Marathon

Now that I'm weeks into my marathon training, I've been gleaning advice everywhere I can get it. And while I've learned many tips over the past couple of months — like how to hydrate before a long run and when pace doesn't matter — there's still a lot to think about. Your success in running depends on a lot of personal preference, like what you eat before you run, which shoes keep your feet comfortable even at mile 15, or which earbuds stay put in your ears, so figuring out what works best for me during long runs has been a journey.

One thing I've noticed is how much pushing past my comfort zone has measurably made me a better runner. It can be easy to fall into the same running routine — running at the same time, at the same pace, or on the same route, over and over — especially when you've got to clock in the miles every week. But it wasn't until I started changing these three aspects of my workout that I actually felt like I was becoming a better runner week after week. While remembering to vary your workout by running at different paces, at different times, and over different terrains is nothing new to those training for a race, making a conscious decision to change up one (or more) of these aspects at every run — and therefore pushing past my comfort zone — has allowed me to realize when I'm at my most efficient, I feel my best, and I'm developing as a runner.

If you're training for a marathon, check out our printable 18-week marathon guide, and tell us: how has pushing past your comfort zone helped you?

If running a marathon is on your bucket list, we have an 18-week plan designed specifically to help a first-timer train to run 26.2. This program, created for those who have been running for at least one year, will help you build endurance and mileage. Before beginning this program, you should be running between three and four times a week for two to three miles on each run.

The weekly mileage starts at 11 miles per week, peaking at 40 weekly miles during week 14. Long runs, the base of marathon training, start at four miles and grow to 20 miles.

Keep reading for more details on the training program.

"Exercise is medicine, and you need it every day" was the message Dr. Jordan Metzl hammered in during a recent discussion at the annual espnW Women + Sports Summit. As a guest of Lexus, I was able to hear Dr. Metzl's advice on keeping the body conditioned, especially for endurance athletes. And he should know — not only is Dr. Metzl a sports medicine physician, he's also competed in 29 marathons and 10 Ironman Triathlons. For those individuals moving beyond one-hour sweat sessions and instead clocking serious miles in their fitness routines, Dr. Metzl shared these tips for keeping the body healthy.

1. Don't be one-dimensional: You may be training for a marathon, but running should not be the only part of your routine. "You need to do more than just your sport," said Dr. Metzl, and he recommends at least two strength training sessions per week. He advises patients to focus on total-body, functional fitness when putting the kind of physical duress on the body that a race will. Squats and lunges make up the cornerstone of his workouts, as does plyometrics. A workout session with Dr. Metzl is basically a boot camp, which we were all treated to on our first morning at the summit — talk about a sore backside the next day!
2. Get the kinks out: When the body trains hard, muscle use goes into overtime, which can cause a variety of ailments ranging from soreness to tightness. This is exactly why Dr. Metzl is a huge proponent of keeping the body flexible and limber. In addition to stretching after every workout, he also recommends foam rolling at least four times a week. Or if you can swing it, a sports massage once a week. This will help keep the muscles long and lean, but mostly, ready to take on all the miles you throw at it.
3. Cool things down: It may not sound like the most pleasant way to hang after a grueling workout, but Dr. Metzl recommends an ice bath after any period of prolonged (and intense) activity to "reduce inflammation, which will help decrease pain going forward." He also mentioned that ice baths are particularly helpful for endurance athletes because the cold temperature prevents the breakdown of tissue and helps increase blood flow, which speeds recovery time along. If an ice bath seems to intense, try a cold-plunge pool or even a shower.

With the New York City Marathon only a month away, race season is in full swing. Whether you consider yourself new to the running scene or a seasoned vet, it's never too early to start training for one of Fall or Winter's big races. From a 5K and beyond, here are all the tips and training plans you need to make yourself race ready.

The Beginning: 5K
Running 3.1 miles might seem like a daunting feat, but with a plan in hand, the process becomes so much easier. A 5K is considered a gateway race, and once you complete it, you will want to take on longer distances. Here are three posts to help you finish the race:

• Get started with our beginner 5K 11-week training schedule. It'll have you running three days a week and cross-training on the side.
• Before hitting the starting line, read these tips for running your first 5K.
• Once you finish, set goals for a new personal record using these tips on how to run a faster 5K.

Doubling Up: The 10K
Once you have a 5K under your belt, it's time to tackle a 10K. The 6.2-mile race means adding to your weekly mileage to help build up endurance.

• Get started with this 12-week 10K training plan.
• Longer, harder runs will definitely help you take on those extra 6.2 miles, but you'll also want to follow these specific fitness and diet tips for building endurance.

Learn how to prepare for a half marathon, marathon, and triathlon after the break!

You're finally ready to cross one off the ol' bucket list and signed up to run your first marathon. You know those 26.2 miles won't be easy, but you're psyched to cross the finish line and hold that proud feeling with you for the rest of your life. Here are some things to avoid while training for the big day.

Not Enough Training Time
Hopefully you already have a few shorter races under your belt before tackling a marathon, and even if you run four or more times a week, that doesn't mean you should sign up for a race that's three weeks away. You'll do best if you follow some sort of plan like our four-month training schedule. Make sure whatever schedule you follow allows enough time to build up mileage appropriately.

Overdoing It
You want to be totally ready for race day, so you run every day for hours, even through injuries, and only feel good if you wake up sore the next day. While being prepared is essential, there is such a thing as overtraining. Don't ignore pains or illnesses, and respect your body's need to rest, which is what will make you a stronger and faster runner. Be strict about following the training schedule, and avoid running five extra miles on the easy days. Make sure to taper off and take it easy in the weeks leading up to the race.

