Marathon Success Secrets

Why do some people seem to complete the marathon distance comfortably while others struggle through the last 10 miles? There is no simple answer to this question but there are several things you can do to make sure you are as well prepared as possible for the race...

Don’t Over-train
This is especially true in the case of the less experienced marathon runner. Many people feel they have to do several long runs of over 20 miles. Some people even run the full marathon distance during a training run. The downside of all this is the closer you get to the actual marathon, the less your body is able to recover properly.
Another over-training error many people commit is to run too fast, especially on their long runs. This can easily happen if you are training with friends or the running club. As a general rule you should be doing your long run at about a minute slower than your intended marathon pace.

Don’t Under-train!
This might sound strange after the previous paragraph, but many people (often the more experienced marathon runners) fall into this group of marathon runners. The reasons are usually straightforward.

They didn’t start their marathon training early enough and ended up with a training schedule less than 12 weeks, which I consider the very minimum.
They suffered an injury during their training and had to take time off, but stayed with the same training schedule and marathon date.

A good marathon program will have a total of between 600 and 800 training miles, depending on the experience and ability of the individual.

Adjust Your Marathon Time Goal?
This is an absolute must if you fall into either of the categories above or if the weather is bad. Running a marathon is hard enough under ideal conditions, so how can you expect to do well otherwise if you’re just recovering from a cold, or it’s a humid day?
The problem is that a lot of people start out with a goal in mind and are reluctant to change it. They start out at their planned pace and try to maintain it throughout the race, instead of varying it as needed. An experienced marathoner will always try to keep some energy in reserve for the later stages of the race. I have run my best marathons at a varied pace, sometimes with a second half faster than the first.

Be Mentally Prepared
Even if you’ve run marathons before, the sheer mental effort needed to get you through certain parts of the run can take you by surprise. During your training it’s a good idea to go out in less than ideal conditions just to force yourself to cope mentally. We generally lead quite sheltered lives and don’t like to get too wet or too cold etc. You need to compensate for this from time to time.
During the marathon itself whenever I hit a ‘tough’ spot (a hill, headwind, or a tired feeling) I find it helps to remind myself that I’ve been there before in previous marathons or training runs, and I know I can work through it. Before you know it, you usually have recovered and can pick up the pace again.