Becoming a Marathon Runner

So I am in the process of learning how to become a professional marathon runner…Okay maybe not professional, but most definitely a healthy marathon runner. 

I have always enjoyed running.  It gives me a sense of relief and satisfaction.  When things are crazy in my life or thoughts just don’t seem to be clear—I like to lace up my running shoes and hit the road.  Everything seems calm there, worries go away, thoughts are clear and I can just relax in a sense.

Never in my life have I had the desire to run a marathon.  It sounds painful, it looks painful and it has to take the joy away from my nice peaceful 6 mile runs.  At least I convinced myself that’s what marathon training is like.  Until one day something crazy happened.  I signed up for my very first marathon.  I have convinced myself that on that day someone other than Morgan was living.  I’m still confused on how and why it happened, but I am doing it and I am excited. 

This whole training process has been really difficult for me.  Just when I thought I was doing everything right and increasing my miles, I crashed.  My body was mad, it didn’t like what I was doing and it definitely let me know that.

I sat down with a trainer who has run several marathons and specializes in exercise science.  He had some great insight on how to maintain a healthy, happy body through this process.  And let me just tell you I wasn’t doing nearly enough to maintain a healthy body.  My water intake was lacking, I wasn’t fueling nearly enough, and my diet calories were not even close to what I should be eating.

  What he told me was very interesting and enlightening and I thought I would share it with you.

Fueling Guidelines

Daily Food intake: Do not change anything you are doing.  With that being said are you eating a healthy balanced diet?  I have chosen to eat in a way that makes me happy, feel good and healthy. I eat six small meals a day.  These meals include... 

-Breakfast: Oatmeal, fruit and egg whites or greek yogurt, fruit and granola

-Snack: protein bar, protein shake, almonds and apples, turkey melba toast and fruit (it varies)

-Lunch: brown rice, sliced turkey and broccoli or a turkey sandwich on a low carb tortilla loaded with veggies, or a salad and chicken

-Snack: protein bar, protein shake, almonds and apples, turkey melba toast and fruit (it varies)

-Dinner: This also varies.  I try to stick with a light healthy meal.  It usually includes chicken or ground turkey veggies, salads, brown rice.  I have fun and find new recipes.  I try to avoid breads, creams, and cheeses.

**Everyones diet is specific to them and their body.  This is what works for me.  With this diet I never allow my body to become starving and it also helps me to not over eat.  I am able to sustain a high energy level throughout the day.**

  

Night before long runs: Again, this is different for everybody.  I will explain what worked for me and hopefully that will guide you to find what works for you.  The night before runs I would NOT carb overload.  I usually would not change what I was eating just because I had a long run.  I might eat less meat because that can be hard for my stomach to digest.  I would try and avoid mexican food, pizza, creams, greasy foods like hamburgers and fries.  The reason why I would avoid those is because it would either upset my stomach on the run the next day, or I would get heart burn.

During long runs: Here is what worked for me! Give it a try...If it doesn't work for you experiment with other fueling supplements.  

-Before my long run I would eat a piece of toast with peanut butter and some honey on it. I would also eat a banana.  This was very light on my stomach and helped me start my run with just enough energy.  

-During my run I would eat 3 shot blocks every 30 minutes. This helped me sustain a high energy level through all 20 miles.  Make sure to eat these with water or it may upset your stomach.

-After my run I would usually drink a chocolate protein shake with peanut butter and a banana in it.

Water Intake

Daily: I would usually try and consume anywhere from 80-100 ounces of water a day.  Because I am running as much as I am my body felt like it was getting dehydrated a lot quicker.  I would also try and drink electrolytes everyday.  I tried a few things, but what worked best for me were the electrolyte tablets and pills that hammer makes.  Sometimes I would throw in a Gatorade, but it is loaded with sugar and carbs so that would be every so often.  Also to make sure my body was getting enough salt/potassium I would eat a banana every other day.    

During a run: It is so important that you are consuming lots of water during your runs.  I tried running with a belt and then realized I was not consuming enough water.  That’s when I resorted to the good old camelback.  When you are running long distances you should be drinking about 22-28 ounces of water an hour.  With water you should be also drinking or taking electrolyte tablets every hour.  This will help with stiffness and energy.

Training program

 For my training program I used the Hal Higdon Novice 2 program.  I absolutely loved it and felt that it prepared me for the big race.  Here it is...

WEEK	MON	TUE	WED	THU	FRI	SAT	SUN
1	Rest	3 m run	5 m pace	3 m run	Rest	8	Cross
2	Rest	3 m run	5 m run	3 m run	Rest	9	Cross
3	Rest	3 m run	5 m pace	3 m run	Rest	6	Cross
4	Rest	3 m run	6 m pace	3 m run	Rest	11	Cross
5	Rest	3 m run	6 m run	3 m run	Rest	12	Cross
6	Rest	3 m run	6 m pace	3 m run	Rest	9	Cross
7	Rest	4 m run	7 m pace	4 m run	Rest	14	Cross
8	Rest	4 m run	7 m run	4 m run	Rest	15	Cross
9	Rest	4 m run	7 m pace	4 m run	Rest	Rest	Half Marathon
10	Rest	4 m run	8 m pace	4 m run	Rest	17	Cross
11	Rest	5 m run	8 m run	5 m run	Rest	18	Cross
12	Rest	5 m run	8 m pace	5 m run	Rest	13	Cross
13	Rest	5 m run	5 m pace	5 m run	Rest	19	Cross
14	Rest	5 m run	8 m run	5 m run	Rest	12	Cross
15	Rest	5 m run	5 m pace	5 m run	Rest	20	Cross
16	Rest	5 m run	4 m pace	5 m run	Rest	12	Cross
17	Rest	4 m run	3 m run	4 m run	Rest	8	Cross
18	Rest	3 m run	2 m run	Rest	Rest	2 m run	Marathon

                                                                     You can also access it here.

So many people tell me there is no way they could do a marathon and I just want to tell you, YOU CAN!  If you are disciplined and motivated enough to train and eat properly anyone can do it!  I promise.  If it is something you decide to do, I wish you good luck and may the force be with you!!