* Training Schedules
How to choose the right schedule – use the race-time predictor for the target you should set yourself. Bruce Tulloh’s guide to getting ready to start a marathon will help you choose an appropriate target for your current fitness level.

* Runners World schedules
Ffive sets of marathon-training schedules to choose from including three-day schedules are based on the Furman Institute schedules and features three good quality runs (two speed sessions and a brisk long run) and two cross-training sessions per week.

Runners World provide Garmin-ready schedules which can be downloaded to your Garmin Forerunner,  targeting the Virgin London Marathon (April 22, 2012), and customisable for any marathon.

* Marathon First-Timers

If it’s your first marathon, make sure you check out the guide to running your first marathon. All the info, tips and advice you need to get ready to go.

If you’re completely new to running, there are “Get-Started Schedules” which  will take you from scatch to running 30 minutes non-stop in eight weeks – great preparation for starting the Get-You-Round 16-week schedule.

If you’re in need of advice, join spring marathoners on the forums.

* Your Questions

Photo by Kirthmon F. Dozier

Most popular questions for first time marathon runners:

• How should I tackle my first marathon?
• Can I run-walk a marathon?
• What pace should I aim for?
• Why do marathon schedules have high mileage?
• Is there an optimum age to set a marathon PB?
• What if I fall behind in my schedule?

*Nutritional Necessities

As you increase your mileage during training, it’s essential you pay attention to your diet as well. Keep in shape with guides to eating before, during and after training, as well as on marathon day itself.

• 60-Second Guide: Nutrition On The Run – What to eat and drink before, during and after a run.
• Reader to Reader: Fuel on the run – Your best tips for topping up your energy reserves during a long run.
• The Dos and Don’ts of Race Nutrition – Tasty tips and easy recipes to help you plan your perfect race build-up diet.
• Recipes for success (non-subscriber preview) – Marathon-running chefs dish up the perfect meals for distance dining.

The Big Day Approaching

Don’t forget to wind down during your final few weeks of training and look ahead to the logistics of race day. After all, it’s the details that can make all the difference. Wise up to the importance of tapering – and find all the information you need to get to the start line in style – in these choice reads:

Tapering

• In the week before the marathon
• In the final two days
• On race-day – before, during and after the race
• Race-day checklists
• Secrets of Successful Pacing (Preview)

Fundraising Focus

Running for charity? Wondering how you’ll have time to fit in your fundraising as well as your training? Plenty of help is at hand in a guide to making fundraising easy. It’s packed with tried-and-tested strategies and imaginative ideas. Visit the extensive charity gallery to search for non-profit groups by category or locality.

Get Inspired, Stay Motivated
Running the Virgin London Marathon 2012?  Read first-hand accounts of the 2011 event. Long and short, fast and slow, they give a valuable insight into the race day itself.

Runners World Forum
Want to tap the knowledge of your fellow runners? Easily post a message on the Spring Marathon forum. Find runners like yourself more and less experienced than you with a wealth of advice and opinions.

Marathon Man: Steve Edwards
Inspiration from Steve Edwards who has run 500 sub-4:00 marathons.

Checkout the Runners World BIG Marathon Index to get a great start in Running your first marathon

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Having a great experience in a marathon depends on many things coming together at the same time. When things do start to coalesce, you will find your speeds improving and times dropping and you will be enjoying the experience in a deeper way.

Preparation for the event is helped by planning and remembering to take necessary steps throughout training and the last month is characterised by less and less running and more and more rest and perhaps other kinds of exercise to keep the body active.

Here we have a selection of bullet points that cover the major points that will help you get organised and help you to remain relaxed. Most of the time we don’t get to do all thetraining we would have preferred to have done.  Fortunately the body can usually do more than we think it can – if the load is evenly spread out.

The Ten Commandments Of Marathon Running – Lewis G. Maharam, MD

1. Make sure you’re physically fit for the activity you’re undertaking
2. Train properly.
3. Follow guidelines for proper nutrition
4. Maintain adequate hydration.
5. Warm up on race day, and stretch every day.
6. Dress according to the weather
7. Use proper, comfortable running shoes.
8. Watch the condition of the surface.
9. Go at your own pace.
10. Listen to your body.

The Ten Commandments Of Marathon Running
My Top Ten Marathon Tips – by Mike Stapenhurst

1. Keep hydrated:
2. Check your shoes:
3. Eat your big pasta meal two days before the race:
4. Relax the day before:
5. Pace yourself correctly:
6. If the weather is bad – adjust your finish time:
7. Be careful with power gels and energy replacement products:
8. Mentally divide the race into sections:
9. Try walking:
10. Walk around after the marathon:

Myicoach.com!

10 – Drive the course before the race…
9 – On the day of the race, wake up at least three hours before the start of the race…
8 – Don’t take Aspirin, Ibuprophen, or Aleve…
7 – Try to find either a 10 miler or half-marathon 4-8 weeks before your marathon and run that race 100%…
6 – During the first mile of the race, don’t waste a lot of energy darting through the masses…
5 – Make sure that you wear the sneakers, socks, and clothes that you’ll be racing in before the race itself.
4 – Hydration should not begin the morning of the race…
3 – Wear a watch during the race.
2 – Drink water during the race before you get thirsty…
1 – Assess the weather the day of the race and adjust your goals accordingly…

Abichals Top Tips.

