Lee's Marathon Survival Guide - Getting Started

Supporting the Outward Bound Trust - Lee Latchford Evans shares the trials and tribulations of preparing for the Virgin London Marathon 2010

Added:Thu, 5th November 09

As many of our readers know, I have entered into the Virgin London Marathon 2010 which takes place on 25th April 2010. I am running for Charity, and will be supporting the Outward Bound Trust (www.theoutwardboundtrust.org.uk).

The Outward Bound Trust is an educational charity that uses outdoor experiences and challenges to help and develop young people. For over 65 years they have been inspiring thousands of young people to unlock their potential, raise their self-esteem and prepare them to face their future with confidence.

If anybody would like to sponsor me, you can go to the official sponsorship link

(http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/LeeLatchfordEvans)

So, with little over 6 months to go it is now time to get into some serious training. I ran in this year’s BUPA 10,000 in London which is a 10k run (6.2 miles). I only had one month of preparation for that race and completed the course in 45 minutes. Not bad really!

As a result, I got the running bug and this gave me a taster of what it may be like to take part in the Virgin London Marathon 2010. Oh yeah - I keep forgetting - I have to add on another 20 miles!

Now, it is still early days but for some strange reason I have it in the back of my mind I’m going to complete the Virgin London Marathon 2010 in under 4 hours. This will be setting quite a pace and I am under no illusions about the demands that will be placed on my body in my training schedule.

If you are considering doing the Virgin London Marathon 2010, and have any concerns about your health or fitness level, you really must seek medical advice first to get the best guidance about how you should start to approach your training.

Here are some of the principles I am going to be adopting as I set out

Take things steady to begin with and gradually build up

Combine a number of different types of endurance exercises to build up stamina and strength

Within my training routine include core training to improve balance, posture and reaction time to avoid injury

Have a good resistance training programme to support the cardio training.

Set myself clear distance goals every week and stick to them

The Training Schedule

I have now set out a training schedule for my first 3 weeks. I will follow this schedule for 5 days a week, allowing myself two days of rest. To begin with, I will be working out in the gym, but after my back improves (oh yes, I am injured!), I will start to take up some road running.

At that stage, when my training starts in earnest, I am extremely fortunate to have the support of Will Cockerell who will be coaching me through the next few months of training. Will has run 12 marathons and written several books and articles on the subject so I am sure I am going to pick up lots of really good hints and tips from him.

Always begin any type of training with a good Warm up.

My weekly routine will consist of 3 cardio days training and two muscle strength training days.

My cardio will consist of a 45 minute Spin class making sure I am working within my training zones. I find these classes really do get your heart rate going and improve cardio fitness. I will follow this session with a little core and abdominal work.

I will start my running days with a 2 mile steady jog on the treadmill x2 per week, to test my back and see how I feel. I will do this with time training and try to improve my time throughout the initial starting weeks.

I will also incorporate 15 -30 minutes rowing x 2 per week (probably after my run) – again working within my training zones and building up the time over the first month.

I will have 2 sessions per week of full body strength training incorporating all the major muscle groups to help with stability, recovery and support for my Marathon training.

Always remember as important it is to warm up before exercises it is vital to stretch afterwards.

My Injury Challenge

I know I am not alone here. As I start my training program, I am suffering an injury. Yes - I know I haven’t even started yet and I’m already injured! Unfortunately I have a lower back problem which has been brought on by lying on my front for too long with my lower back being in an arched position. This resulted in the most awful pain in the sacroiliac joint. Believe me - I couldn’t even walk properly for about 3days! This then started to involve my sciatic nerve. It appears that I have a lazy glute which is affecting my lower back, hamstrings and right buttock, then my pyraformis kicks in too hard. So basically I am relying on the wrong muscles to maintain and help with general movement and exercise which creates an imbalance throughout my body, and could cause other injury..

Not good if I want to run the Virgin London Marathon 2010.

I am now seeing a really good physiotherapist and will be including her recommended rehabilitation exercises into my training in an attempt to resolve the problem and strengthen up my supporting muscles as well as that lazy glute! It is really important during my injury recovery period not to undertake high impact exercises. This does provide a challenge with regard to running, but I am putting in some other alternatives to build up endurance – including rowing and indoor cycling.

If you are also suffering an injury at this time in your preparation for the Virgin London Marathon 2010, it is extremely important that you receive expert advice and address the injury at the same time as starting to introduce your marathon training program.

Getting the Kit Right!

One of the first thing you need when preparing for the marathon is the right pair of running shoes and clothes.

Clothing

The clothes that I find feel the best for comfort, have a great breathable material and also look good are produced by Ronhill. Ronhill are the leading British running brand and if you check out their website you will see why (www.ronhill.com).

Shoes

Now shoes…… There are a lot of makes out there that all say they do the same thing but no matter what type of running shoe you finally choose I believe its best to try a few out and see which ones you adapt to. We all have our own unique running style and some shoes will adapt to your style better than others. Investing in some good quality running shoes to protect your bones, muscles, joints and tendons during your training is essential.

For the next few weeks I will be training in Newton Running shoes. The shoes I am specifically wearing are the SIR ISAAC Guidance Trainer. Sounds about right as I need all the guidance I can get at the moment! To have a look at the specifics of this trainer please check out the following link
(www.newtonrunning.com/newton-products/the-shoes/mens-shoes/men-guidance-...)

It is best to buy your running shoes from a specialist running shop where you can try before you buy, and get expert advice on the right type of shoe for your needs.

New Training Partner

Apart from the support I will receive from Will, I have also invested in the Garmin Forerunner 405CX, which is a heart monitor as well as a fantastic training device that will record your time, distance, pace and calories burnt. For further information see (www.garmin.com) – look under Products and then click on Running and Fitness.

You can set a virtual training partner to keep you at your pace and when finished synchronise wirelessly to your computer and you can view your running statistics and even see a map of where you have just ran. Pretty cool, eh?

This is a simple and effective way for me to monitor my heart rate so that I can decide whether to maintain, ease or speed up my pace.