Eamonn Coghlan's guide to fitness.
It's almost countdown time! Those who have followed the schedules to date should be enjoying a good level of fitness by now. There are now only six weeks remaining to the Adidas Dublin Marathon and these next few weeks are when people tend to get a little anxious, so be careful and patient. Don't do anything stupid and get injured and blow what you've trained for over the past couple of months.
People who have slipped back a little in training can still make it, once they have not completely stopped training. If you have not kept up with the schedule and managed to do just a little work, just concentrate on getting in the long weekend run and do shorter "junk miles" during the week.
By now you will have accumulated a lot of mileage in your legs and you are almost ready to tackle the marathon distance. This phase will not differ that much from the previous and it covers only three weeks. The final phase will be all about easing down and storing up the energy for the big day. In this schedule I am only going to increase the weekend long run/walk. This will reach a peak after three weeks and, as I said, it will be all downhill from there on.
Motivation: Remember you have worked so hard up to now. Enjoy the fact that you are a lot fitter than ever before. Do not go over the top in training. It's so easy to get carried away and do too much because you feel better. Rather than counting down the weeks and days to the marathon, relax and take one day at a time. Try to forget about the training and the marathon itself in between training stints. Thinking about it too much will wear you down.
Diet: If you haven't paid much attention to your diet up to now, well, I suggest it's time to do so but not too dramatically! Reduce your alcohol intake and replace it with plain water. Alcohol, tea and coffee will cause dehydration, so stay away from these as much as possible. Be conscientious about increasing your carbohydrate intake. Carbohydrates will increase the glycogen or natural sugar reservoir in the body. This will be the fuel you'll need most in the marathon when the body begins to break down and you hit the "dreaded wall". Pasta, breads, fruit, potatoes and fresh vegetables will provide the best type of carbohydrates. Having said that, make sure you eat plenty of fish and chicken to maintain the protein levels for stronger muscles.
Half-marathon: The BHAA half-marathon is scheduled for Saturday, September 18th in the Phoenix Park. This will be an ideal event to enter as it will provide you with an opportunity to go half the distance at race pace in an environment similar to the marathon itself. Those living too far from the Dublin area should identify a half-marathon race in your locality. There seems to be quite a few on at the moment.
Test the course: It might be a good idea to do your long weekend run/walk on parts of the marathon course. This will provide you with familiarity and make it easier on the big day.
Hills: Find a hilly route and do your run/walk on it twice a week over the recommended distances. The hills will break up body rhythm by working the heart, lungs, legs and arms. You will gain more strength this way.
Running equipment: If your running/walking shoes are well worn, it's time to consider buying a new pair now. Don't wait until the week of the marathon. It is important to break them in over the next six weeks. Wear them on the short runs/walks. Also, identify the most comfortable pair of white socks and use a few pairs in training. These will be the pair you'll wear in the marathon. It will be the same for shorts and T-shirt. Wash and wear them often in advance.
Rest: If you feel tired from the schedule to date and from what is recommended over the next three weeks, don't worry. Simply cut back a little and do what is comfortable. It's the accumulation of miles in your legs that is important, not the speed. Resting to recover is more important than following the schedule to detail.
Eamonn Coghlan is planning to lead a 1,000-strong team of runners in the Dublin Marathon at the end of October, each raising €1,000 for Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children in Crumlin, Dublin. Anyone interested in joining the team should call 1890 507508 for a fundraising pack.