I love to run. It's great exercise, and it is you against yourself to measure improvement. Just slip on my headphones, the miles slowly begin to slip by. Since I hate running in the cold and live in the Midwest, most of the year is too cold for me to run outdoors. In the warmer months I like to run some trails in a forest preserve not too far from my home. I also like to run in charity 5K's around the area as a way to measure myself against other runners.
Recently, I heard from a friend of mine who lives in California that she has been training for a 1/2 marathon. This was impressive on many levels for me. We're talking about running about 13 miles. I don't run that much in any given week of running. Also, the method of training for a run over 10 miles is different then the training for 5K's.
I follow the rule that on your distance days you run double the distance that you will be running. On the timed days I try to run 2-5 miles for specific time. When my friend talked about her training for a 1/2 marathon, I was at a loss and could offer no significant advice.
The training requirements vary between the long and short distance running. The most important of being able to sustain energy levels over a longer run. Almost everyone has heard of the technique of "carbo loading". It sounds simple enough, and in fact has become almost a cliche for someone to overeat. I'll admit that I myself misunderstood the science behind the process of carbo loading.
http://www.dietdetective.com
Another issue is with the muscular endurance for long runs. This is what I try to improve on my distance days. However, when training for runs over 10 miles it's really hard for everyone to run double their goal distance. The cure is to run more often, maybe two to three times a day.
http://www.runnersworld.com
Like all exercising, it is so important to stay motivated. When you are in training you have to get out and run. You need to be motivated enough to run in all conditions and on different courses. Find a running buddy to keep you motivated. If someone else is relying on you to keep them motivated it has the affect of keeping you motivated too. I do most of my running on my own so I have to work hard to keep my energy high enough to get out and put the miles on. My friend has other friends that are used to running those longer races and have been helping with both the training and keep her motivation up.
15 years ago
