Download - Marathon Runners Training - Action Challenge...marathon RUNNERS TRAINING GUIDE Whytrain? Running for 26 miles in one go is a tough challenge, and training is essential. Preparation

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Page 1: Marathon Runners Training - Action Challenge...marathon RUNNERS TRAINING GUIDE Whytrain? Running for 26 miles in one go is a tough challenge, and training is essential. Preparation

marathon

runners

TRAINING GUIDE � www.britishgastreksbritain.co.uk 1

Page 2: Marathon Runners Training - Action Challenge...marathon RUNNERS TRAINING GUIDE Whytrain? Running for 26 miles in one go is a tough challenge, and training is essential. Preparation

Congratulations on signing up to British Gas Treks Britain marathon. We advise that whatever your current fitness levels it is important that you embark on a suitable training regime for your run in June, 2014. For some, this may mean starting more or less from scratch, and for others it may be re-focusing existing exercise programmes for specificity to running longer distances. This guide is designed to support you with your training plans, whatever your level of fitness and whatever your ambition is for the event. !!

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Welcome  to  the  British  Gas  Treks  Britain  2014  marathon  runners  training  guide!  

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Contents        

     

1. Why train?………….3

2. Nutrition………….3

3. Hydration………….4

4. Training advice……..4 - 5

5. Example training guide..........5

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Page 3: Marathon Runners Training - Action Challenge...marathon RUNNERS TRAINING GUIDE Whytrain? Running for 26 miles in one go is a tough challenge, and training is essential. Preparation

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Why  train?   Running for 26 miles in one go is a tough challenge, and training is essential. Preparation is key and will aid your enjoyment of the challenge whilst ensuring that your body is up to the rigours of the event, and for some this training will just ensure that you feel comfortable running in your kit, across varying terrain. A major benefit of training is that you are able to prepare your legs for terrain that you may be un-used to on a day to day basis. Whether that is uphill, downhill, along grassy verges or across bridleways and over styles, taking on some practise runs will really help on the day for everyone to keep a steady footing whilst following the route. This sort of training is essential even if you are a competent marathon runner who has competed in road marathons before. The fact that much of your route will be off road means that you will be expending much more energy than usual, especially if there has been any rain the night before. For most training will give an idea about how the body may react to running for extended periods along uneven ground. Often the strains and stresses that become evident on the body during runs are unexpected so understanding these effects can be hugely important for the enjoyment on the day. For example if you find that after an hour on your training runs you begin to get a dry mouth then you will understand that over the event you need to try to take on a bit of water at around 45 – 50 minutes to ensure that you are not becoming dehydrated. As well as this you may find thing with your kit; for example your running shoes have poor grip on grass, or your laces are poor so come undone when wet. All of these things can be tested over your training period prior to the event. Although kit issues may seem minor, they can in fact play a large part in how you get on during your challenge. !!

Nutrition        It is important in any endurance event to keep eating and drinking to maintain energy and hydration levels; the same applies to the training runs leading up to the challenge. Keeping both energy and hydration levels high will make strenuous portions of your run feel far more manageable. Use your training runs to trial different foods and see what works for you, remembering that the predominant fuel you will need is carbohydrates (bread, pasta, potatoes) prior to the event to get your fuel up before you head out, whilst taking a variety of snacks with you on the run itself. Pre  event    Due to the high utilisation of carbohydrate stores for people pushing themselves to complete this distance, the information below should be carried out by all participants where possible. During your training, and on the nights prior to the challenge the most important food for you to be consuming is Carbohydrate (found in items such as potatoes, pasta and rice). Carbohydrates are essential and by consuming high levels of carbohydrates prior to an event you are ensuring that your body is fully fuelled for the task ahead. Your body can store enough glycogen (derivative of carbohydrate) to sustain 90 minutes of exercise. By increasing your carbohydrate intake 2-3 days before the run it will ensure that you reach the start-line with maximum energy available to run at your best level. !On  the  day  of  the  event     Morning - You want to be boosting your carbohydrate levels prior to the event. 2-3 hours before - You want a meal full of complex (slow releasing) carbohydrates! Why not try a large bowl of porridge with milk and some fried eggs on the side, just to keep your protein up . !

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Page 4: Marathon Runners Training - Action Challenge...marathon RUNNERS TRAINING GUIDE Whytrain? Running for 26 miles in one go is a tough challenge, and training is essential. Preparation

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E 30mins prior - Have something with simple sugars (an isotonic sports drink would be good here or perhaps some fruit). During the run - Why not take a bit of fruit with you, or a couple of jaffa cakes, just in case you feel you need a boost. Recommended snacks such as high sugar cereal bars, fruit and energy gels* are a great way of keeping sustained as you run. After the run - You have just used up the carbohydrate stores in your body and now need to replenish them. A bbq will be provided on the day but if you have something sweet with you then this will help to boost your carbohydrate levels. Note - Please try these techniques prior to the challenge to ensure that your body is used to this nutritional plan. !Note - We don’t overly recommend the use of energy gels for runners on our events as we find a number of participants often begin to feel sick as the large quantities of gels they take causes a spike in carbohydrate levels which the body is not used to over such short periods of time – especially if using in excess or for the first time. We would therefore advise trialling such products before your run so you know how your body will react. !Hydration  advice    !During physical exertion it is crucial to replenish fluids for optimal hydration and energy, essentially for the brain and muscles to continue their work. Staying hydrated during the run is very important and keeping hydrated is essential. A 3% loss in hydration can lead to a 10% drop in performance. !Top tip - By drinking energy drinks you will be re-hydrating as well as replenishing your muscle glycogen stores, therefore killing two birds with one stone. This would be beneficial 30 minutes prior to the event for everyone, no matter the time frame you were looking to complete the event in. !Top  tip  -­  Try  making  your  own  energy  drink:  200ml  ordinary  fruit  squash  800ml  water  A  pinch  of  salt  

