Marathon Training - Types of Training.

Marathon training is not just about pounding the streets day in day out. There are other forms of training, however it must be stressed that these are more relevant as your training develops. Gradually increase the time you spend on your feet and when you are at the right stage of your training you can start to mix it up.

Hill Training. Hill training can build strength in your legs and greatly improve the development of your cardiovascular system. There are many approaches to hill training, with many runners using treadmills in the gym. Others choose an outdoor route with a certain number of hills, while some train using one of two key hills and run up and down them a number of times. This can be extreme, but can have major physiological benefits.

Fartlek training. Fartlek is Swedish for 'speed play'. It is a type of running training more for runners trying to improve their times than those just looking to get round their first marathon. Speed play is the use of markers on your route for bursts of quicker running. You may run past a line of trees or lamp posts and you alternate your speed between them, fast between one set of two, a slow recovery jog, and then fast again between the next two. This form of marathon training has huge benefits in developing heart and lungs.

Interval Training. This is again more of interest to marathon runners looking for improved times. It involves repetitions that are timed, often involving a running track. You would complete track circuits in a certain time, have a break and then do the same again. Over time you will notice improvements in the time taken to complete the reps and also the recovery period between these reps.

Cross Training. The best forms of cross training for runners are cycling, swimming and the cardio vascular workout machines at the gym, like the rowing machine. Cross training can relieve pressure on your legs and add a bit of variety to your training. Cross training is a great way of giving your legs a break and staying fresh mentally but should be confined to one session a week.

Resistance Training. This type of training is concerned with the lifting of weights. This will give you an all over body workout and will train muscles that running can never touch. It will also help your core stability, important in injury prevention.

Warming up, cooling down, stretching. Before you begin your main session you should spend a few minutes warming up. This may take the form of a brisk walk of a gentle jog. This serves to raise the heart rate and get the blood flowing to the muscles. It is then vital to do some light stretching to loosen up the joints.
After your main session it is important that you do not just stop. You must cool down slowly and allow your heart rate to return to normal. Lastly it is time to stretch.

Marathon Training - The Gym.

Using a gym is an important part of any marathon training plan for a number of reasons. Many people are put off by the idea of going to a gym by thoughts of huge steroid fueled monsters, but they shouldn't be. Most gyms are frequented by average people, all there for a common purpose. The atmosphere can prove intimidating at first but you must give it time. If you join a gym for cross training, muscle endurance, general weight loss or to use the treadmill you will see huge benefits.

Cross training is an essential part of the modern marathon training programme. Often frowned upon by traditional runners cross training is vital for the runner looking for all round strength and fitness.

The gym is the ideal environment to achieve this. Cross training works very effectively if you move quickly from one piece of equipment to another, maintaining your heart rate at the correct level. Keeping your heart rate at the optimum level builds endurance and burns fat, but only if it is kept in the right zone for the right amount of time. With equipment in close proximity this can be achieved in the gym.

Not only is the gym perfect for the cardio vascular element of your marathon training, it is also the right place for muscular endurance component of it. Muscle endurance, which builds stamina in the muscles, is the type of muscle work that runners need as opposed to adding bulk and size which you don't need. Hamstring curls, leg raises, squats and lunges are examples of the types of exercise you should be doing. Adding this training to your marathon training programme will give your body more tone and less of the "classic runner" physique.

Marathon training in cold weather is a challenge no matter how motivated you are. Worse still are icy and snowy conditions when you shouldn't run at all. This is where treadmill training comes in. They allow you to stick to your training plan no matter how hostile the conditions are outside. There is no excuse to miss a marathon training session when you have access to a treadmill.

Treadmills can also help in the prevention of injuries. Pounding the pavements relentlessly can cause damage to knees, hips, shins and other body parts. The treadmill unlike the road, has significant shock absorption benefits which can minimize this impact.

Another huge benefit of treadmill marathon training is the availability of monitoring information. Running on the road can make monitoring more difficult unless you have a sophisticated GPS monitor, but with a treadmill the information is there at your fingertips. Furthermore, you can increase or decrease your pace immediately and know exactly how far you will run as a result.

To sum up, don't be scared or intimidated by the gym. Most people are at the same level and are focused on their own goals. Don't worry about what others are thinking and get on with your own training. Do this and you will take your marathon training to a whole new level!

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