Couch to Marathon Transformation

Coaching runners over the last 10 years has taught me that the productive marathon experience isn’t about a magical pill or program. I've given the exact training plan to ten runners and witnessed ten very different results. It’s not so much about what you need to do to prepare as how you manage the impact of training in your life, body, and mind. Instead of talking of mileage a week, it’s more essential to talk about the principles of marathon training - what I will refer to here as the Key Six Phases of the marathon lifecycle.



Phase One: Commit



It’s the one thing to set a race on your bucket list, it’s another to really pick a contest and drop the money on an entry fee. Signing up will provide you with something to show for your friends and family; it’s a gathering that one could mark as a milestone in your personal calendar. No one knows, perhaps you may also encourage some of your crazy buddies to register along with you!



Phase Two: Connect



Now that you are formally "in" for the race, it’s time to start building a little group who'll support and inspire you to your finish line. Even if you have your pre-existing group in position, here are several activities to do if you decide to start from the start. Find a local running shop where one can sit down and talk (even if briefly) with a fellow runner with regards to the right shoe for yourself. This shop will probably have the right information on the local run.



Phase Three: Conspire



With the event locked in plus a group to run with at least part of the moment, now you can turn your focus to your marathon training routine. Choosing the appropriate strategy has less to do with the routine itself, and more to do with you…so always put yourself first when you make your choice.



Phase Four: Consistency



Whatever plan you do end up selecting, your number one aim is get follow it as closely as you can. The most effective training plans are "Easy To Do," because there isn't any super-hard sessions or hard to comprehend guidance. The greatest goal of the marathon plan is to help you get prepared to deal with the rigors of 26.2 miles - and the fastest way for doing that is to get you running as often as possible for so long as you can handle during that time.



Phase Five: Doubt

No one is ever honestly completely ready for race day. Talk to anybody at the starting line on race weekend and you’ll hear plenty of wonderful memories of defeating obstacles like injury, scheduling, health, etc. It’s just part of what we do as runners; do the best to be focused and don’t be afraid to ask for support from the networks you've built in the early stages of the training.



Phase Six: Conserve

Once you are in a running groove, you’ll realize that running is pretty effortless. You enjoy it, it’s strengthening and it’s changing who you are. So if 40 miles a week is good…then 60 or 80 has to be better, right? If the 20-miler is good, a 24-miler has to be better, right? Wrong!



Remember our mantra of Consistency above; getting aggressive with all or part of your training is usually a really serious roll of the dice. The gamble might work for some, but they are generally within the minority, and it’s simply not worth it this early in your running career.



Dade is a lover of sports and he wants share to the world his passion on Marathon. Learn more about Couch to Marathon and get the best marathon training schedule suited for you.