Wooooaahhhhh! We’re half way there!!!
I dare you to sing that in the style of Bon Jovi’s Livin’ on a Prayer and not have that song stuck in your head all day! 🤣
It’s exciting times as you realise it’s ‘hump day’ and you are half way through your London Marathon training. Some of you may have just shuddered and feel slightly panicky that there’s only 8 weeks left. But 8 weeks is still plenty of time to recover from niggles and improve your fitness to get you ready for race day.
You’ve weathered early mornings, late nights, plenty of rain, and some occasional sunshine to reach this point. It's also important to recognise the challenges you've faced. Injuries, fatigue, and moments of doubt are as much a part of the journey as the milestones and breakthroughs. These challenges are not setbacks but opportunities for growth, teaching us resilience and helping us to understand our bodies better. I can assure you that overcoming these obstacles is what makes the finish line even more rewarding.
I had major surgery to remove a lemon sized mass from my lung less than two weeks ago, which has been a MASSIVE setback on my journey to the London Marathon. Now I can only walk ½ a mile very slowly and it feels like I’ve run a marathon (I’ve run 6 so far, so yes, I do know what I’m talking about). But I’m still hoping to get to the start line in 8 weeks if my specialists agree it’s safe for me to do so. The beauty of the London Marathon compared to all other marathons is that everyone gets to finish, no matter how slow. It’s the most inclusive marathon and something I am very proud to be part of as the official London Marathon expert physiotherapist.
As you enter the second half of your marathon training it's time to focus on some of the more technical aspects of marathon training such as practising running at race pace and trialling your nutrition and hydration strategies.
Here are my 5 tips to guide you through this critical phase and help ensure you arrive at the start line of the London Marathon in peak condition.
1.) Prioritise Injury Prevention
Listen to Your Body: Pay attention to any signs of fatigue or discomfort. Early intervention can prevent minor issues from becoming major setbacks. If pain and discomfort doesn’t settle within a few days or keeps recurring seek advice from a physiotherapist.
Incorporate Recovery Days: ensure your training plan includes sufficient rest and recovery days to allow your body to repair and strengthen. If you are prone to niggles you may need more rest than your plan includes. This is when you need to listen to your body and adjust the plan. Remember, your training plan is a guide, not a rule book. Perimenopausal ladies – due to higher levels of inflammation at this stage of life it takes longer to recover so you may need more rest and recovery days.
Focus on Flexibility and Strength: Do Pilates and strength and conditioning classes to maintain core strength, flexibility, and muscle balance, which are essential for preventing overuse injuries.
2.) Refine Your Nutrition & Hydration Strategy
Practice Race Day Nutrition: Use your long runs to refine your hydration and nutrition strategy. Experiment with different types of gels, chews, and drinks to find what works best for your stomach and provides you with sustained energy. If you plan to use the nutrition provided on the course, practice with that during your training.
Stay Hydrated: Lots of people train without any hydration thinking it doesn’t really matter as its ‘only training’. Poor hydration can limit your performance at any time, even during training, especially on long run days. You need to train your body to be able to tolerate consuming and digesting liquid on the run (no pun intended). Start to develop a hydration strategy that keeps you adequately hydrated without causing discomfort.
Eat a Balanced Diet: Ensure your diet is rich in complex carbohydrates, lean proteins, and healthy fats to fuel your training and aid in recovery. Protein provides the amino acids that are the building blocks for repairing and building muscle. Ladies age 40+, I recommend you increase your protein intake as our declining estrogen levels at this age make it more difficult for us to repair and build muscle.
3.) Integrate Mental Training
Visualise Success: Spend time visualising the race day, from starting strong to overcoming challenges and crossing the finish line. Mental rehearsals can enhance confidence and reduce anxiety.
Develop Coping Strategies: Prepare for tough moments by developing coping strategies, such as focusing on your breathing, breaking the race into smaller segments, or having a mantra to repeat when things get tough.
4.) Simulate Race Conditions
Train at Race Pace: If you haven’t done so already, start to think about what your predicted finish time will be (you’ve probably received an email from the London Marathon asking you to tell them your predicted finish time as they’ll need that to organise the start waves). Once you know your predicted time you can work out what your pace per mile/km will be. Once you know this try and incorporate periods of time running at this pace during your training.
Train at Race Time: Whenever possible, train at the same time of day as the marathon will start. This helps your body adjust to performing at its peak during those specific hours. People often train very early in the morning as this frees up time later in the day to spend with family and friends. However, for lots of people the London Marathon will start between 9:30am and 10-30am so it’s good to practice waking, eating and running at this time.
Dress Rehearsal: Use your long runs as a dress rehearsal for the race. Wear your planned race day outfit and shoes, and practice everything from your pre-race meal to your hydration plan. It’s good to discover any issues now such as chafing or gastrointestinal issues as you’ve got plenty of time to find a solution.
5.) Taper Properly
Done correctly, tapering can improve your marathon performance by a whooping 5%. For a 5 hour marathon runner that’s a 15 minute reduction in finish time! That’s a pretty good outcome for running less, eating well, and sleeping more.
I’m writing a book about marathon training, and I’ve managed to convince my publisher to allow me to give away the ‘Marathon Taper Secrets’ chapter for FREE! That’s much more comprehensive than a few bullet points I could offer here. Get your FREE 'Marathon Taper Secrets' chapter by clicking the button below.
By following these tips you’ll not only enhance your physical and mental readiness for the London Marathon, but you are setting yourself up for a successful and enjoyable marathon experience. Remember, the journey to the start line should be as rewarding as the race itself. Enjoy this second half of marathon training, and TRUST THE PROCESS!
Commentaires