The Marathon
Chris was a 44 year-old accountant and first approached me in June of last year asking that I train him up for a Marathon he had entered six months in to the future. Chris’s history of sport and fitness was brief, with only limited experience of training and all of it confined to the gym, for which he had designed his own programs.
Immediately I set about taking Chris from unfit to fit then super fit. As with any person going in to fitness from a previously sedentary lifestyle, Chris was sent for a health MOT with his doctor and once given the all clear we eased him in to activity. Chris’s training needed to get him to the point he could run comfortably for 4-5 hours and in the early stages this seemed a big ask. Combining Long runs built up over time, speed-work, hills training and regular gym sessions designed to protect against injury we got Chris round the Marathon with ease. Dedication is the key, but so too is the right advice and encouragement. A marathon is not a challenge to be undertaken lightly. Your event trainer is knowledgeable, clear thinking, skilled and enthusiastic.
Trained to provide nutritional advice, prescribe training programs and where appropriate provide injury advice/assessment and sports massage treatment; your trainer will keep you in one piece and take you to the desired level of fitness to achieve your goal. A typical marathon program will require 5-6 days of training per week and depending on your level of fitness some of these days may require more than one session per day (should you have the time). It will involve hills sessions, pace running (training at selected training paces), intervals (mixture of fast and slow runs), long runs (mainly off road to protect the joints), preparation races and just as important off days and easy runs. If you like, your trainer will provide you with a race pacer (himself or another competent athlete) who will select the appropriate pace for you.
All things are achievable with the right advice and dedication.
Martin Lewis
Marathon Consultant Event Trainer
www.smartinfitness.co.uk Owner & Trainer
