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Marathoning A to Z
Hal Higdon's latest book is due out April 2002. Inspired by the many answers Hal has provided to participants in his Virtual Training, this book offers 500 short tips that will motivate you to become a better runner. The following excerpt is from "E is for Exercise." See also: Introduction.
E is for Exercise
Easy: Running a marathon can never be easy. If it were easy, the challenge would be gone. But by learning to train properly, you can increase your enjoyment and make completing 26 miles 385 yards easier than you ever thought possible.
Economy: Exercise scientists like the term "economy" when they describe fast runners. You've seen economical runners: they skim over the ground and seem to waste little energy as they fly past you at a speed you can barely imagine. Some of the economy possessed by fast runners is natural; some of it is developed during training. If you can improve your economy of motion (no easy task), you can be a faster runner too.
Elementary: "Elementary, Mr. Watson," Sherlock Holmes used to tell his partner in solving crimes, and becoming a better runner is elementary too. You gradually add miles to your training. You run some of those miles faster. You program rest into your schedule at appropriate times. You wear proper equipment. And if you do suffer an injury, you learn from your training mistakes. Soon, running becomes much easier--and more fun too.
Elimination: If you are interested in marathon success, you may need to eliminate some of the other activities--such as strength training or cross-training--from your regular routine. It's not that much of a problem in the early stages of your training, but as the long runs build to beyond 13 miles, stress also increases. That's when you begin to run out of both time and energy for non-running activities. Putting a temporary hold on them may be necessary to run your best marathon times.
Endurance: It takes a high degree of endurance to succeed in the marathon. Fortunately, endurance is a skill that responds to intelligent training. The best way to increase endurance is to increase volume. Within certain limits, the more miles you can run, the more you can improve your endurance.
Energy: Training too hard can drain energy. Even though you get through your daily workouts and complete the miles prescribed in your training program, you may feel fatigued both before and after workouts. You may also need more sleep, yet at the same time you will have trouble getting to sleep. To preserve energy, choose a sensible training program, eat a diet with plenty of carbohydrates, and get to bed early each night.
Enjoyment: Often the enjoyment in running a marathon is the training before and the memory after.
Entry blank: Even though you sent your money in months before, bring your entry blank with you to the race. Often there's some important bit of information related to times or places that you will need to know. Keep all other information related to the race in a single place or file folder where you can easily find it when needed. Often this includes the confirmation card that you need to turn in to receive your number without inconvenience.
Equipment: Billy Joel sang it in one of his songs: "Don't waste your money on a new pair of speakers; you get more mileage from a cheap pair of sneakers." Running shoes are not inexpensive, costing near $100, but equipment for running certainly costs less than that for almost any other sport. Nevertheless, don't go too cheap. Spend enough for clothing and equipment so you can run in comfort.
Estimates: You need to make a realistic estimate of how fast you expect to run in the marathon. One formula is to multiply your 10-K time by 4.66, although a more conservative approach for novice runners is to multiply that 10-K times 5. There are also numerous prediction charts available both in books and online. Once you have an idea of the pace you plan to run in the marathon, you can train at that pace at appropriate times.
Even Pace: Starting fast and finishing slow is not much fun in a marathon. Even pace usually wastes less energy and results in a faster time. Just by maintaining a smooth and steady pace, you'll find yourself passing a lot of impetuous people in the closing miles.
Exam: The marathon is one exam where you can't cheat. If you fail to do the proper mileage, you'll receive a low grade. Cramming doesn't work either. Force too many miles into the last month before the big test, and you'll probably run slower rather than faster. The best approach is to begin your training well before the race, which will allow you to spread your "study" time over a longer period. A high grade on the test will be the result.
Excessive pain: Any time you increase your training level, pain may develop. It goes with the territory. However, if the pain is excessive, you probably need to be evaluated by a sports medicine specialist. Perhaps there's some muscle or foot imbalance that is at the root of your pain. Cure it, and you can run free again.
Excuse: Training for the marathon offers us the excuse to get together with like-minded runners with the same goals on weekends. After the marathon is over, a lot of runners miss this opportunity for social contact, even if only once a week. For those who have done previous marathons, it is often the training for them that is more fun than actually racing 26 miles.
Excuses: "I don't have time to run." "I don't like to sweat." "Running will destroy my knees." "I might have a heart attack." It's easy to invent excuses not to exercise. You hear them all the time from well-meaning friends, who may be jealous of your fitness but don't want to admit it. Ignore people who try to coax you back onto the sidelines.
Exercise: One of the best ways to both maintain and improve your health is with regular bouts of exercise. Exercising aerobically three to five days a week for 20 to 60 minutes will improve your basic fitness, extend your lifeby several years and also make you feel and look better. Add two days of strength training to complete the picture. Running is one of the most efficient forms of exercise for physical fitness.
Exercise machines: One distinct advantage of exercise machines is that you can focus on a specific muscle group and avoid stressing others. This is important when recovering from injuries. However, be cautious which machines you select for your strength training routine. You don't want to develop antagonistic muscles that can interfere with your running stride. When in doubt, see a strength coach who understands the sport of running. This is essential. Not all strength coaches do.
Experiment: Not every training program is suited for every runner. Sometimes you have to experiment and play around to find out what works best for you.
Extra Training: More isn't always better when it comes to improving your marathon time. While increasing your weekly miles will work at first, eventually you reach a point of no return where you not only get no better, but your performances begin to deteriorate because of excessive fatigue. Finding exactly the right mileage that will allow you to maximize your training time is one of the most difficult tasks for any runner to achieve.
To Excerpt: Introduction
This is the chapter "E is for Exercise" in the book Marathoning A to Z by Hal Higdon, Copyright © 2002 by Hal Higdon, all rights reserved. Autographed copies of this book are available from Roadrunner Press, PO Box 1034, Michigan City, IN 46361-1034.