Every runner preparing to run their first 26.2 mi race needs to know how to train for a marathon without injury. Despite your running experience, you should remember a couple of simple rules to achieve your running goals.
We gathered the most useful advice to add to your marathon training schedule to make the process more comfortable for you.
Basics of Marathon Training
It is a bad idea to wait until 3-4 months before the race to start looking for a 12-week marathon training schedule for beginners. It is better to start preparing at least 20 weeks beforehand.
Also it is good to think backward; from the day you plan to run your marathon until today. It will help you to understand how much time is needed.
World-famous runner and marathon trainer Grete Waitz considered it inappropriate to run a whole marathon distance every time when training for your first marathon. This can increase the risk of injury, increase the need for long recoveries, and have an adverse training effect. Most trainers support this idea and don’t recommend overloading.
What about Training Days?
Leave Mondays for rest, as recovery is essential for your healthy well-being.
Tuesdays and Thursdays are for moderate loads (run 3 or 4 miles and sometimes 5 or 6 miles). Do a warm-up and run your distance at a moderate pace (a little bit faster than your usual long-run pace). Then cool down and don’t forget about stretching exercises.
Leave Wednesdays and Fridays for a cross-training activity for 30-45 minutes. It can be swimming or biking, working with an elliptical trainer, etc. The main thing is to keep it light to moderate – don’t overload yourself. It will be good to do at least one overall strength workout a week. If you want more – you can increase the number of workouts. In addition, if you feel pain or sluggishness, take a rest day on Friday. Do your best to feel strong for your Saturday run.
Saturday. Use this day for a long slow distance run. It should be done at an easy and measured pace. Your breathing is your guide – you should be able to maintain even breathing and have a conversation while running.
Sunday is a sort of rest day with active recovery. On this day, you should do short runs at a comfortable pace to relax your muscles.
You can change the days and create your own running strategy, but the main thing is that you have a rest day after the long run. And don’t forget about your recovery.
Best Marathon Training Plan for Beginners
The following beginner marathon schedule for beginners will help you to prepare for your first marathon in the best way. R – Rest; CT – Cross-training; VE – Very Easy.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | |
| Monday | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | 4 mi VE | R | R | R | R | R | 3 mi VE | R | R | R | R |
| Tuesday | 3 mi | 3 mi | 3 mi | 3 mi | 4 mi | 4 mi | 4 mi | 4 mi | 4 mi | 4 mi | 4 mi | 5mi | 4 mi | 4 mi | 4 mi | 5 mi | 4 mi | 4 mi | 3 mi | 2 mi |
| Wednesday | CT | Rest | CT | Rest | CT | CT | CT | CT | CT | Rest | CT | CT | CT | CT | CT | Rest | CT | CT | 20 min run | 20 min run |
| Thursday | 3 mi | 3 mi | 4 mi | 4 mi | 4 mi | 4 mi | 4 mi | 4 mi | 4 mi | 4 mi | 4 mi | 5 mi | 5 mi | 5 mi | 5 mi | 6 mi | 6 mi | 4 mi | 3 mi | R |
| Friday | R | CT/R | CT/R | CT/R | CT/R | CT/R | CT/R | CT/R | CT/R | CT/R | CT/R | CT/R | CT/R | CT/R | CT/R | CT/R | CT/R | CT/R | CT/R | 20 min run |
| Saturday | 4 mi | 5 mi | 6 mi | 4 mi | 6 mi | 8 mi | 10 mi | 8 mi | 12 mi | 10 mi | 14 mi | 10 mi | 10 mi | 12 mi | 18 mi | 12 mi | 20 mi | 12 mi | 8 mi | R |
| Sunday | 3 mi VE | 3 mi VE | 3 mi VE | 3 mi VE | 3 mi VE | 3 mi VE | 3 mi VE | 3 mi VE | R | 3 mi VE | 3 mi VE | 3 mi VE | 3 mi VE | 3 mi VE | R | 3 mi VE | 3 mi VE | 3 mi VE | 3 mi VE | Race Day |
Marathon Training Tips for Beginners:
Your Progress Should Be Gradual
The common rule is that runners should increase the length of daily runs and total weekly mileage by only 10% each week, not more. By overtraining, you risk getting injured and thwarting your training plan due to excessive fatigue and burnout.
Keep to Your Plan
There are many marathon training plans, each with its aesthetic nuances and specific features of complexity and intensity. Still, they are all based on the runner’s initial training and capabilities. Instead of wrestling over how to train for a marathon from scratch, you can use our plan as a basis for preparation.
Pay Attention to Your Nutrition
If you are training for a marathon, it doesn’t mean that you have a carte-blanche on consuming all the junk food you want because your body requires a lot of fuel. Of course, your body needs energy, as it burns a lot of calories, but you need to eat healthy products to train effectively.
You need to create a diet of supporting products. The digestive system, like the rest of the body, experiences extreme stress when running long distances.
Balanced nutrition is essential for a good recovery. Your body should get enough proteins, fats, and carbohydrates for muscle recovery and restoration of glycogen in the muscles and liver. Glycogen is a form of glucose that is a rapidly mobilized energy reserve for active physical loads.
Find Your Like-Minded People
Find like-minded people in running communities on social networks, running clubs, or meet other runners in the park where you usually train. By running in a group, you can improve your training intensity and running time by 200% due to the competitive spirit. Besides, experienced runners can share helpful tips that will help you in training for a first marathon.
Hydration is Essential in Marathon Preparation for Beginners
Follow your hydration and nutrition plan during the run – this will prevent you from overloading muscles (especially quadrupedal and calf muscles of the legs), which is a common problem for most runners on the last kilometers. However, modern studies show that avoiding drinking too much water is also important.
Recovery is Essential
Recovery is a crucial element in training for a marathon from scratch. Sitting on a couch may seem illogical when training for a marathon. But if you don’t give your body time to recover, you risk not only getting injured but also “overtraining syndrome” – a state when you lose your training motivation, decreasing your level of immunity, and even depression.
Don’t overload yourself in the last two-three weeks before the race. Your first marathon training plan should make you feel confident, not exhausted.
Do Exercise and Listen to Your Body
Some beginners get injuries because of the relatively rapid increase in muscle strength and a rather slow adaptation to increasing loads of the ligamentous tendon apparatus. To eliminate this imbalance, you should choose the most suitable and comfortable set of exercises combined with stretching to strengthen the muscles and ligaments of the ankle, knees, hips, and hip joints. Yoga for runners is perfect for achieving this.
Learn to understand your body’s signals (when you need a rest and when you should work more intensively). Minor pains that pass after a few seconds during the race or within a couple of rest days can be ignored, but don’t ignore the pain that makes you stop in the middle of the running or persists after several days. In this case, you should consult a sports doctor.
Most often, a little rest and rehabilitation at the early stage of injury will provide a good chance for a quick recovery. But if allowed to worsen, the treatment will be prolonged.
Enjoy the Process
You cannot be ready for all the risks while you train for your first marathon. In addition to physiological challenges, you may encounter difficulties in your daily life that may interfere with your first marathon training plan. A positive attitude is the key to success, especially when overcoming failures and difficulties along the way. The workouts and everything related to your plan to complete a marathon should bring you pleasure!
Wrap Up
Training for your first marathon requires a very responsible approach when you don’t have much experience. There are many aspects to consider! With our plan and essential tips, you will no longer be left wondering how long does it take to train for a marathon from nothing.
