Going from a Couch Potato to Marathon Runner
Sunday, May 17th, 2009
If you’ve always dreamed of putting on your running shoes and taking on a marathon but have never felt that you have the level of fitness required to make it work, there’s no better time to now to set aside your couch potato ways and get well on your way to being the marathon runner you’ve always dreamed of being. It won’t be an easy path, but just about anyone can go from a flabby and out of shape to marathon ready with a little training and hard work.
When starting out you’ll want to make sure that you’re physically healthy and don’t have any health issues that could become major concerns when running. This will mean a trip to the doctor’s office to discuss your overall health and any issues that you might want to bring up that could affect working out or eating certain foods. Your doctor will be able to provide advice that can help protect you from injury and ensure that you get the most out of your workouts.
After you’ve gotten a clean bill of health, you’re ready to begin your training. When doing this, it’s best to have a specific time frame in mind, otherwise it can stretch on and on and it’s harder to keep motivated. Most people sign up for a race several months in the future so they have adequate time to prepare and something to work towards while they’re training. If you are new to running, make sure you’re not pushing yourself too hard. Trying to run several miles or for hours at a time will only lead to injuries and derail your plans to run a marathon. Start out slow and take breaks that allow for your body to adjust to the movement. After all, if you’ve been sitting on a couch for the past few years, it’s going to take some time to adapt.
New runners should give themselves a day off after every run and may want to alternate running and walking while they’re training to help build up stamina and ensure that they aren’t overexerting themselves. There are a variety of training programs available over the web to try, so consider looking to someone more experienced for some advice in your early stages. It’s also important to remember to keep hydrated and to eat right so you have the energy to run.
As the months go by, you should see yourself getting stronger and able to run for longer distances. It won’t be easy to reform for couch potato ways and it will likely require some pretty serious training but if you’re willing to stick with it you can see some amazing results and get the chance to run your very first marathon, helping you feel good inside and out.
