running and stay healthy. There are many different marathon events out there and it’s best for you to start small. If you are a beginner, you shouldn’t try to complete a 20k marathon. There is shorter and easier 7k or 10k marathon event, that are suitable for beginners.
Before getting involved, you should be prepared, such as wearing the right footwear. Your footwear should be supportive and it needs to work as effective cushions, as you are stomping on the hard concrete. Repeated impact could lead to serious injuries to your joints and muscles. Because you will do repetitive movements rapidly, you should wear loose fitting and breathable clothing to minimize chaffing. Proper clothing also allows your body to regulate temperature properly. You should learn from instructors or experienced runners about how to perfect your running form. Perfect form will also minimize potential injuries and you can achieve optimum running performance.
Ideally, you should start preparing for eight months, if you are a beginner. So, find out about what marathon events that will take place eight months from now. If you never participate in one, you should set up ample time for training and preparation. If you don’t have enough time to get prepared, it’s easy for you to feel discouraged and you won’t be able to gain confidence to complete the race. There are many components of successful marathon running. As an example, you need to have proper muscle strength, endurance, lung capacity and healthy diet regimen.
Good foodstuff includes fruits, raw vegetables, fish, lean meat, seeds, nuts and whole wheat. If you want to consume more proteins, you should choose soy proteins and whey, instead of regular dairy products. Bad foodstuff includes saturated fats, canned foods, fast foods and baked products made from refined wheat flour. If possible, you should stop consuming alcohol or drink alcohol in moderation. However, it doesn’t mean that you should follow a ridiculously restrictive diet. As long as you have generally good diet regimen, occasional treat is acceptable to keep your morale up.
During the preparation phase, you shouldn’t beat yourself. You are not training for Olympic and in fact, you don’t have to win the marathon race. Being able to complete the marathon at acceptable, average time is good enough for you. It’s a good starting point for your future marathon events. You shouldn’t hold yourself to unrealistically high standards. Don’t let any minor setback to be the death of your marathon goals. Because it will be your first marathon, it’s important for you to have positive first experience. The second, third and other marathon events will be easier to accomplish. You should be able to cover the marathon distance three months before the event, continue to repeat it, until you are comfortable with it. In the a couple of months of training, being able to cover 2 or 3 miles should be good enough. A couple of days before the event, you shouldn’t over exerting yourself. Only do light exercises and perform stretches. Make sure your mind and body are refreshed for the event, so you need to have enough rest.