The turn of the year is always the time of year to think about a new challenge, and if that challenge is running a marathon then it’s already time to start lacing up your trainers and putting one foot in front of the other.
Running a marathon takes a lot of hard work, preparation and sacrifice and when it comes to the latter, there are certainly a few things you need to give up if you are going to run one.
For those who are looking to run a marathon for the first time in 2023, here’s what you should potentially be giving up…
Booze
You ultimately need a healthy lifestyle when training for a marathon and booze should certainly be knocked on the head, particularly as the event gets closer. For some, that is easier than others and a marathon is often a challenge people take after checking into a rehabilitation centre and getting clean as a way to keep their mind focused on something and have a goal to reach.
While the odd beer or glass of wine is fine during training (unless you are in recovery, of course), any heavy nights should really be cut out to ensure your training goes smoothly and you reduce the risk of injury.
Junk Food
Similarly, you’re not going to feel the benefit of junk food when training. You’re going to be running long miles and a burger and chips from McDonald’s isn’t going to provide you with the nutritional content you need in order to have the energy to run the 13, 14, 15 miles you need to after work on a cold Tuesday afternoon.
Start thinking about your diet more and what you need in order to maximise your efforts in training.
Lie ins
While you need plenty of sleep to recover effectively, you can probably kiss the lie ins goodbye, particularly if you do have a busy life anyway. Many people set the alarm clock for earlier than 6am when in training to get those big runs out of the way before heading out to work.
On some days you’re going to have to commit four-plus hours to your training, and that may have to come before work or before family time at a weekend. Which means you better set that alarm clock.
Smoking
Similar to alcohol, you’re only going to be hampering your performance and efforts by smoking while in training. Giving up is certainly the best option, but cutting down really is a must or it’s just going to make training rather painful for you.
