Marathon preparation

With these 7 tips you will reach the finish line

Run 42 kilometers? It's a huge mental and physical challenge - but doable. With our tips for marathon preparation you will get closer to your dream step by step. Read here what you should consider when planning your time, eating and in the important tapering phase - the active recovery time. So you can say on your big day: marathon? Running!

40,000 people setting off at the same time to circle the entire city center of Berlin - the images from Germany's largest marathon make the hearts of endurance athletes beat faster. Do you want to take on this challenge and take part in a marathon for the first time ? Then read our tips for marathon preparation for beginners here.

Tip one: Plan enough time for marathon preparation

42.195 kilometers – that’s quite a number. Even if you are already athletic, you have to gradually introduce your body to this enormous strain. So start your marathon preparation at least six months before the big day . Plan a full year of preparation if possible. With each additional week, the likelihood of making it to the finish line increases.

Divide your training into three phases:

• Phase 1 – Basic training: In the first eight to twelve weeks you will increase your general fitness with basic training. To do this, you run three times a week at a maximum of 75 percent of your maximum heart rate. Your family doctor can determine how high this is by doing an exercise ECG. A heart rate monitor is useful when training: It warns you with beeping noises when you are moving too fast or slow.
• Phase 2 – Competition preparation: Three months before the marathon you start the actual competition preparation. Now it's about getting your body used to the longer distance and getting used to the right running pace. That's why longer runs and more intensive training sessions are now part of your marathon preparation plan every two days.
• Phase 3 – 30 kilometer limit: Towards the end of the preparation phase you gradually approach the 30 kilometer mark. If you gradually increase the intensity of the exercise, you will ensure that you don't overtax yourself on race day. Complete at least three runs that are around 30 kilometers long in three weeks. This period is ideal for maintaining the previously achieved performance.

After every three weeks of intensive training, we advise you to give your body a week to regenerate . You should also run during this time - but much slower and shorter. This break is essential: During this time your performance increases. The body can recover, repair muscle damage and connective tissue damage, and replenish glycogen stores.

Three weeks before the race you do another test run over the half marathon distance . In this way you avoid too much strain, but still prove to yourself that you are fit enough for a long distance.

Then it’s time to rest! The last three weeks are used for “tapering” , i.e. active recovery. Reduce your training schedule by around 50 percent and make sure you get enough sleep. This is how you can achieve the best performance on the day of the marathon, shows the results of a meta-study .

Tip two: Run in nature

Even if a marathon usually takes place on asphalt, forest and field paths are better suited for your training. Here the floor is springy - so you put less strain on your joints. Rocks, sticks and uneven terrain force you to change pace, which makes your training more effective . If you jump over a branch or a small stream every now and then, you will also strengthen your muscles.

If possible, don't just run on flat land, but instead look for a hilly training area. The reason? To climb a mountain, you have to put more effort into lifting your knees and pushing off against gravity with your forefoot - this way you specifically strengthen important muscles in your buttocks and thighs . This type of training also helps runners become more flexible. The reason: From a biomechanical point of view, training in hilly terrain - in contrast to slow jogging, where the movement amplitude is rather low - provides new stimuli.

Our tip: Choose a gently sloping hill and use it for interval training - run up 200 meters at full speed, turn around and easily trot back down. You repeat the whole thing about 15 times. With a six to twelve month training phase, you will inevitably do sports on cold and dark autumn and winter days. Running isn't much fun. No problem: swimming, cross-country skiing or training on the stepper also improve your endurance performance. Feel free to change your sport - this will keep the training interesting and keep you on the ball. Too much routine in endurance sports is a fitness mistake that you can easily avoid.

Over hill and dale together – this is how marathon preparation is fun!

@BGStock72/Shutterstock.de

Tip three: Find training partners

“I can’t, I have to train”: Preparing for a marathon can be lonely. After all, it eats up a lot of time that you would otherwise spend with your friends or colleagues. The solution? Find suitable running partners! Running together is incredibly motivating. There's even research that shows running together leads to better results .

On the one hand, this is because you concentrate on your running partner and less on the load - you will last longer. In addition, the playful competition teases out hidden energy reserves in you. A regular, fixed appointment also helps you stay on track . After all, it's just rude to leave training partners sitting. If sports enthusiasts are rare in your circle of friends, take a look at an internet forum. If you're lucky, you'll even meet new friends .

Tip four: Track your training progress

Fitness apps have rightly become widespread at lightning speed. They show you your training progress in black and white - this motivates you and helps you realistically assess your sporting performance . Many of the small programs even allow you to compare your results with other users of the app. More sophisticated apps also offer additional inspiration such as training plans, relaxation or nutrition tips.

Tip five: Pay attention to your diet when preparing for a marathon

You should consistently eat a healthy, protein-rich diet throughout your marathon preparation. This will ensure that you provide your muscles with enough food so that they can continue to grow. Consume around 1 to 1.5 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight every day. The basis for your marathon nutrition is complex carbohydrates , which should make up around 55 to 65 percent of your energy intake. The more intense the exercise, the more important it is to replenish carbohydrate stores . The rest is made up of healthy fats.

