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Marathon Training Week 6: Is There A Threshold?

by Megan

I ran 11 miles last night, and it was awesome. It’s crazy how I can struggle with a 4 mile run (as I did the night before) and then totally rock an 11-miler. It truly is all in the mind. And so ended week 6 of my marathon training plan for beginners.

Marathon Training Week 6

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I was thinking that I might do better with the run if I was running to a destination, and if the route was a little different than my usual ones. So I decided to run to my parents’ house! It’s just under 9 miles, but they have a treadmill, so I finished up my run once I got to their house.

It was dark and maybe not the safest route I’ve ever run, but it was fantastic. I guess when I know that I’m going to be running for a long time, I don’t stress about it as much. Now when I go out for a 4 or 5 mile run, I think of those as short, and when it still takes a while, I get discouraged.

I wore my Glimmer Gear body belt, and LOVED it! It’s so comfortable and allows you to be easily seen. This may be my go-to running accessory now, as sometimes the wristband gets sweaty.

Glimmer-Gear-Slap-On-Band.jpg

I have been following the plan in the book The Non-Runner’s Marathon Trainer. Here are the tips given for this week of training:

Marathon Training Tips: Week 6

Mental preparation:

One technique for being positive and optimistic is to make sure you are using positive self-talk. We talk to ourselves all the time (whether out loud or not). The more positive you can be when talking to yourself, the better you’ll feel and the more apt you’ll be to succeed. During training, tell yourself things like “I am a marathoner. I love to run. I never quit.”

Write a paragraph of positive self-talk about running and read it several times a day. The positive mindset will help you get through difficult points in the marathon.

Physical preparation:

Make sure you are eating good foods that will help fuel your body. Carbohydrates are a must for running, as your body can turn them into energy quickly and easily. For long term nutrition, complex carbohydrates are best, but for a quick energy boost during a run, you will want to take advantage of simple carbs that will get you energized faster.

Getting adequate protein is important as well, as its primary purpose is building, repairing, and maintaining tissue.

Last night things got real. I’m really going to run a marathon in just 10 weeks! Last week I was worried that I might have a threshold. Like maybe I literally can’t run 26.2 miles. But last night I realized that these long runs are just once a week, and I’m not running them indefinitely. In fact, I’m running 9 more of them and then the marathon. After that I’ll probably focus on something other than endurance running. I’m not a great runner, but I can do this. And I will!

Previous Posts:
Training Schedule for Marathon Beginners
Marathon Training: Week One
Marathon Training: Week Two
Marathon Training: Week Three
Marathon Training: Week Four
Marathon Training: Week Five

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