GRADUALLY WORK TOWARDS YOUR GOAL
Don’t jump straight into the deep end
with your training. Your training needs
to be gradual, particularly if you are
new to this type of event. Pushing
yourself too hard, too fast, is a great
way to sustain an injury, so I wouldn’t
advise it.
Engage the help of a coach to create
a suitable training program for you, or
do your research if you prefer to create a plan yourself.
For an amateur looking to participate in a half marathon, spend your first week running no more
than 5km per day; break that up into hill sprints, easy jogs and running on different terrains. From
there, gradually work your way up to completing more kilometres each day.
Make sure you change the terrain you are training on. Don’t only train on the road - do some
work on the sand, grass and on a running track to minimise the impact on your joints.
IDENTIFY YOUR WEAK AREAS AND WORK ON THEM!
Making sure that you identify your
weak areas is important both for your
training program as well as for your
rest and recovery.
Areas that you may need to work on
include sleep, nutrition, training and
recovery practises.
If you find you have been sleeping
badly, that is going to affect both your
performance and your recovery. This
will be something t hat you will need
to work on if you want to prevent burn
out.
If you are finding that your iliotibial band (ITB) is tight, invest in a foam roller. If you are really tight in
this area, odds are that your feet won’t be tracking correctly and your inner thighs may be weak.
This can lead to soreness in your knees and hips, which is not something you want to have happen before your race.
As mentioned above, correct nutrition is imperative so make sure you identify what fuel sources
your body needs well ahead of time.
If you start the race and find you’re feeling exhausted or thirsty, this usually means you have left
your supplements, food or hydration practises too late.