Long distance running and the London Marathon
A friend of mine is running the London Marathon this year. She will be one of almost 40,000 runners, many of whom will be raising money for very worthwhile causes. For many people, running a marathon is the achievement of a lifelong goal. For others this year's race will mark marathon number 2,3,4 or even 50 in the case of some of the diehards. Whilst for many, the objective will be simply to finish, I know my readers will be looking for some tips to get them to the finish line as quick as possible. With less than 2 weeks to go, it's a bit too late to make changes to a training programme and so I thought I'd jot down some suggestions that may help your training for other middle to long distance races a touch later in the year. - I've said this before, but don't forget to incorporate strength training into your running programme. Squats, Romanian split squats, barbell step-ups and Nordic hamstring curls are excellent exercises that will help you not only get strong but improve your running economy.
- Also important is putting speed training into your plan. 400m repeats on the track with adequate rest (5-6 minutes between repetitions) will enable you to develop a 'kick' to power past people when you want to turn up the heat at the 35km mark.
- Whilst marathon runners won't run marathons during training, for novice and intermediate level runners, I think it is important to go reasonably close to the 42 km distance at least once during the training programme. Finishing a marathon involves a great deal of mental fortitude and having the experience of completing a long run before the race will help provide that mental strength that is required to push through the pain barrier in the final 5 km.
- Plan your training programme in advance with variations in distance and speed. I see many people approach marathon training in a slap-dash manner, just going for a run without any real pre-formed goal in mind. Work out how far you're going to go and at what speed. You can even download podcasts or aps that have music playlists at specific tempos to help you pick up the pace when you need to during your training (have a look at the my workout muse ap or check out podrunner.com).
- Finally, don't forget the importance of a strong central pillar, or core. This allows your arms and legs to operate in an efficient piston-like manner. Alert readers will remember my post on one of my favourite pillar exercises, the abdominal roll out. This drill helps train the trunk muscles to hold a stable lumbar spine whilst the limbs are moving.
As it happens, I'm going to have another look at the 'core' next week. Specifically, I'm going to examine some of the ludicrous exercises you'll see upon entering many gyms around the place such as squatting on swiss balls. 'Til next week, Stay robust, amigos! Joycey 
| David Joyce Injury and Performance Consultant at Galatasaray FC. Holds a Masters in Sports Physiotherapy and a Masters in Strength and Conditioning. He also lectures on the MSc in Sports Physio course at the University of Bath. |
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