London Marathon Training Running into a Little Difficulty?

We are now just short of a month before the 2018 London Marathon and as per every year, I know there will be hundreds of you out there running and raising money for Military Charities.

Some of you will have trained hard, some will have had run into injuries and some just lost their way in their training and well behind, but don’t worry! I’m here to get you back on track and ready for 22nd April and your marathon success!

I’ve over 100 marathons to my belt, and nearly as many Ultra Marathons including the Marathon des Sables, I’ve broken 47 World Endurance Records, trained many top elite athletes including the British Para Olympic Team, so trust me, you are in good hands.

Below is something I wrote back in 2012 after training a client during the month leading up to the 2012 London Marathon, so I’ve tweaked it a little for 2018 ready to help you get back on track. Over the next week or so, I will be posting more Marathon advice to get you across the line in good time to help raise much needed money for your chosen military charity…

Lets Get You Back On Track!

Last Sunday I went out with a personal training client of mine for a long run as part of their training for this year’s London Marathon. It had been a good weeks training and we were looking to push for a personal best. The previous Sunday they had to endure a serious stitch for a few minutes during the 8mile run, but apart from that they felt comfortable with the distance, on the next run I got my client to run at a faster pace for another 8mile run and again they felt fine. The next day we went into the gym for a free-weights training session using kettlebells and Powerbags, doing functional training specific to endurance running.

So when I arrived at my clients home for another long run they were raring to go, full of energy and feeling positive, but 10minutes after starting the run I knew this wouldn’t be the run we were hoping for. My client complained of their body becoming heavy and all their limbs hurt, after 20mins we stopped to do some light stretching and mobility exercises, we set off again at an average pace but again shortly after starting to run again my client needed to stop. I decided to walk my client back home.

This was a bad day, my client was at a loss at why he felt the way he did as training had been going so well, my client was questioning inadequate glycogen levels, a tiring week at the office, but came up with nothing. I explained, everyone has bad days, and showed them their training diary that we had been compiling from the start of our training sessions together and it showed a huge level of improvement, their body shape had changed and become toned, they had a lower resting heart rate and they felt stronger.

Because of physical changes or the fear of injury or becoming ill and unable to train, people in training become more aware of their body than they have ever been; they think about nutritional value before eating and always look for ways to enhance their training routine.

This includes what they wear running outside, especially in the winter, it is important to stay as warm and dry as possible. The layer system is best rather than a big bulky think top, as multiple thin layers are able to trap air between them and create a natural insulation.

It is also a good idea to steer clear of the old fashion cotton t-shirts that tend to absorb sweat and cling on to it and instead go for the technical t-shirts on the market which are designed to wick away moisture such as sweat and keep the body temperate, I would recommend X-Bionic fennec T-Shirt, I’ve worn this shirt from the Arctic to the Desert and training in the UK through all seasons. It works great as a base layer in the cold and as a single layer in the heat to wick away the sweat and keep you dry and comfortable.

Running a marathon is about endurance and because of that i get my clients to write down in their training logs how they feel before, during and after each training run. I get them to write down how they feel, and get them to write down what they are going to do for the rest of the week, record the weather conditions during each run and the time and distance of each run.

This helps not only to show physical development but monitors mental fitness also. The other tip I advocate is running one or two of your weekly runs off road, on trails, or grass fields, this stops the relentless pounding of the concrete streets, which to even a seasoned running can be punishing on their body.

Stretching, you should stretch after every run and gym session, it should be an intergral part of your training and not something you do if you have time. Finally, if possible go for a massage once a week.

Training Diary | March:

Monday – easy Run (50mins)Tuesday – Hill Reps or speed play session (40mins)Wednesday – Rest dayThursday – Even paced run (1hr)Friday – Rest daySaturday – Long Run (between 2-3hrs)Sunday – Rest day