Running a distance as mythical as the marathon is always a major challenge for any long-distance runner. However, and because of the magnitude of this challenge, the preparation, for the first time, of this distance always starts with a question: How should I train to achieve my goal? In this RUNNEA Magazine post we give you the keys to have the dream debut in the 42k, but also to enjoy the road, which is just as important.
To try to answer this question, as it could not be otherwise, we put ourselves in the hands of Iker Muñoz, sports director of RUNNEA ACADEMY. Remember that the first premise is to get advice and put yourself in the hands of professionals and experts in the field. The benefits of an individualized training plan are beyond any doubt, and beyond the Running shoes and the corresponding GPS sports watch, investing in a personal trainer is key to ensure that you overcome that sporting challenge -starting a marathon- with guarantees and with the best sensations.
As he points out in his book, "El libro de la maratón", another of our top coaches at RUNNEA ACADEMY, Marc Roig, emphasizes that "the most complicated part of any marathon is planning and preparing for the race". You can say it louder, but not clearer. So we recommend that you do not lose detail.
The keys to take into account when making your debut at marathon distance
Many of the fans of popular races can fall into a simplistic argument, such as: "If preparing for a half marathon I do an average of 60-70 km per week, to prepare for a competition that has twice as many kilometers I will have to double the volume of weekly kilometers", but this does not mean that this answer is correct. It is to be expected that our weekly training volume will increase, but we should not overdo it and think that this increase will be the only key to our success.
Analyze our sporting background
Before making the decision to sign up for a marathon, my advice is to put ourselves "in front of the mirror" and analyze our sporting journey up to that precise moment. We should ask ourselves if we really have a sufficient training base (experience training systematically); if we have met certain objectives and improved our performance in shorter distances (in events such as 10K and half marathon); or if we simply want to run this distance for the first time because we have been preparing for it systematically for a long period of time.
With the above I try to explain that if we have been training for 6 months, our personal best in a 10K is 55 minutes, and every time I do a 60-minute run I go home with joint or muscle discomfort, we are not in a position to face a distance such as the 42,195 meters of a marathon. Moreover, we will probably have a wide margin for improvement in distances shorter than the marathon. Therefore, systematic training for improvement in these competitions of shorter distances will bring us a better performance in the future over the 42k.
If we fulfill the premises of having been training systematically for several years, having progressively improved our performances in shorter distances, and if we do not have any physical problems, we will be able to face the challenge of the marathon with guarantees, not without difficulties.
Planning the workload
Before putting on our running shoes and taking to the streets, we should think about how we are going to organize our training during the months of preparation for the marathon. In other words, I will have to increase my workload, but progressively, and the training intensity will have to be in accordance with this volume. To do this, we will have to pre-establish the "kinetics" of volume and intensity. It will not be advisable to increase exponentially my training volume (measured in kilometers or minutes of training) in a few weeks nor its intensity. Increasing training load (the ratio of volume to intensity) abruptly is associated with an increased risk of sports injuries (Windt et al. 2017).
Distribution of training volume.
Thus, a progressive increase in training volume until a peak volume is achieved 4-5 weeks before the competition may be a way to cope with the increase in time spent training. In turn, this increase should be followed by a progressive decrease in work volume, but not in intensity, until the competition is reached. This period of volume decrease is called the "tapering" period, understood as a fine-tuning of the athlete.
On the other hand, although the trend in the increase of training volume is progressive, it will be necessary to introduce every3 weeks (depending on the specific planning of each athlete) a week characterized by a decrease in training volume. The objective of this week or microcycle will be the recovery of the athlete, in this way we ensure a rest and regeneration to the body allowing it to adapt to the training loads.
Training intensity
So far we have talked about the need for volume, since a marathon is a race with a considerable duration and it seems obvious to think that the needs that this race will demand from us will be supplied based on long workouts with many kilometers. But this is not entirely true, we must pay special attention to the intensity of training and competition.
If we could observe the training of great marathon runners in the first months of preparation, we would be astonished to see the intensity at which they exercise. In the early stages of their respective macrocycles, they train at intensities close to VO2max. While it is true that they will not compete at these intensities, it may allow them to perform better over the distance in the future.
With the previous paragraph I want to highlight the need to train a wide range of paces in a structured and progressive manner over time before moving on to mesocycles of specific preparation for the marathon. However, we cannot forget the training at specific intensities of competition, as a rhythm to be worked in a specific way during the weeks prior to the marathon. Therefore, and complying with one of the principles of sports training, we must go (as far as training intensity is concerned) from the general to the specific. In other words, from high intensities to race pace.
How much is more?
Having said all this we still have no answer to the question of how much more should I train to prepare for a marathon. I am afraid that this cannot be answered with an exact number and will depend on what we have trained to date (volume and frequency of training).
In the case of the popular runner, the time available for training in many cases is limited due to work responsibilities, family, etc. Therefore, the first thing is to know how many days and time we can dedicate to training, it will not be the same for a person who trains 4 times a week than one who can perform 10 weekly sessions. In the person who trains 4 days, the volume of training will be more concentrated without having much room for maneuver to introduce very interesting workouts such as strength work.
The truth is that in order to run a marathon it is not necessary to push ourselves every week with that "long run" that in many cases involves more than 34-36 kilometers. It is true that we will have to dedicate a greater volume of training in certain sessions. But to run a marathon, it is not necessary to run almost a marathon every Sunday before the competition. It is necessary to remember that recovery after a marathon can take 4 to 6 weeks on average (in the best case scenario), so if we run close to a marathon every Sunday we will probably be out of shape for the competition.
Regarding the question: Do we have to accumulate a considerable volume? Yes, but during the week, month, etc. not all concentrated in a single day. In addition to this it is necessary to point out that in some cases we do not look at the really important magnitude, time. In other words, we focus on doing 34 kilometers on Sunday without paying attention to the time it takes us. If I am preparing for a marathon to be done in 3 hours, my training sessions can be 2 hours regardless of the number of kilometers I do (since it will be a soft training session). In this way, I will be preparing the osteoarticular structures for the large number of impacts in each stride of the marathon, but without accumulating a large amount of fatigue.
References
- Windt, J., Zumbo, B. D., Sporer, B., Macdonald, K., & Gabbett, T. J. (2017). Why do workload spikes cause injuries, and which athletes are at higher risk? Mediators and moderators in workload-injury investigations. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 51(13), 993. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2016-097255.
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