I have noticed over the past few half
marathons that I can run strong for most of the race, but the last mile or two
is a struggle. Many of my marathon
running friends talk about the dreaded “Wall” that occurs around mile 20. This is typically due to fatigue. I recently ran across a great article from
Runner’s World Magazine, “How to prevent marathon fatigue” and wanted to share
it with you.
While I don’t run marathons yet (my
first will be on December 6th) I figured that this article would
also be useful in training for half marathons.
The basic premise is that you can prevent your muscles breaking down at
the end of a race, marathon fatigue, by adding strength training to your weekly
schedule.
When adding strength training like
lunges and squats, it is best to start with 3 sets of 12-15 reps (light
weights) which will add to your endurance.
As it becomes easier, you can increase the weight and change to 3 sets
of 6-8 reps to increase your strength. The
article also suggests doing your weights after you run. That way you are training your legs to work
harder when they are fatigued. You
should take a rest day after that workout to allow your muscles to repair
themselves and get stronger.
I have been doing this workout for the
past two weeks. I run 3-4 miles at an
easy to moderate pace and end my run at the gym for 3 sets of squats, dead lifts,
and box jumps. While I have been doing a
circuit training (Body Pump) class each week, combining the running and weights
has provided results immediately. I feel
stronger and recover faster from hills.
The article also suggests adding
threshold runs to your routine. I will
be writing a blog post next week that addresses threshold runs and how to add
them to your routine. I hope you like
this workout half as much as I do. What
is your favorite cross training workout?
Note: I am not a doctor; these are my
personal opinions based on research.
Consult a running coach to assess what should be added to your running
plans.
Very nice post thanku for share.
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