Free Marathon Training Guide for Runners

You As Of Now

To determine which marathon training guide is best for you, you first need to analyze where you are at right now. The key thing you are going to want to ask yourself is: how is my stamina and endurance? Need not worry about how much you curl or dead lift, as the marathon run is mainly all endurance. Below are 3 categories that you may fit into. Choose the one that is best for you and check out the sample training plans and workout guide.

Beginner

*Beginner: You may have recently decided to run in a marathon race. You do little to no aerobic exercise on a constant basis and just want to get yourself started.*

The first thing that you are going to want to do is add some frequent aerobic exercise to your daily/weekly routine. Start yourself out with a 4 mile walk. Time yourself with a stopwatch to get an accurate time estimate. You have to remember that a marathon run is nearly 27 miles long. So because you are just starting, it is going to take some time to get to that level.

Each couple of days, try and add on a mile to your walk until you reach a point where you can comfortably walk 27 miles. After you have that down, you need to transition your walk into a jog, and then progress into a run.

Athletic

*Athletic: You regularly incorporate aerobic exercise into your daily/weekly routine. You run a couple times a week, running over 2 miles in distance.*

If you are already at this point, then you have somewhat of an understanding of what it is going to take to complete a marathon. Start stepping it up a notch. If you are running 2 miles comfortably, then slow down your pace to a jog and aim for 4 miles. What you are trying to do is stretch out the skills that you have already developed and transition from a short distance runner to a long distance runner. Keep adding distance to your routine on a weekly basis.

Already Establsihed

*Already Established: You are not unfamiliar with long distance running. You may have ran cross country when you were a kid, and continued to run occasionally since then. But for the most part, you know what it takes to run long distances and you are already capable of doing it.*

For someone who already has what it takes athletically to run a marathon, you can always improve. Try and cut down your times by adding more to your training. If you feel that you have hit a plateau, add some weight lifting to your workouts, preferably squats. This will add a tremendous amount of strength and power to your legs. Also, consider adding some sprinting to your workouts as well. This will give you an edge in competition. Sometimes you need that extra speed to pass someone up.

Conclusion

No matter what your current skill level, a marathon is more than likely possible for you. If you think about it, running is very basic. It just requires adjustments to run such a long distance. This is just a basic marathon training plan. It is best to actually create your own plan given the above advice. Everyone’s workouts are different so use a plan that fits into your daily life.