"So I have secured a place in the London Marathon 2024, the hotel is booked and the 'official' training plan to increase from 13 miles to 26 miles doesnt start until 16 weeks before the event, what can I be doing now?"
Training update and tips - generally looking after fitness at this stage is really important, regular sessions of cardiovascular fitness, strength and conditioning and flexibility classes will all help to put in place the foundations for training for an endurance event but this is also the time to be thinking about other aspects of your health, such as healthy eating.
Getting into healthy eating habits now will help to fuel training and also help to achieve a healthy weight.
I am carrying a bit more weight than is considered 'healthy' and this is likely to put more strain on my lower back, hips, knees and ankles when running, so ideally a combination of improving my eating habits and endurance training will ensure I reduce my bodies fat, especially the visceral fat around internal organs, and help to build lean muscle that is capable of repetitive activity. This will all help to make the actual training plan a little bit easier for me to increase my running distance early in 2024.
Healthy eating tips in the lead up to the main training plan (shorter - mid distance runs, strength and conditioning and flexibility training): Fuel the body before a training session with whole grain carbohydrates, such as cereals, porridge or granary bread. Plan your after training snacks up front, go for high quality proteins for muscle repair and growth, skinless chicken is great but you can also get protein from pulses, tofu, quinoa, nuts and seeds, grains and vegetables. If you really need a sweet hit try to choose fruits, dried fruit or dark chocolate. Healthy fats and oils are also important for joint maintenance for example oily fish, avocados, olive oil and eggs. Hydration is important - drink plenty of water before, during and after training.
This week I have done 3 runs, a 2 mile fast paced run, a 5 mile hilly pushing myself run and a 6.5 mile slow paced training run. I have been to the gym twice - once for an upper body workout and once for a full body workout. Sadly I havent made it swimming or to yoga simply due to summer school holiday family activities! But I have reduced my refined sugar intake and lost 5 lbs!
Fundraising update - The running club treasure hunt run route is all planned out. I just hope people will take part on the day to rise money for my charity MACS. MACS – Microphthalmia, Anophthalmia and Coloboma Support – Supporting children born without eyes or with underdeveloped eyes
You can sponsor me here: MACS: Ruth's page (enthuse.com)
Next time - which tech should I use to record my training?
If there are any aspects of training you woulde like me to look into why not email me at regeneratesportstherapy@outlook.com
Thank you
Ruth