August 28, 2009, Newsletter Issue #107: Start Thinking About Your Fall Marathon

Tip of the Week

Ok, fall marathoners, start your engines. If you are new to marathon training and you are considering a fall marathon, now is the time to start training with purpose, and planning to increase your mileage gradually.


There are lots of great training plans available for marathoners of all levels, from beginning to advanced, and I'll link to a few in upcoming posts. But the point I'd like to make, especially for new marathoners, is that marathon training plans are made to be mixed, adapted, and molded to suit your schedule, style, and the unpredictability of life. That said, most experts agree (and so do I) that it is wise to allow about three months to train for a marathon, especially if you aren't used to running long distances and you haven't regularly been running more than 10 miles or so as a long run.


So, how to choose a marathon? You may want to run the one that's near you, so you don't have to travel. But depending on where you live, you may not be able to get into your hometown marathon. The NYC and Marine Corps marathons are technically full, and if you don't want to rely on getting a number transfer on short notice, it's good to have another race in mind, although if it's more than about 2 hours from where you live, you probably want to arrive the day before and stay overnight. If you specifically want to travel, pick a marathon that's somewhere you'd like to go, or where you have a free place to stay (always a bonus).


Check out one of my favorite sites, www.marathonguide.com, for a calendar of races in the US and elsewhere, and sign up!


Happy Running!

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