How To Train For A Marathon
There are a variety of marathons near Houston, TX, this year, as well as other races. A marathon is one of the most grueling races at 42 kilometers—26.2 miles. You don’t go from living a sedentary lifestyle to running a 26.2-mile race overnight. You have to train for a marathon. Sometimes, the training is in the gym and sometimes it’s out running. It’s all about building endurance and knowing your limits first. If your last running experience was playing dodgeball in grade school, you have a long way to go. Take it slowly.
Test your limits.
Start by getting a physical or checking with your healthcare professional, since a marathon is especially grueling. The less fit you are, the more important it is. You have a goal, running a marathon, but which marathon and when? If you’ve never exercised, start slowly and plan for a marathon as far as a year in the future. Beginners can start with a 20-minute walk/run routine, where you run for as little as 15 seconds and then walk for a minute to catch your breath, returning to running. As you get fitter, extend the running period and shorten the recovery time. Once you can run a full 20 minutes, it’s time to start training for your marathon.
Build your mileage.
Marathons are grueling for a reason….they’re really long! Once you can run 20 minutes straight, start working on your mileage. Work out 3-5 times a week, with at least one long run every 7-10 days. Many runners use Fartlek techniques that constantly vary pace throughout the run. Instead of going at high-intensity and recovery, you go at close to high-intensity speed, medium, low speed, and everywhere in between the three, but never slow down to recovery pace, always keeping your heart rate slightly higher. Run on various types of terrain.
Build up your distance.
Alter the way you increase your distance run. Start by increasing your long run by a mile every week or two. If you’re running 10 miles, the next distance run, go 11 miles, then 12 miles. Instead of going 13 miles the next distance session, revert to 10 miles, and the following session, increase it to 13. Don’t worry about your pace on the distance run, but distance. Rest on the days you’re not running. It should be active rest, like swimming, calisthenics, or yoga.
- Focus on sleep. Sleep allows the body to heal and produce HGH—human growth hormone. HGH aids in muscle repair.
- Hydration is important. Get a hydration pack or belt. If you don’t want to carry the water, create a path that goes past water sources, like fountains. Drink lots of water before any long run.
- You have to feed your body right to be your best. Eat a healthy diet throughout training. The night before a long run, or the marathon itself, make your meal rich in carbs and carry energy packs or fruit during long runs.
- If running a marathon is your goal, personal training can help. Our small group in-person training is also another good option.
For more information, contact us today at Reggie C. Fitness
If you want to start meal planning as a way to get fitter, save money and make life easier once you start, you need to get the meal planning supplies. Meal planning starts by writing down your meals on any type of paper or creating a calendar on your computer and filling in the blanks with the meals you’re serving that week with a space to include the grocery list. Some people opt for actual meal planning online programs that can vary in price. They come with meal plans, a grocery list and recipes.
When I talk with clients in Houston, TX, I find that the ones that are most successful at sticking with a fitness program tend to make working out a habit. Most of us think of negative habits, like smoking, binge-watching videos or TV or leaving dirty dishes on the floor, but habits can be good, too. If you make it a habit to eat healthy meals or exercise at a certain time every morning, you’ll be just as apt to do it as you would a bad habit. Most of the time, you automatically do it or it’s uncomfortable when you don’t.
A lot has changed over the years. Women are no longer subject to weeks of bedrest after having a baby and even the present rule of waiting to exercise for six weeks after childbirth has its exceptions. If you’ve exercised throughout your pregnancy, you may be able to start even sooner. That doesn’t include women who had complications or a C-section. You may be able to start strength training before the six weeks’ time, but before you start any exercise program, check with your health care professional.
If you have bad feet, running long distances in Houston, TX, isn’t the type of exercise you should be doing, but you should be doing some form of exercise. The right type of exercise can even help strengthen both your feet and ankles. A physical therapist can help you with those. Here are some exercises you can do for the rest of your body. They’ll help strengthen every part, plus build cardio and flexibility fitness. Start with stretches. If your issue with your feet doesn’t allow you to put pressure on them. You can do stretching while sitting.
If you’re considering buying gluten-free products, just because you believe they’re healthier, you might be wasting your money and even decreasing health benefits. For instance, potato chips are naturally gluten free, but they’re not healthier than a slice of whole wheat bread, which contains gluten. Gluten is an amino acid that’s found in rye, wheat and barley. It can’t be digested and may permeate the intestinal lining. In some people, the body mistakes the gluten for an invader, which starts the immune response, which can also cause intestinal cells to be killed and set off a series of digestive issues.
Some people in Houston, TX, still make bone broth from scratch. They start by roasting leftover bones, then simmering the bones in water for hours. It’s a healthy option as a base for soup and extremely delicious. Homemade bone broth also has healing benefits, but best of all it’s free, you just need to invest time. You can make bone broth from any kind of bones, including those from leftovers. Some people save and freeze the bones, while others buy bones specifically for the broth, opting for those from pastured chicken or beef.
Focusing on good nutrition doesn’t have to mean giving up all the foods you love. In fact, there are many places in Houston, TX, where you can get healthy treats. The most important thing to remember is to consume them in moderation and not make them the main food you eat all day, every day. Portion size is also important. They should be in 100 to 200 calorie portions or you won’t get the weight loss results you want or have the healthiest diet.
Most people understand how people can crave sweet treats and junk food but fail to realize you can also crave healthy food. It’s all about habits and noticing how good you feel after eating healthier food. The trick is first to give up sugar. It’s a real struggle, since sugar is quite addictive. Focus on healthier sweet options, such as fresh fruit. Once you break the sugar habit you’ll start to notice when food has added sugar and even may find it far too sweet for your taste. The key is that the more sugar you eat, the less your taste buds register the sweetness, so by eliminating it from your diet, you’re resetting your taste buds back to normal
If you’re looking for a definition of superfoods, don’t go to a scientific journal. It’s been used in popular press to indicate the food is packed with nutrition. When people ask me for help at R C Fitness in Houston, TX, about the best type of superfood to help boost their workout, give them more energy or build muscles, there’s no one right answer. In fact, many food choices are healthy and do all those things and more.