Six Things to Prepare for a Marathon, Six Months Ahead

It's official - I am running my first marathon in November! Lucky for you, I'm taking you along on this journey as I work to stay healthy and strong through this training cycle!

Currently, I am just over six months (six months and five days, who's counting, as I write this) from race day. Although I am planning on a 16 week training plan, I'm starting to lay the foundation for my training and work out some kinks now in hopes of smooth training later. Here is what I am working on:

Building a routine: I'm using this time in the lead up to official training to work on getting used to what my training schedule will look like. This means being consistent in the days of the week that I do my training, so that when July rolls around, there's no guessing when I'll get my strength training in. I'm also working on adjusting to earlier morning runs. I'm a morning person, but more like a 7 AM morning person than a 5 AM morning person. I know that when my runs get longer and the days get hotter this summer, I'll need to be setting that alarm earlier and earlier, so I'm working on consistently getting to bed and rising earlier in preparation.
Being consistent with strength training: While my mileage is still low and my legs are still fresh, I am focusing on building strength! A strong body now will be more resilient to the demands of marathon training, so I am challenging myself with heavier weights in this period of training. I am focusing my strength efforts on areas of known weakness (hello, right glute) and specific activities to prevent recurrence of previous injuries (stay away achilles and posterior tibialis tendinopathies!)
Gradually building mileage: One of the main contributors to injury that I see is runners doing too much, too fast. Instead of waiting until 16 weeks out from the marathon to build my mileage, I am focusing on building up some mileage now so that the first few weeks of training aren't a shock to my system. I'm also trying to trick my body into thinking that 10 miles isn't that far so that 18-22 mile long runs won't feel as scary.
Figuring out fueling: I'll be honest, I was late to the fueling game. I trained for my first half marathon with no fuel before or during any of my long runs, and raced without fuel or electrolytes. I've come around to eating before all of my runs, but have struggled to figure out which gels or chews I like best (honestly I just don't want to be dry heaving on the side of the Beltline). I've placed an order from The Feed to sample different options and figure out what works for me! In the past, I've had headaches after summer long runs so I know that this is a sign that I need to improve my hydration, electrolyte, and carbohydrate strategies so that I can feel good during and after my runs. By dialing this in now, I hope to avoid issues on my longer and hotter summer training runs, as well as race day.
Getting ahead of injuries: Thankfully it's been a couple of years since I've had a notable injury that's derailed my training (knock on wood). Since I'd like to keep it that way, I'm assessing for weak links now and making adjustments as needed to my exercises and running form. I'm going to review my running gait for areas to optimize, and thankfully I know a few PTs who can check out my hip strength and tell me if it's up to par.
Trying out new gear: This is the fun one! I'm going to spend even more time running in the next six months so I want to have the proper gear to support my training. Plus, they say nothing new on race day so I might as well try out options now! Of course I mostly want to order new running shorts and goodrs, but I'm also buying practical things, like a larger hand held water bottle and a running belt for my gels. I'll also be making a trip to the running shoe store soon to get fitted for a new pair of shoes, which always feels like Christmas!

Thanks for reading! If you're signed up for a fall marathon and not sure where to start, a running gait analysis might be right for you! We can assess your strength, mobility, and running gait to design a personalized program of exercises and running drills to keep you feeling strong and injury-free through training.

Dr. Elizabeth Karr PT, DPT