Marathon training is very challenging because of the level of endurance that you must have to keep going and going for the distance. There are half marathons and full marathons, and each has a different method of preparation. One of the basic needs is road mileage. In other words, you got to run, buddy! There is no other way to be fully prepared than to actually run. Just as we develop our training programs at Git Right Sports Performance and Fitness to cause a specific adaptation to the imposed demand, your body needs to become accustomed to the endurance needed for covering such a long distance. Your mind also needs to be able to stay focused on the task of keeping your strides in a fluid pattern that delivers the correct amount of force. The full marathon is 26.2 miles while the half marathon is 13.1 miles and both can be taxing on your body if you have not properly prepared for it. Have you ever thought about completing a marathon? What is your motivation to do it? Have you completed a marathon and looking to prepare for another one?

Running is a great activity that will burn a huge amount of calories and will improve cardiovascular fitness. The preparation for a marathon will get you in such great shape that the event will be pretty easy to get through if you do all that you can to get ready. How many times should you train per week and for how long? What type of shoes and socks should you wear? Should you run barefoot or use vibrim five fingers? These are just a few questions that will be answered when you come see us and we help you discover your preparation method can be improved. Moreover, the marathon takes approximately 2 hours to complete for the world-class elite runners, and in the United States, the average finishing time for marathons in 2011 was 4 hours 37 minutes at a 10 minute 34 seconds per mile pace (https://running.about.com). The average marathon finishing time for men in the U.S. marathons was 4 hours 26 minutes (10 minutes 09 seconds per mile pace) and the average finishing time for women was 4 hours 52 minutes (11 minutes 08 seconds per mile pace) (https://running.about.com). Lets make sure you have a focus on where you want your time to line up. For those of you that may not want to run the marathon, you do have the ability to walk through it also. Walk is one the best exercises that you can do and what better way to have fun and challenge yourself by walking the marathon. Just as in running, arm swing and stride play a role in how much force you are placing into the ground to propel your body forward. We want your walking mechanics to be great so that you are not expending too much energy and finish the marathon walk.

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Position Statement on Exercise is that there is a dose response to exercise; that is, the more you do, or the harder you do it, the more benefit you accrue (www.medicinenet.com). The ACSM report makes it clear that many significant health benefits are achieved by going from a sedentary state to a minimal level of physical activity; programs involving high intensities and/or greater frequency/durations provide additional benefits (www.medicinenet.com). Running improves your aerobic fitness by increasing the activity of enzymes and hormones that stimulate the muscles and the heart to work more efficiently. Cardiorespiratory fitness is the ability of your heart to pump stronger and more efficiently and your muscles to use oxygen more efficiently. As your fitness increases, your heart will pump more blood and oxygen with each, beat which is stroke volume, and your muscle will consume more oxygen (Weil, Richard. Running. MedicineNet.com). As you cover more and more miles, you are changing your body in such a positive way and building up a strong mental state of endurance. We look forward to working with you!

“I always loved running, it was something you could do by yourself, and under your own power. You could go in any direction, fast or slow as you wanted, fighting the wind if you felt like it, seeking out new sights just on the strength of your feet and the courage of your lungs.” – quote: Jesse Owens

“You have to wonder at times what you’re doing out there. Over the years, I’ve given myself a thousand reasons to keep running, but it always comes back to where it started. It comes down to self-satisfaction and a sense of achievement.” – quote: Steve Prefontaine

“The advice I have for beginners is the same philosophy that I have for runners of all levels of experience and ability, consistency, a sane approach, moderation and making your running an enjoyable, rather than dreaded, part of your life.” – quote: Bill Rodgers