Give yourself plenty of time to accomplish your goals. Don’t expect instant results, especially when it comes to endurance training. You should set aside at least 16 to 24 weeks to train for a marathon. [2] X Expert Source Francisco GomezFitness Coach Expert Interview. 24 October 2019.

Try to run at a pretty slow pace during your long run. You should be able to comfortably hold a conversation when you run.

Aim to do 1 or 2 short runs and 1 medium run a week. Start out running about 6 miles (9. 7 km) per hour and 0. 1 miles (0. 16 km) per hour to your speed every minute after 10 minutes. By about thirty minutes you should be going about eight miles per hour.

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Your longest pre-event run should be about one week before the event to allow your body plenty of recovery and fuel storage

To make an ice bath, pour a few bags of ice into your bathtub or a container big enough to submerge your legs. Then add some cold water.

Try not to even think about your training on your recovery days. Your mind also needs time to recover so you don’t get burned out.

While you run, your body will build up a lot of lactic acid that will cause your muscles to be extremely sore and could lead to injury. Stretching after your runs may help to decrease the buildup of lactic acid in your body and fortify it against injury. Using a foam roller on your muscles can help to stretch them out effectively.

Focus on increasing your stride speed, not your stride length.

Your normal diet should consist of about two thousand to two thousand five hundred calories. During training, you should add an extra one hundred calories for each mile you run. Monitor your body weight to ensure that you are getting adequate nutrition. Most runners add 100 calories for every mile that they run. For example, if you run 11 miles, then you would need to add 1,100 calories.

Your body needs protein to repair your muscles after they tear during your workout. Make sure your body gets enough protein to rebuild your muscles every time you break them down.

You can also take a calcium supplement if you’re prone to fractures. Take 2,000 mg of calcium a day.

A good way to judge if you’re hydrated is by testing the color of your urine. It should be bright yellow to clear in color. If it’s dark or cloudy, you should drink more water.

Try not to wear high heels too often while you’re training for a marathon. High heels put extra strain on your legs and can lead to injury.

Compression socks are often used by marathon runners to reduce muscle soreness, but more research is needed. [19] X Research source

Give yourself time to get your heart rate into a proper zone if you’re not used to intense running. If your rate gets to over 90 percent of your maximum heart rate, take a break and cool down for a bit.

Remember that if you choose to wear a belt in your training, you’ll feel lighter at the actual marathon. Account for the change in weight and try to run the marathon at the same pace that you practiced running.