Eamonn Coghlan's guide to fitness.
The hardest part about doing the marathon is in the preparation. And the hardest part about the preparation is the motivation. Now that we're a month or so into the training programme, some people will have quit and given up on the challenge of completing a marathon, while others will continue to endure the struggle, the aches and pains, and encountering "the second thoughts syndrome". Then there's the anxious, those people who can't wait for the big day and are probably doing more work than necessary at this time.
For those who have already quit, well you've still got time to reconsider. With 14 weeks remaining to the start of the adidas Dublin Marathon you can get in enough work that will guarantee completion of the 26.2 miles. But, you must start now.
Key to success: Remember the key to success in your preparation is to learn to "accumulate as many miles/minutes as possible in your legs at a slow pace, over an extended period of time". You can pick up where you left off by starting to run/walk from the midpoint in Phase 1. After two weeks, you can then start with this schedule Phase 2. Ease into it. If you cannot run for the recommended time/distance, simply stop and walk. Recover for five minutes and continue to run until you complete the target.
Motivation: Getting motivated is very, very difficult. Excuses are easy to come by. If you have taken on the challenge to do the marathon, remind yourself of that regularly, focus on your goal and pick intermediate targets to spur yourself on. As time passes people around will talk to you about training etc. Draw encouragement from their interest and show everyone that you mean business. Those running for charity should remember the reason why, they took on the challenge. At the end of this marathon journey you will draw more pleasure and satisfaction than you've ever experienced before. You'll be so pleased and get a huge increase in self-esteem.
Commitment: Now for those who've made the commitment and stuck with the program, you'll be glad to hear that things will only get better. By now you should feel a little more in control of your running/walking. There will be a lot of days when you'll feel bad. You will feel tired, hot, achy and slow. Running/walking will become an all out struggle. Don't worry. The best athletes in the world feel this way more often than not. By continuously training most of the bad days will be eliminated and you will feel more at ease.
Discipline: This is required more now than at any other period in the programme. It's so easy get into a summer rut and let training wander off to nothing. You must stick to the schedule as close as possible. Keep the routine going. Keep a dairy. Meet friends to run with. Remind yourself of the goal often.
Phase 2: As in phase 1, phase 2 is basically the same. The emphasis here is to begin to increase your weekly total. This is achieved by increasing distance for two of the days, say mid-week and weekend. It's all about adding layer upon layer week after week at a SLOW pace. By the latter part of this phase the shorter distances that were once a struggle, seem easier. You'll even find the shorter runs will automatically be faster. Time yourself once a week as a test, but don't go overboard.
Races: Now is a good time to enter races. Look for local races over five miles, 10k and only up to 10 miles. The Irish Runner or Dublin City Marathon web sites will provide you with a comprehensive listing. Use the races as intermediate goals. Identify your basic pace ability from the races to forecast your marathon goal time. Also, you can enjoy the camaraderie and get used to race situations. The experienced gain from participating in events will pay huge dividends. If you do race on a weekend, make sure you adjust the programme to suit. Get your long walk/run in during the week.
Consistency: It's still early days in training so look for nothing yet. Do not compare one training day with another. Rome wasn't built in a day. Preparing for a marathon takes months and it takes patience. The only thing required is to be consistent and follow the guidelines.
Trap: It's easy to fall into a trap by over training. People who've a natural tendency for fitness may find the program easy and opt to do a lot more. It's only natural, because the fitter you become, the more you'll want to do. Keeping control can be hard to manage. Patience is required; otherwise you'll get sick, injured, fatigued. Don't over do it.
Tip: Don't think of marathon distance when training. People struggling to do a 40/60 minute 10K probably second-guess themselves and wonder "how on earth will I do 26 miles?" It will be the accumulation of miles over the next three and a half months that will get you there.
Tip: Whenever a training run/walk feels like a big struggle all the way, try to get a more relaxed feeling into your mind, as if taking the brakes off in a car. Ease up on the pace so slow that eventually you begin to feel in complete control.
Question: My calf muscles are always sore and they were never like that until I started on the programme. Any advice as to how I'd get rid of the pain?
Answer: They are sore because you are doing an exercise that you never did before. Basically, you have torn tiny micro fibres in the muscles. Get some deep massage by a licensed therapist. Ice them after you run and again each evening. Do your stretching. Not just the calfs, but the hamstring, quads and back.
Anyone interested in joining the Eamonn Coghlan Team can call 1 890 507 508 for fundraising pack.