Marathon Training TipsThen you'd better get some marathon training tips! At 26.2 miles, running a marathon is not a walk in the park. The average person might think a marathon runner is nuts, but marathon runners love it even though it is not an easy sport. Training for a marathon requires a great deal of training and preparation. Even seasoned runners look for marathon training tips that will effectively ease the pain of preparation. Marathon Training Tip #1: Use a Good Marathon Running ProgramThe best marathon running program currently available is 100 Day Marathon Plan by Marius Bakken. Marius is a former Olympian. He has worked with Italian and Kenyan elite runners. The great thing that Marius has done is that he has used the training principles of these world-class athletes and has made them applicable to us, normal runners. His approach is totally different to the traditional high-mileage plans and it works! Using 5k and 10k training first, then moving onto marathon preparations he will get you ready for a marathon within 100 days! Click here for more information about The 100 Day Marathon Plan. Marathon Training Tip #2: Be RealisticWhen you start training for a marathon, you first need to assess your current running abilities. Have you been running a long time or are you a beginner? Do you run 25-30 miles each week? Do you take the time to track your mileage? The first marathon training tip is to be realistic. When you are a novice runner, I can recommend training for at least twelve months before even thinking about doing a marathon. The marathon is a tough event. Marathon training is tough as well. You need to do regular long runs. If you start marathon training without a good running base and with a time goal in mind you are very likely to end up injured. Also, make sure you have got realistic goals in mind. Do tune-up runs and then use a race conversion calculator to work out what a likely marathon time would be. Marathon Training Tip #3: Long RunsIn order to do 26.2 miles you need to do lots of long runs. General advice is to do about 5-6 runs of 20 miles or a maximum of 3 hours. Don't do this and you will regret it! Why? Because of the man with the hammer. This guy will come to visit you around mile 20 in your marathon (or earlier) if you are underprepared. It is the moment marathon runners dread. The moment their body system needs to move from burning easily available carbohydrates to hard to burn fat. Running lots of long runs at a slower, easy pace will make your fuel burning processes a lot more efficiently. The guy mentioned before, has found a great way to prepare you for the marathon by having you do run/walks. This conditions you well, whilst keeping the impact of those long runs down. Click here for more information about The 100 Day Marathon Plan. Marathon Training Tip #4: Middle - Long RunsIf you are anything like the regular runner, you would typically do your long run (16-20 miles) in the weekend. I can highly recommend doing a second long run, slightly shorter (13-16 miles) mid-week. You need to build up that exposure to longer runs. Marathon Training Tip #5: Be ConsistentBe consistent with your training. If you run consistently and are well aware of your abilities, you will enter the race with confidence in yourself. Design a training schedule and stick with it. Marathon Training Tip #6: TaperMarathon training gets you very tired. That's why it is absolutely essential that you taper to get your body fresh and fully prepared for race-day. When you do traditional high-mileage marathon training Your last 20-miler should be at least 3 weeks out from the big day. Those last 3 weeks you should cut back your mileage considerably. Any last-minute hard push to get extra mileage in will back-fire because it will only get you more tired on the day of the race. Marathon Training Tip #7: DietA healthy diet is critical for marathon training. Eat plenty of carbs, especially complex carbs. Lower fat diets are best, but you need to get a bit of fat in. Drink plenty of fluids especially in the last few days prior to the race. During the week before the race, you should increase your carbohydrate and fluid intake. Eat a good meal the night before the race without overstuffing yourself. Eat some carbohydrates along with some protein. You want to be light on your feet with plenty of energy. Also check out some marathon training nutrition tips. Marathon Training Tip #8: Train Eating While RunningWhen you run the marathon you need to replenish during the race. It is best to practice eating while running during your long training runs. First of all because it sometimes requires a bit of technique, second because you need to get familiar with the types of foot you can and cannot handle during your run. Experiment with some foods like bananas, sports bars and gels well before your marathon. Also consider sports drinks like Gatorade. Do all the experimenting before your marathon, not during! Don't let all that hard work go to waste because you decided to get adventurous on race day with some food that you had not had experience with before that gives you amazing stomach cramps!!! Marathon Training Tip #9: Believe in YourselfPossibly the most important marathon training tip to remember is to believe in yourself. Prepare yourself mentally. A positive mental attitude is more important than many other factors. When you have come to a point during your training or during the marathon when you are so tired you can't feel your legs, you are so winded your chest hurts and you think you just can't go on, that is when your mental attitude becomes critical. You will need to think positively and know that the pain is just temporary. You can finish the race! You must believe in yourself and know that you can accomplish great things. If you are serious about running a marathon, I can highly recommend getting a good running training book. Good examples are 100 Day Marathon Plan by Marius Bakken, Daniels' Running Formula or Advanced Marathoning. Wish to get more running tips? Subscribe to the Best Running Tips Newsletter or to my site blog. 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