Functional foods are useful during longer training runs and competitions. First and foremost are isotonic drinks like I so Fast from Dextro Energy *. Because when you sweat while running, you not only lose fluid, but also minerals such as sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium . You have to replace this loss so that you can maintain normal muscle function during training.

Isotonic drink powder also contains carbohydrates that help you maintain your endurance performance. They replenish glycogen stores in your muscles and liver. Researchers at the University of Würzburg have found that athletes should ideally drink 150 to 200 milliliters every 15 to 20 minutes during high-intensity training that lasts at least an hour.

This is how you supply your body with carbohydrates on the day of the marathon:

• On the morning of the marathon, an easily digestible, carbohydrate-rich breakfast will give you energy: porridge or overnight oats are perfect.
• You also need to eat during the run so that you don't exhaust your body. The rule of thumb is: supply your body with 30 to 60 grams of carbohydrates per hour. Energy* bars from Dextro Energy* with quickly available carbohydrates , protein crispies, magnesium and. The new Lemon Cake and Salted Peanut varieties are particularly delicious.
• Alternatively, we recommend Liquid Gel from Dextro Energy *. It contains a combination of quickly available carbohydrates and its liquid consistency makes it easy to use, especially in sports. Its handy size means it fits easily into the back pocket of your running jersey - unlike a banana, which is also a recommended snack.

Tip six: Don't overwhelm yourself

You're super motivated, you run and you're totally exhausted. The next day you can feel every single muscle and can hardly move for days. The game then starts again from the beginning. Do you know that feeling? Overwhelming yourself is a mistake that beginners often make when preparing for a marathon .

You can avoid this by taking it easy in the first few days of training , but continuing immediately after the sore muscles subside so that a long break doesn't provoke muscle soreness again.

Because if you constantly have severe muscle soreness, you not only quickly lose the fun of training - your body also doesn't get a chance to recover properly. However, studies show that a sufficient regeneration phase is important so that your performance does not stagnate. So establish a sports routine that suits you and your life.

Tip seven: Help your body regenerate

Did you know that runners sleep about half an hour more every day during marathon preparation? This is because your body needs additional rest time to recover during strenuous training phases. Our tip: Take regeneration just as seriously as your training .

You can support your body with the right diet. Reward yourself after running, for example with a recovery drink from Dextro Energy *. It replenishes your glycogen stores and supplies your body with proteins . In addition, the vitamins and magnesium it contains contribute to the body's basic supply: B vitamins support energy metabolism and magnesium supports muscle function. While you're preparing for the marathon, treat yourself to an occasional massage or relax in the sauna - you deserve this little luxury!

Reach the finish line healthy – with the right marathon preparation

Do you want to compete in the premier class of running? With enough time, a healthy diet and varied training, marathon preparation is fun. Just follow our tips – this is how you’ll make it to the finish line !

* contains carbohydrates

A varied, balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle are important.

SOURCES

Bosquet, L., Montpetit, J., Arvisais, D., & Mujika, I. (2007). Effects of tapering on performance: a meta-analysis. Medicine and science in sports and exercise, 39(8), 1358–1365. https://doi.org/10.1249/mss.0b013e31806010e0

Stranahan, A. M., Khalil, D., & Gould, E. (2006). Social isolation delays the positive effects of running on adult neurogenesis. Nature neuroscience, 9(4), 526-533. https://doi.org/10.1038/nn1668

Hawley, J. A., & Leckey, J. J. (2015). Carbohydrate Dependence During Prolonged, Intense Endurance Exercise. Sports medicine (Auckland, NZ), 45 Suppl 1(Suppl 1), S5–S12. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-015-0400-1

Raschka, C., & Ruf, S. (2013). Sports nutrition. Current Nutritional Medicine, 38(5), 362-378. 10.1055/s-0033-1349460

Jeukendrup A. (2014). A step towards personalized sports nutrition: carbohydrate intake during exercise. Sports medicine (Auckland, NZ), 44 Suppl 1(Suppl 1), S25–S33. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-014-0148-z

Hotfiel, T., Mayer, I., Huettel, M., Hoppe, MW, Engelhardt, M., Lutter, C., Pöttgen, K., Heiss, R., Kastner, T., & Grim, C. ( 2019). Accelerating Recovery from Exercise-Induced Muscle Injuries in Triathletes: Considerations for Olympic Distance Races. Sports (Basel, Switzerland), 7(6), 143. https://doi.org/10.3390/sports7060143

Vitale, KC, Owens, R., Hopkins, SR, & Malhotra, A. (2019). Sleep Hygiene for Optimizing Recovery in Athletes: Review and Recommendations. International journal of sports medicine, 40(8), 535–543. https://doi.org/10.1055/a-0905-3103