Everything you need to know to run a marathon
The 42.2k is a bucket-list feat for many and a goal for most serious runners. Here, Australian marathon record holder Brett Robinson reveals the key to running a race you’ll never forget
FOR MOST RECREATIONAL runners, the marathon looms as a daunting but achievable goal, one you work your way up to. Perhaps you run a few Park runs, take on a more challenging fun-run, like the City2Surf, and then knock out a half-marathon. For some, running ambitions end there, but for others the lure of the marathon is irresistible – and for good reason.
The Olympic distance has a storied history that you can trace back to the Greek legend of Pheidippides, a messenger who in 490 BC is said to have run from Marathon to Athens to claim victory in the Battle of Marathon. Upon delivering his message, Pheidippides collapsed and died. So yes, the race is a challenging athletic feat with historical and these days, cultural cache. For many, it shapes as a bucket list achievement.
Given the race’s standing, then, it’s something you need to take seriously and prepare for properly. The roads of major cities across the world are littered with the ghosts of under-prepared runners who half-assed their marathon preparation, in the process diminishing what should have been a triumph into a torturous trek.
The key to avoiding such a fate is, of course, is to put in the work, which means getting kays in your legs, says Brett Robinson, the Australian record holder for the marathon, with a time of 2.07 and an Olympian in the 5000m.
“If you look at my first marathon, it went terribly,” says Robinson, who initially struggled to make the adjustment from track athlete to road runner. “I kind of got to 30k and my legs just fell apart. I just couldn’t lift them anymore and every step was hurting, because I underestimated how hard it was going to be. I just thought, I’m a good athlete, I’ll be fine, but I just didn’t have the conditioning in my legs. It takes years of hardening the legs and getting kays in the body and so I struggled in that first one, but then I worked out from that what I needed to do for my next ones.”
Here, Robinson, who is also a running coach, reveals the secrets to nailing your first marathon.
How long do I need to train for a marathon?
Naturally, this depends on where you’re starting from. If you’re starting from scratch, for example, you’re going to need at least three to six months to prepare for a marathon, ticking off a half-marathon along the way. But if you’re already a seasoned runner, with a half-marathon under your belt, a targeted eight-week program is sufficient to prepare, says Robinson. “Those who are already running probably need two or so months where you can get into more of that specific marathon training and at least be heading in the right direction,” he says. “If you’re coming from zero, you have to prepare the body just to handle the load first and get used to running. So you spend the first eight weeks doing that.”
How many kilometres a week should you run when training for a marathon?
While at the height of his program, Robison runs up to 200km a week, recreational runners with work and family commitments are looking at more in the 40-60km range. This could consist of a 5k and 10k run during the week, with a 20-30k run on the weekend.
Do you need to do at least three 30k runs in your marathon program?
Short answer: yes. “I think it’s about time on your legs, going out for two-and-a-half hour or three-hour runs and just getting used to that feeling of running and putting one foot in front of the other,” says Robinson. “I would even have one above 30k, just so you are kind of used to being out on your feet for that long. You probably get no extra benefit from going to 34, 35K, but mentally, you’re nearly there. You know you can achieve it, so it kind of gives you a bit of confidence.”
But don’t feel like you have to push through pain in pursuit of those all important miles in your legs. “It’s fine to have breaks in your runs too,” says Robinson. “Don’t be afraid to every 20 minutes, have a couple minute walk and reset. That just gets you used to being out of the house for hours at a time, standing up for hours at a time and preparing your body for what’s ahead.”
What other forms of running should I incorporate into my marathon training?
If you’re entering a marathon with a target time, like say, 3.30, you’re going to need to include some pace runs into your regimen. “If you have a specific time you want to go for, you need to do reps at that pace,” say Robison. One session a week, you should turn on the jets. If you’re aiming to break 3 hours, do three sets of 5k at 4.15 per/km pace, advises Robinson. If you normally run at a 5.30k pace or are aiming more at the 4-hour mark, try 8 x 2m at 5-min per-k pace. “You’re running a bit harder than what you normally do, but it’s not sprinting,” says Robinson.
How long out from my race should I begin to taper my training?
Around 10 days to two weeks out, advises Robinson, who runs his last long run of 30-40km, then brings that down to 20km by a week out. In the final week, Robinson believes you should still run most days but reduce the volume to avoid feeling sluggish on race day and to help reduce the enormity of the task that awaits you.
“I think it’s still good to get out there for runs,” he says. “If you’re used to running four times a week, still run four times a week, just reduce everything.” The last thing you want to be doing in race week is stressing over the enormity of the distance you’re taking on, Robinson adds. “You don’t want to be sitting there going, I’ve got to run 42km on the weekend and all you’re thinking about is 42k. But if you’re like, Alright, I’ve got a 10k run to do today, you just think about that first, then the next day you’re like, I’ve got to go and do a few one-minute reps. It’s about keeping the mind active and on the job at hand, but just taking it a day at a time.”
What should I eat and drink in the lead up to a marathon?
Carbs, of course, though in the week prior you can eat relatively normally and start carb loading from two days out, Robinson advises. “I’d probably spend the first half of the week, say, Monday to Thursday, eating fairly normal,” he says. “My training has reduced by then, so my appetite isn’t as much as it normally would be. These few days are where I go my healthiest.” Think protein-heavy salads. Two days out, Robinson increases his carb intake, looking to get 10 grams of carbs, per kilo of body weight, per day. Here you’re looking at white rice, red pasta, lollies and sports drinks. “I literally start eating like a kid again because it’s just all quick sugars that you can use,” he says.
What should I eat on marathon race day?
On the morning of a race, Robinson advises you keep going with the cab overload with more white rice – add some soy sauce if it’s too bland. Still can’t stomach it? Toast with bananas and honey is the go-to for many, Robinson says. In terms of fluids, drink water and sports drinks, which are high in sodium and electrolytes, he advises.
What should I eat during a marathon?
Keep your energy levels topped up with carb gels throughout the whole race, Robinson urges. “I think it’s better to get them early so your body has that energy when it needs it,” he says. “If you’re low on energy and then start taking them, it’s too late, so get a good plan of having gels every 30 minutes or so.”
How should I approach a marathon in terms of strategy?
Break the race down into segments, says Robinson. He aims to switch off mentally in the first 10k and not worry too much if he’s off his target pace. Around the 10k mark he’ll look for a pack to run with – a pace-runner can help here. Around the 20-30k mark you will get tired and much of your mental energy will go toward what you need to do to keep going. “That’s where you start to concentrate and be like, Okay, what do I have to get through here? What’s going on? Do I need my drinks, do I need more gels? The last 10-12k, when you’re deep in the pain cave, is a battle you need to be prepared for – Robinson advises running within yourself in the first half of the race. “I’ll be a little bit conservative in the first 30k, knowing it’s going to be hard when you get into that last 10k,” he says. “It’s going to be hard no matter what, but it’s better to be prepared, than get a surprise.”
How do you recover after a marathon?
Immediately after the race, you should celebrate – you’ve earned it. Robison usually eats something greasy and might have a beer or two. The next day, he says, he often struggles to get down a flight of stairs. After a day or two, he’ll get a sports massage to try and help chase away lactate build-up and stiffness, before starting to think about movement.
“I find you need a couple of days rest, but then I like to get a bit of movement into the body,” he says, recommending a walk or a ride. “It might not be the nicest thing at the time, but it just gets the blood flowing and flushes the legs out.” Eventually, when he feels his motivation to run returning, Robison will hit the track. “It can be easy to get unmotivated in that time, so I just wait until the motivation comes back and then get moving.”
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