This fall I have decided to check an item off my bucket list; train for, and hopefully complete, a marathon.

I am about a month away from toeing up to the start line and am in the midst of completing some of my longest runs. Since running this mileage can take a toll on the body, the following is a list of things I incorporated into my routine to prevent injury that I would like to share with you.

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• Running schedule: Currently I am running about four days a week, one long run on the weekend, and various shorter distance runs throughout week. While training for any race, it is important to increase mileage slowly; about a 10% increase per week is the recommended amount to prevent injury from overtraining. I incorporated step back weeks, in which my mileage is a bit lower than the previous week to give my body a break, as well as a mileage taper 2-3 weeks before the race to allow my energy stores to build up and give my body a rest before the big day.
• Cross-training: One or two days a week I take a spin class and play in a soccer league. This allows me to challenge my cardiovascular system in a different way and give my body a break from the mundane long runs. A few days a week I participate in strength training, focusing on my core and hip muscles, to help maintain proper alignment while running and promote muscular endurance to power me through 26.2 miles.
• Eating, lots of it: I have found that diet plays a crucial role in my training; not just the night or morning before, but throughout the week. I increased the volume of food I consume daily to provide the energy I need to complete these long runs while maintaining a healthy diet of protein and carbs. Hydration also plays a crucial role. I try to consume multiple glasses of water a day and have learned to drink often while running. I quickly learned that taking small sips often throughout a long run helps keep you going instead of waiting until you are thirsty to drink, which is often too late. The same goes for consuming energy during a run; don’t wait until you hit a wall, start and maintain intake early. I trialed multiple forms of carbohydrates during runs, from goos to chews, to find what works best for me and my digestive system.
• Recovery: In the hours immediately following my long runs I can already start to feel soreness kicking in. In order to prevent not being able to move the next day, I have found that taking time to stretch and foam roll before bed helps tremendously. I target the major muscle groups of the legs, dedicating at least 20 minutes a night and have found that I am able to walk down the stairs the next morning with minimal aches and pains.

Related: Top 3 Core Strengthening Moves

If you have more questions about how to stay injury free or treat injury while training for a race please feel free to contact me at [email protected] and take advantage of a free pain consultation over at our Portland clinic.

By Kristin O’Kelly, DPT

Back in Motion Physical Therapy – Portland, Maine

Related: How to Prevent Injury and Enhance Performance for Young Athletes