Risk – Weight Loss Diet Solutions

One of the most grueling races in the world is to run a marathon. Anyone who wants to run a marathon needs proper preparation and training. It is said that when you join a marathon, you are not only competing with other marathon runners but you are competing primarily with yourself. When running a marathon, mental preparation is as important as physical conditioning. During the final kilometers of the run, sheer determination may be the only thing pushing you to finish the race.

Start Small to Run a Marathon

Keep in mind that a full marathon is a daunting 42.2 kilometers, or around 26 miles. If you have never run a marathon before, it’s advisable to start by joining short distance races such as a 5K run. After competing in a number of 5K races, you may want to join 10K runs. Be sure to train properly for these short distance races. Before you know it, you’ll be ready to run a half marathon (21 kilometers) and even a full marathon.

Running shorter distance races will allow you to gauge your level in running, as well as your endurance level. Once you are able to run shorter races easily and confidently, you can proceed to running marathons.

Physical Preparation Getting Ready For a Marathon

Preparing to Ran a Marathon

Running coaches advise against running a marathon unless you have been running consistently for about a year. Before joining a marathon, you should be training four to five days a week and averaging at least 25 miles per week. If you have not reached this level of running, choose a suitable training program that will bring you up to the proper level. Running a marathon without proper physical training will increase the risk of injury and/or not finishing the race.

Cross training and weight training can also help you complete a marathon. These workouts increase your energy and develop muscles that may be neglected if you focus on running alone.

Mental Preparation – Marathons are Long and Tough

There is a lot of mental work involved when you train for a marathon. You have to believe and know that you can do it. Training is not easy, nor is running a marathon. There are tricks you can do to mentally prepare for a marathon. You can try to imagine running effortlessly and visualize reaching the finish line. Some people find that it helps when they “talk” themselves into completing the race.

It also helps if you break the course into sections mentally. Instead of thinking of completing 42 kilometers, think of running 5 or 10 kilometers. After completing one section, think of running the next until you successfully run the full marathon.

Related Blogs

Related Blogs on 10k Runs

Related Blogs on 5k Races

The most important thing you need for a successful bodybuilding workout is to be consistent. There is no getting around this: if you do not plan your training and do it at the right times, you will not be able to build muscle mass half so effectively.

Of course that does not mean training 24/7. Rest and recovery is vital: the muscles must have a chance to grow and build between gym sessions. However, you do need to decide how many days you will train and what you will do during each session.

If your bodybuilding workout sessions are too frequent, you will simply be frustrated by not seeing results. That is, unless you are very careful in planning which muscle groups you will work each time. If you truly want to train every day then it is possible to figure out something that will work: you would just need to work on fewer muscles in each session.

But there is another risk with working out too often and that is what happens when you cannot get to the gym for some reason. Maybe you go on vacation or you take a few days sick. It can be very difficult to get back into a seven day a week routine after a break. Training four or five days is easier to pick up again, at least for most people.

Four days could be enough for a beginner. In that case you could hit each muscle group once a week, or a maximum of twice. You would not end up with an elaborate bodybuilding workout routine but that can be all the better. Simple is often best when it comes to any kind of fitness or bodybuilding routine.

Keep in mind that bodybuilding has different requirements from strength training. While both bodybuilders and strength trainers can lift more weight than the average guy on the street, the strength trainer will be more concerned with numbers and the bodybuilder more concerned with muscle size and appearance.

You need to be clear about your goals because there are differences in how you train. For a bodybuilding workout you are going to be doing more reps with shorter breaks between series.

Do not compare yourself with others. This is almost never a useful thing to do in life. Track your own progress of course but only look at how far you have come, do not look at how much better or worse you are doing than some other guy at the gym. Especially, if you are bodybuilding, do not get hung up on how much weight you are lifting. That is not the important question, as we said above.

Anytime that you cannot make it to the gym, have some backup exercises that you can do at home. Pushups, squats, chair dips, crunches and similar floor exercises are very easy to do at home. It is a good idea to have dumbbells in the house and maybe a barbell if you have the space.

When you are following a bodybuilding workout at home, remember that it is still important to plan your routine and not to over train any muscle group.