Mix  them  all  together  in  a  jug  and  cool  down  in  fridge  

Note - If it is a hot day then you will be losing water through sweat. It is therefore even more important to monitor your hydration levels.  !By drinking simple energy drinks such as Lucozade you will be rehydrating as well as replenishing your muscle glycogen stores, therefore killing two birds with one stone. The best way to do this is by drinking Sports drinks which contain electrolytes and vitamins, or re-hydration sachets which contain salts & sugar. These are significantly better absorbed, and help to replace energy, electrolytes, vitamins and other nutrients essential for performance. To put it into context you will want to try and have one sports drink or sachet for every 1 - 1 1/2 hrs of running. Alongside this water should also be consumed at regular intervals to top up these levels. !The importance of drinking water and energy drinks before, during and after training cannot be over emphasised. Being thirsty and having a dry mouth are the first signs of dehydration and often mean that you are already lacking water. !General  training  advice  !Training is a very simple concept; it is all about progressively increasing your ability to do just that little bit more, and giving your body time to adapt, recover and to come back stronger. If you are relatively new to running events, the trick is to build up your speed gradually and peak a couple of weeks prior to the event itself, allowing a recovery period beforehand. Don’t over commit to training. Don’t overstretch yourself, you want to reach the event day in peak physical fitness but without being burnt out. Do however remember to stretch before and after exercising for at least 10 minutes. !Wear your gear in! - Run as often as you can and as much as you can. Wear the shoes you will be wearing on the event over a number of different terrains to ensure that your shoes are right for you. !Train as a team - Studies have shown runners who train in groups show up more consistently and train harder than when they run alone. This may not be true for everyone, but running with a group of friends can provide motivation and will therefore lead to an improved performance in June. !!

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Example  training  programme  for  marathon  runners  This is based on an eight week training period and is a sample programme, which can be tailored to your own personal timetable. It is important to remember that the most important thing to do is just get out and run. The maximum number of training days per week is four and you should be looking to try and train for at least three- days out of seven as a guide.    !

  WEEK

 

MON TUES WED THURS FRI SAT SUN

1 REST 20 MIN AEROBIC

30 MIN AEROBIC

REST CROSS TRAINING

5 MILE RUN REST

2 REST CROSS TRAINING

REST 40 MIN AEROBIC

REST 5 MILE RUN 1 HR RUN

3 REST 30 MIN AEROBIC

REST 30 MIN AEROBIC

REST 10 MILE RUN REST

4 REST 30 MIN AEROBIC

REST CROSS TRAINING

REST 10 MILE RUN 5 MILE RUN

5 REST 1 HOUR INTERVAL

REST 30 MIN AEROBIC

REST 15 MILE RUN REST

6 REST 1 HR AEROBIC REST 45 MIN AEROBIC

REST 20 MILE RUN 5 MILE RUN

7 REST 1 HOUR INTERVAL

REST CROSS TRAINING

REST 5 MILE RUN

2 MILE RUN

8 REST 1 HOUR AEROBIC

REST 30 MIN AEROBIC

REST REST EVENT

You should be looking to plan a structured training programme, ideally around eight weeks in length. Should include a variety of sporting activities increase the heart rate and improve cardiovascular fitness, whilst varying your training, so try and incorporate these into your week. This can be combined to good effect with your longer runs as well as your free days. Look for nature trails, head for hills and forests, if there are any within your reach as running on a treadmill just isn’t the same. !Top tip - Keep a training diary, this will help you see how you are improving, and give you new goals to aim for. Get into the habit of filling it in immediately after your training so that you can properly chart your progress and keep yourself motivated. !(Medical advice - If you have any concerns about embarking on a serious training programme, or indeed the actual event, please consult your GP). The training programme.   Aerobic  conditioning - This will form the core of your training through regular runs, building up to longer distances and faster paces. Aerobic exercise trains the energy systems of the body that utilise oxygen and is used during all heightened activity. Don't neglect hill training as this will be key to getting the

body used to the terrain you can expect to experience. !Cross-­training - Just running to build up fitness levels can become monotonous so consider using different forms of exercise to keep your training varied and interesting. Team and racket sports or cycling, for example, can work well within a training programme for an event such as this and means you don’t have to drop all of your other interests. The key is to undertake regular aerobic exercise with a long run once a week.   Interval  training - This can be best described as bouts of intense exercise interspersed with short rest intervals. The intensity and duration of the work intervals and the length of the rest periods dictates output and effectiveness of your training. Alternate between running for up to a minute, and then return to a slower original pace for a set period before repeating. This is a fantastic option for those people that haven’t got the time to take on longer runs.   Remember  to   train  at  your   own  pace  -­  Below is an example training routine. If you are unable to complete all parts then do not worry, everyone has different start points and requirements. !

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