Requirements
If you want to run a marathon, you must be in good shape and in good physical condition. Therefore, an examination by a doctor (ideally a sports physician, i.e. a doctor with the additional title of sports medicine) is recommended before training. Centers that offer performance diagnostics are particularly suitable.
Here, not only the fitness for the endurance load for the 42 km run can be checked, but also the training condition and training effectiveness can be checked within the scope of performance diagnostics. Further information on this topic can be found at: Performance Diagnostics All training plans for a marathon, which include a training scope of 3 – 4 months, do not refer to the beginner athlete who has no experience in endurance sports, but to those athletes who have a solid basic endurance. Without any physical prerequisites, it makes no sense to start a marathon training, since training involves very long and sometimes intensive exertion.
Moreover, it is difficult or impossible for a beginner to cover a distance of 42. 195 m with a training of only 3 months. Solid basic endurance means being able to run at least 10 kilometers in one hour without problems (jogging).
Even athletes who have trained their condition to a good or very good level, mainly through other endurance sports (swimming, cycling, etc. ), can manage to run a marathon by training. For all athletes who feel that their fitness level is not sufficient but still want to run a marathon, they must first improve or create their basic endurance.
This is done by training in the various endurance sports, which can take up to several years depending on your level of fitness. With such an unspecific training, it is important to start with the lowest possible intensity and to regularly adjust the load to your physical condition. In order not to lose the motivation for endurance training, it is recommended that for those athletes who plan to run a marathon, a training plan is not a guarantee that they will complete the marathon in a certain time or at all, it merely serves as a guideline for all the factors that force them to stop running a marathon (see energy provision).However, by following the training plan, the probability of surviving the marathon or reaching the target time is very high.
- Choose different types of training (running, walking, swimming, cycling, etc. )
- To change the run or route regularly and
- To train with like-minded people.
It is especially important to set personal goals before starting training for a marathon. These goals must be realistic and meaningful for everyone personally.
99.9% of all marathon runners do not run the marathon against an opponent or against themselves, but only for themselves. Goals Help to motivate oneself for training and the marathon, even if the desire to train is sometimes missing. Don’t run to prove something to yourself, because the inner bastard to overcome is often stronger than you think.
Whoever wants to run a marathon should be aware that his chances can be increased many times over with the right equipment. The most important running equipment is the running shoe jogging shoe. The right shoe reduces the risk of impairments of the passive and active locomotor system.
Due to weight gain or loss, running shoes that were very suitable a few years ago may no longer be up to date. A detailed consultation with a specialist is therefore highly advisable before training. In addition, one should consider that running shoes wear out very quickly (after about 500km) during an intensive training program. Changes in the feet that tend to cause damage due to overstraining during jogging should be diagnosed and treated by an orthopedic specialist in advance. Splayfeet in particular, but also hammer toes, should be mentioned here.