1. – Don’t run in new shoes.
2. – Maintain nutrition and hydration strategy – make sure you can tolerate any gels
3. – Reduce Caffeine and Alcohol last week before the race.
4. – Reduce mileage volume gradually.
5. – Keep eating a balanced diet before the race
6. – Avoid stressful thoughts – use positive visualisation
7. – Avoid over-eating in the week/night before the race
8. – Have an early night on the eve of the race.
9. – Race day breakfast should be consumed at least two-three hours before start.
10. – Drink little and often all day on awakening on race day.

The Virgin London Marathon has training schedules on its website and publishes a marathon magazine. VLM is also holding a Meet The Experts Day which will be held on Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th February 2012.

Speakers include:

• Dave Bedford, Race Director of the Virgin London Marathon and former world record holder at 10,000 metres;
• John Brewer, Professor of Sport at the University of Bedfordshire;
• Sam Murphy, leading coach and sports scientist and Lisa Thompson,
• Liz Yelling, Course Director of the Virgin London Marathon.

The event will take place at the Institute of Education – part of the University of London in Bloomsbury. This event is not free and also has a limited amount of places. Details are available on the Virgin London Marathon website

Stephen Tum crossed the line in a time of 2:08:51, edging Ethiopian Gezahagen Girma, who finished in  2:09:29, while third place went to Kenyan Daniel Rono who also finished close behind in 2:09:50.

In the women’s race, first place went to Moroccan Soumiya Laban who won with a time of 2:34:56 sec, ahead of Melaku El Fenesh (2:36:08) and fellow Ethiopian compatriot Abeba Gérémeskel in 2:36:25.

The half-marathon race was won by the Ethiopian Girma Berhamu Gebru 1:01:59 and the womens half-marathon race was won by Moroccan Malika Asahsah in 1:11:14

Race website: www.marathon-marrakech.com

Choosing a specific marathon training plan for your first marathon will depend to a large extent on your

• overall level of fitness
• your capacity to test the limits of your comfort zone
• the available time you have
• your determination
• your goals and
• ability not to push too hard when the body is already stressed.

The plan below is the training plan recommended by the Virgin London Marathon website for a beginner to develop the strength and endurance to complete your first 26.2 mile marathon.

This plan includes a fair amount of running and walking which conserves energy for the later stages of the event and rests the popularly used muscles which can tend to get sore as the miles mount. Walking is a great way to build a race-plan into blocks of walk/run ratios, 5: 1 is a well tried strategy.

As the schedule builds from month to month there is a race at a half marathon distance recommended at the end of week 12. This will help develop confidence and test your muscles under real conditions. This will also help you get some ideas about hydration and refuelling during the race.

The longest run in this plan is 2.5 hours long. Determine how far you can run in this time to give you some idea of the overall time you can expect to realise if this plan suits your ability and capacity.

This plan is download-able as a pdf from the Virgin London Marathon website

The race was won by Ethiopian Markos Geneti  in a race record 2:05:35 taking two minutes off the old record.

The women’s race was also won by an Ethiopian – Buzunesh Deba who won in 2:26:34.

www.latimes.com

Race website: LA Marathon

An inspiring story of how Tracy McLaughlin decided she needed to change her life as she was over 260 pounds. Gradually she started walking and then running at night as she didn’t want people to see her.
Three years later Tracy has lost 120 pounds and has her sights set upon the New York City Half Marathon.

Now after losing so much weight and still on course to reach her goal Tracy is using her half-marathon as a goal to help maintain her exercise regimen and plans on running the New York City Marathon as her next goal.

Read the whole article on: www.msnbc.msn.com

Run and Become the specialist running shoe store in Victoria, London is hosting three free workshops aimed at helping marathon runners get up to speed on tuning their marathon training and preparation for the 2011 London Marathon.

Presented by Inspirational Talks, the program includes fitness coach and writer Sam Murphy, An Asics Clinic with a top British Marathon runner and a screening of “Spirit of The Marathon” a  collaborative effort of three-time Academy Award winner Mark Jonathan Harris, Telly Award winner and director/marathoner Jon Dunham and producer/marathoner Gwendolen Twist.

It is the first film to capture the story, drama and ultimate essence of the legendary 26.2 mile running event.  Filmed globally in North America, Europe, Africa and Asia, the movie brings together a diverse cast of amateur athletes and marathon luminaries.

As six unique stories unfold, each runner prepares for and ultimately faces the challenge of the Chicago Marathon. More than a sports movie, Spirit of the Marathon is an inspirational journey of perseverance and personal triumph; a spectacle that will be embraced by runners and non-runners alike.

Run and Become, Become and Run Ltd. Registered in England No. 4425857 Registered Office: 175-177 Temple Chambers, Temple Ave, London EC4Y 0DB

Date:
June 26 2011

Requirements:
Runners must have completed at least one mountain/trail event more than 25K (15M) in the previous three years in a country other than Greece.

Cost:
50€

Website:
http://www.olympus-marathon.com/

Stefan Engels website
Other links to this Story: Belgian enters the record books with 365 marathons in a year – The Independent

Timed to be a perfect long run before the London Marathon and also designed as a stepping stone for those thinking about the full marathon distance of 26.2 miles this is a great way to add some zip to your training schedule and get together with folks just like yourself, have some fun and get a long run in – a win-win situation.

This 16.3 miles warm-up is limited to 8,500 runners and costs under £30 if you get your entry fee in on time.

The race begins just outside Nottingham University and follows the A6005 through Long Eaton and finishes near pride Park in Derby.

Kilomathons are scheduled for Scotland in October 2010 and in Northern Ireland and Wales in 2011.

Signup and get more details on the Kilomathon.com website