Running Q&A
Q: I weigh more than I should and I always give up after starting a program due to fatigue. I want to do a marathon.
A: I coach 2,000 runners per year for the L.A. Marathon. More than half that come to me have never taken an athletic step to run. They complete the marathon in 5-6 months of training. I have a 99% finish rate.
¬¬¬¬¬¬Sounds like you might be a little heavier then you want to be (who isnΔτt), so you do need to work on that part of the plan. There are many good food plans out there that will complement your training.
¬¬¬¬¬¬Of course your heart and lungs are going to fail you when you begin a program of training. Lack of conditioning does that to everyone. You do not have the elasticity in the lung tissue nor do you have the cardio strength for the heart. However, remember you your body is a wonderful machine and your mind has the ability to set your body in motion. HereΔτs how to get started.
¬¬¬¬¬¬First, see your physician before beginning any strenuous training program. Second, pick a marathon five or six months away. Start by training only 3-4 days per week. Your training should be set by time span training not miles.
Example:
- Saturday: 20-minutes walk (faster then if you were walking from your car to the front door of the market)
- Sunday: Same as Saturday
- Monday: Off
- Tuesday: Same as Saturday
- Wednesday: Off
- Thursday: Same as Saturday
- Thursday: Off
Now after you have started you can add 5-minutes more each Saturday When you get to 45-minutes per session you can possibly add a little jogging.
Example:
- Saturday: 45-minutes (jog 15 seconds walk 2 minutes 45 seconds)
Each week you can add 15 seconds until you can jog 3-minutes and walk three minutes for 45 minutes. Then start adding more time each week, always making your Saturday the longest time span keeping the other training days at 45-minutes. Good Luck!
Q: I do 7-8 miles every other day and I am tired mentally and physically — what shall I do?
A: Start over…
¬¬¬¬¬You need rest between training to rebuild tissue that has broken down during your training sessions. You need fuel to run much like you need fuel in the gas tank to drive your car. If the outdoor environment is not suited for comfort running, make an adjustment.
¬¬¬¬¬Rest: Are you getting 6-8 hours average rest per night? Your body needs a regular schedule of rest.
¬¬¬¬¬Diet: Are you eating properly and eating the correct fuel sources? Coffee all morning and no breakfast plays a terrible roll in your preparation for evening training. Blood sugar goes crazy. Vitamins are important, especially B-12.
¬¬¬¬¬The biggest obstacle for training is the outdoor conditions. Humidity and heat are your enemies. Try air conditioned malls in the morning or indoor air conditioned tread mills. Slow down when in the difficult conditions and do not work so hard.
¬¬¬¬¬Slow your run down and go back to shorter miles until you feel stronger and/or mentally more into the training. If you do not run because you do not have time for that 7-8 miler, then just do a 30-minute run to maintain.
¬¬¬¬¬Stop doing miles and do time span running. Let say you want to do an hour, just go out the door 30-minutes and turn back. Do not worry about how fast each mile is nor how far or fast you are running. Good Luck!
