{"id":44154,"date":"2015-10-08T07:15:38","date_gmt":"2015-10-08T11:15:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/?p=44154"},"modified":"2021-05-19T05:00:15","modified_gmt":"2021-05-19T09:00:15","slug":"running-a-marathon-questions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/fitness\/running-a-marathon-questions\/","title":{"rendered":"Thinking of Running a Marathon? 7 Questions to Ask Yourself Before"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Questions
Photo: Pond5<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

If it seems like everyone and their mother is running a marathon these days \u2014 you\u2019re not wrong. In 2014, a record number of 550,630 runners<\/a> completed the 26.2 distance in the U.S., with a high of 1,200-plus marathon events nationwide. But does that mean signing up for the big event is no big deal? Not exactly.<\/p>\n

\u201cA marathon isn’t [just] twice as hard as a half-marathon,\u201d says Wesley Pedersen, the group fitness manager of Equinox Newport Beach<\/a>, who helps create running programs for his clientele. \u201cIt’s probably four times harder than a half-marathon, and every mile after 20 feels like it’s own individual race. And at around mile 18, your body passes a threshold where your legs lose their capacity to fire up fast-twitch muscle fibers and get fatigued,\u201d Pedersen says.<\/p>\n

Being race-ready also means \u201cextra cross-training to increase your lower-body strength,\u201d he adds. Because of this, you should ask yourself about every aspect of training and prepping for a marathon \u2014 from your current fitness level to your race-day goals \u2014 before<\/em> you fork over those registration fees. Here, seven questions you should be ready to answer before you sign up for 26.2.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>The 30 Best Marathons in the World<\/a><\/p>\n

Thinking of Running a Marathon? Start With These Qs<\/strong><\/h3>\n

1. \u201cDo I have a solid base to start training?\u201d
\n<\/strong>Jumping right into a marathon plan if you\u2019ve only been jogging sporadically isn\u2019t very wise: instead, you\u2019ll need to have a good training base to safely accumulate mileage over time and minimize risk of injury. \u201cBefore beginning marathon training, you should be running at least 20 to 40 minutes at an easy pace four or five days per week, and you should have been doing this for three to four weeks already,\u201d says Andrew Kastor, ASICS running coach and head coach for the LA Road Runners. If you don\u2019t already have that base, you can of course still sign up \u2014 but know that doing so may extend your training plan by several weeks. But that\u2019s not an issue if you\u2019ve got 26.2 on the brain, is it?<\/p>\n

2. \u201cDo I have time to train properly?\u201d  <\/strong>
\nHold up for a sec: There are two<\/em> parts to this question. First, look at the calendar and see if there are enough weeks between now and race day, which Kastor suggests ranging between 16 and 20 for those with regular running backgrounds. \u201cMost comprehensive, well-thought-out marathon training plans are four or five months in length,\u201d says Kastor.<\/p>\n

Then, make sure to consider your own personal schedule \u2014 do you have enough waking hours to squeeze in frequent runs? \u201cExpect to devote an hour a day or more to running or another activity that supports your running, such as strength training,\u201d advises Debora Warner, founder and CEO of the Mile High Run Club<\/a> in New York City. If the time commitment seems a bit much, you may want to scale back<\/a> your race-day goal in terms of distance or time.<\/p>\n

\"Questions
Photo: Pond5<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

3. \u201cAm I trying to lose weight?\u201d
\n<\/strong>This may be surprising, but if shedding pounds is a priority, marathon training may not help you meet your goal. \u201cThe body will go through changes throughout the training process, but losing weight should not be a focus,\u201d says Warner. In fact, \u201cit\u2019s very common for marathoners not to lose weight and some even gain a little,\u201d adds Pederson. While it\u2019s easy to think your revved-up schedule gives you the green light to snack more or eat bigger meals, it\u2019s (sadly) not the case. Contrary to popular belief, endurance runners don\u2019t need to take in a lot more food just because they are running longer,\u201d Kastor adds. \u201cOur bodies have enough energy stored for any activity up to an hour. And since probably only one run per week will be longer than 60 minutes, you really only need to load up with more calories before and after that specific workout.\u201d<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>The 20 Most Inspiring Runners in the U.S.<\/a><\/p>\n

4. \u201cAm I going to get injured? Are there any ways to prevent it?\u201d<\/strong>
\nNothing hurts more after you\u2019ve spent months sweating through months of training only to wind up injured<\/a> and have to withdraw from the race you\u2019ve been working so hard towards. The good news, though, is that you can take steps to sidestep aches, pains and more severe injuries, says Kastor. \u201cProper rest, good nutrition, scheduled massages, and new, good footwear all contribute to staying healthy during the course of a marathon training cycle,\u201d he adds. And if you have any history of sports-related injuries, talk to your doc or physical therapist about extra precautions before you make the decision to toe the starting line. Follow these tips<\/a> and make sure your form is top-notch from head to toe, too.<\/p>\n

5. \u201cCan I help my body recover throughout training?\u201d
\n<\/strong>Short answer: yes. \u201cRecovery involves everything from stretching to foam rolling and massage to meditation and appropriate nutrition,\u201d says Pedersen. And \u201cdeveloping an effective recovery routine is as important as the training,\u201d says Warner, \u201cbecause a higher volume of training requires more recovery time and sleep.\u201d So before you even get started on your marathon journey, you should figure out an R&R plan for your body, too. Kastor recommends 48 to 72 hours between long, hard training runs and getting adequate downtime during those days. Most importantly, though, make sure you\u2019re getting at least seven hours of zzz\u2019s each night. \u201cDuring sleep, your body repairs itself \u2014 we make our fitness gains during resting, not during the training,\u201d Pederson adds.<\/p>\n

6. \u201cWhat are my goals for the race?\u201d<\/strong>
\nTake a step back and think for a second: Are you trying to set a record or are you just trying to finish? Regardless, setting a goal is a must for every race. \u201cIt will help guide and shape the training. Set the goal and work backward from there, asking yourself what kind of training will be needed to accomplish the aim,\u201d explains Kastor. If you\u2019re looking to PR, for instance, adding more speed work to your plan is a good idea. Just want to cross that line? \u201cIt\u2019s still important to set a target [approximate] finishing time to ensure you\u2019re not going too fast on your daily runs,\u201d says Kevin Hanson, coach of the Hansons-Brooks Original Distance Project.<\/a><\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>15 Fast, Fun and Beginner-Friendly Marathons<\/a><\/p>\n

7. \u201cWhy am I even doing this?\u201d
\n<\/strong>There are tons of reasons why people are taking on marathon running in record numbers \u2014 whether that\u2019s to check off an item on the old bucket list, to achieve a new PR, to run with a friend or to raise money for charity. Whatever your racing impetus may be, it\u2019s a good idea to be clear about your reasons going into training, says Warner: \u201cRemembering why you signed up is important and can help when training gets tough and motivation runs low.\u201d<\/p>\n

Asked yourself these Qs, and think you\u2019re ready? Go on and crush it! Think you need more time? Check out these 50 resources<\/a> to increase your speed, improve your form and optimize your nutrition.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Considering running a marathon? Don\u2019t sign up too fast. Instead, ask yourself these key questions before you get ready to toe the starting line. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":39,"featured_media":44284,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[21,24,6],"tags":[111,110,108,341,357],"class_list":["post-44154","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cardio","category-exercise","category-fitness","tag-marathon","tag-race","tag-running","tag-tax1living-well","tag-tax2running"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44154","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/39"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=44154"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44154\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/44284"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=44154"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=44154"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=44154"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}