Marathon Training
Aiming big with a marathon
Endurance sports are for people with drive – they don't lose sight of their goals. Regardless of determination, even the most passionate and disciplined runners often face major challenges during training phases. An effective tip: seek out a running partner or even join a whole group of runners. During phases when it's not going very well, training partners can help to motivate one another. The secret behind this is simple and easy to put into practice. Everyone finds it harder to cancel a fixed meeting time arranged with other running enthusiasts, even if your motivation is flagging that day or the weather is lousy. If you manage to don your running shoes anyway, you will be twice as proud after exercising.
"Running in a group is something all runners enjoy – you can make a plan and chat before, during and after the run. Everyone benefits from this."
"After very intense running sessions, it's important to have something to look forward to even while you're running so you can really step on the gas for the final yards."
These could be a wide variety of things. Some people look forward to a piece of cake – like Anna and Lisa, who have quite a sweet tooth. But for others it could be a pair of new running shoes, a trip to a restaurant in the evening or a visit to the sauna afterwards that also helps regeneration.
"After intense training, you have to give your body time to recover. You should only continue training after a period of regeneration, which is part of training itself, otherwise your performance curve will not improve."
This includes regular and sufficient sleep, healthy nutrition, sauna visits, maybe a physical therapy session or massage. It is important for every runner to internalize that a stressful workday is not regeneration. So listen to your bodies, be attentive and don't ignore any signs. And if your motivation is lacking, think about this: The feeling after a successful training session is primarily your own sense of satisfaction, which is priceless: Whether you ran 26 miles or just around the block.