Preparing For Your First Marathon

By: Lance Mills

These days, it’s all about being healthy, fit and fabulous. If you’ve been doing a little running in your spare time and enjoy the occasional 5k and 10k race, you may eventually consider the challenge of a full 26.2 marathon race. Though the task might seem daunting, if you’re already in the running mood, some timely training and friendly advice will get you on the road to success in reaching your own personal fitness goals.





When you’re preparing for your first marathon, you will want to make sure that you are already familiar with the running sport. Planning a marathon as your first running race will lead to quick disappointment—like anything big in life, you have to work your way up the ladder. Register for a 5k or a 10k, then, once you’ve got those down, tackle a half-marathon. When you’re ready for a marathon, be prepared for a lot of hard work and training!

First off, make sure you have the proper equipment. Although it may not seem like running is an expensive sport, it can sometimes require a little investment to protect your body from the elements and from injury. It is suggested that you start off with a great pair of a running shoes—head to a running store to get the proper shoe for the way YOU run. Not all shoes are created equal, and not everyone runs the same way. The wear you place on your shoe will determine what brand and style are best. You’ll also want to look into some moisture wicking clothing, sunscreen and proper sun protection, a performance wristwatch and heart rate monitor, and a waist belt to hold bottles of water for rehydration during those long runs.

Once you’ve got the equipment, you need to invest the time. Training for a marathon can be a good 6-month training period, sometimes up to a year if you’re not a seasoned runner. When it comes to preparing for a marathon, you want to work your way up—start small, with 2-3 mile runs, and then slowly start extending the length of your runs from there. It’s a good idea to take a calendar, mark the day of the marathon, and work your way back, subtracting a half mile or a mile each week (depending on the time you have available to train) to figure out a steady, increased running pace and goal to work towards.

Register ahead of time—and for some of the larger marathons, like the Boston Marathon, this is a definite must. Also, it gives you the feeling like you can’t back out, and it finalizes that commitment that you are making to yourself—and your body.

If you’re injured, slow it down. Nothing can set you back more than an injury, but if you try running with one, you’re bound to make it worse. Take a few days off, give your injury some TLC, and then slowly get back into the routine you had established.

These are just a few steps to get you started in running your first marathon. Talk to friends who have run marathons, do some research online about how to prepare, and before you know it, you’ll be running across the finish line with a feeling of confidence!




About the Author:

Lance writes about various topics in his spare time. One of his websites is pillowspeakers.net which reviews the Softspeaker pillow speaker.