Coach Ollies Top 5 tips for running a marathon

1- Make the long run a priority. Being able to build time on feet and move for a long period of time is going to be the most useful training tool you have. If you were just to do one long run a week and add a mile onto that distance weekly, then you would be able to run a marathon. Make the long run a priority.

2- Include some strength and mobility in your programme. One of the biggest factors in successfully running a marathon will be remaining injury free. Conditioning key muscles in your body (such as calves) and making sure your joints are mobile ( ankles and hips are important here) will enable you to better endure the forces you place on your body during running.

3. Give yourself time. We are 5 months out from London and Paris Marathon (4 months from Brighton.) If you are planning on running one of these then you should be training. Not necessarily in full Marathon training mode but at least doing a longer run at the weekend and making sure you are active in the week. Last thing you want to do is to get to three months out having done nothing.

4. Plan ahead, but don’t tie yourself to the plan. A plan is a best case scenario and rarely goes completely right. Things will go wrong along the way and life has a funny habit of getting in the way. Prepare for and accept this. Also don’t worry about it. It’s all part of the process.

5. Don’t panic. People rarely get to the start of a Marathon feeling like their training went to plan or convinced they did enough. Problems arise when they panic and do something daft last minute (running 20 miles the week before is a really bad idea FYI.) Having a coach or an objective eye to look over your training can be really useful here as they remove the emotion of the situation.

I hope the above is useful and if it is please feel free to share it. If you have questions or comments on the above then feel free to get in touch. Further to this if you are struggling with your training or need some advice feel free to book in a call with me. I am always more than happy to help.