Keep reading to learn two more marathon training no-nos.

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from espnW here on FitSugar!

By Doug Williams

Maureen Mancuso would rather look ahead, not back. She seems hardly concerned her marathon record in 1967 has been largely ignored, or that she was the subject of ridicule and rejection at the time. She doesn't waste much time wondering "what if" or poring over the two scrapbooks compiled by her mother from Maureen's days as a teen running sensation.

These days, the 58-year-old Canadian is more excited about a new job as a dog trainer and preparing for her next half marathon than fretting about what was and wasn't said 45 years ago. Still, she knows times have changed. If she accomplished today what she accomplished then, her fame would be global.

On May 6, 1967, 13-year old Maureen Wilton, a 4-foot-10, 80-pound twig who was all heart, lungs and legs, set the women's world record in the marathon, running 3:15:23 in Toronto. Her feat came after just two weeks of training for her first 26.2-miler, in an era when women were discouraged from running long distances.

Four months later, her record was broken by a West German. Four years later — with an urge to try other things in life and years before women's running scholarships — Wilton dropped out of competitive running. Though she helped open doors and eyes, proving that long-distance running wasn't harmful to young women, she and her feat faded from view. "I was 17 and basically disappeared from the face of the earth," she said with a laugh.

She hasn't been inducted into any hall of fame, including Canada's Sports Hall of Fame or the Canadian Road Running Hall of Fame. For nearly 40 years, she lived the happy life she wanted — getting married, having a career and raising children — without anyone wanting to know her story. When she eventually returned to running in her 50s and joined the Longboat Roadrunners Club in Toronto, Mancuso said she occasionally heard people talk about the long-ago record while wondering what had happened to the little girl who set it. She never volunteered that she was the girl, and they didn't know until 2010. "They didn't have any clue," Mancuso said. "They were still looking for me, but I was actually in their club."

Pushing past the pain: Jordan Keen feeling just right

Read about Maureen's record-breaking race after the break!

Warm weather inspires many runners to head for the great outdoors. The gorgeous scenery definitely inspires me to tackle bigger trips, so whether you're running long distances for fun or are training for a marathon, here's a tip for staying hydrated: Instead of carrying around your water, stash it along the way. It's like having your own personal water stations!

Map out your route ahead of time and set markers every three miles or so. Fill up reusable water bottles with four to eight ounces of H20, and then take a drive before your run. Stash the bottles in safe, convenient, and appropriate spots so you can grab them quickly and gulp them down. Or, if you prefer, you can carry the bottles with you and sip as you run. Stash each empty container when you're done — just remember where you hid them so you can collect them all later.

When going into your first marathon, you may already know the basic tips for achieving race-day success, but there are certain tricks that only come from experience. No one tells you that you may be waiting at the starting line for a few hours before the race is even underway, often in early-morning temps 20 degrees colder than what you'll experience during the actual race. To keep muscles warm before embarking on a 26.2-mile journey, a few things will be your saving grace: a garbage bag and clothes you can't wait to give up.

Seasoned runners show up to the starting line in layers, but not their best Patagonia or North Face fleece. These are clothes they wouldn't think twice about losing or ruining — the sole function is to keep them warm until the race starts. Shortly before the start, extra layers are peeled off and thrown into a garbage bag, which is placed along the side of the road for charity organizations to pick up. Some races provide garbage bags, but it's always smart to bring your own. (And bigger races also provide a bag-check in case you can't bear to give up your race-day base layers.) You can also opt to throw away extra clothing during the race itself, just be careful how you do it — you don't want to create an obstacle for another runner. Always go to the side of the road and aim long!

What race-day tips have you picked up along the way?

We are pumped to share one of our fave stories from espnW here on FitSugar! This week's is an inspiring story about marathoner Desiree Davila, who will be representing the US in the Olympics for her first time. The following is an excerpt; read the entire story here.

By Bonnie D. Ford

At last January's Olympic trials in Houston, Texas, four top women had distanced themselves from the field: Desiree Davila, fellow favorites Shalane Flanagan and Kara Goucher, and Amy Hastings. Davila increased her tempo. Hastings dropped back. Davila forged on with Flanagan and Goucher, her five-foot-two, 98-pound frame dwarfed by her taller rivals. Then, with two miles to go, Flanagan kicked into a higher gear, and Davila was faced with another decision: should she try to match the surge and bid for the win, taking the chance that her cramping calves would betray her, or maintain her pace and protect her spot on the team?

Davila weighed the situation and decided not to risk it. Flanagan soloed to the line, and Davila secured her Olympic spot by finishing second, 17 seconds back, in 2:25:55. It was a tough, savvy race, and the latest evidence that Davila's gradual climb to the top is peaking at an ideal juncture.

After a largely anonymous high school and college career in the arid heat of Southern California and Arizona, she migrated to Michigan to join the Hansons-Brooks Distance Project in 2005. The elite training environment in a harsher climate helped her transform herself into "a contender, not just someone who's on the line and might have a good day," as she put it.

The Lesson Learned From Second Place

Davila debuted at the marathon distance in Boston in 2007 and ran 2:44.56 in a raging northeaster. A year later on the same course, Davila thought she had progressed enough to make the Olympic team. At mile 21, running fourth, it looked as if she'd been right. But Davila, who hadn't hydrated and eaten enough before the race, ran out of gas and faded to 13th.

She was devastated. Fellow marathoner and friend Amy Hastings was there to comfort her, and so was sister Natalie Davila. "If I'm investing my money in someone right now, it's you," the older sister said. "You're going in the right direction — you're going up."

Read on for more of Desiree Davila's road to the Olympics after the break.