Whether you’re raising money for charity or looking for a new personal challenge, with marathon season just around the corner, the 26.2 mile distance requires a careful training plan.
Below, Martyn Oakey, Head of Fitness at Everlast Gyms, part of Sports Direct has teamed up with Kerry Beeson, Nutritional Therapist at Prep Kitchen to share advice on how to take a holistic approach to training for a marathon and the interplay between your training schedule and your nutrition.
- Adapt your diet to fuel, refuel and repair
Kerry Beeson, Nutritional Therapist at Prep Kitchen advises that you eat 4 main food groups when training for a marathon:
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Complex Carbohydrates
“Complex carbohydrates are best as they are metabolised more slowly than simple sugars, providing sustained energy without causing blood sugar peaks and troughs. Depending on how often and how hard you’re training, aim for around 5-8g of carbs per kg of bodyweight per day.”
Protein
“Protein is essential for muscle growth and repair, and for the production of enzymes which aid nutrient absorption. It also helps to keep you feeling full.”
Healthy fats
“Healthy fats in foods like oily fish, olive oil, and avocado are also great to include as part of a runner’s nutrition arsenal – they’re anti-inflammatory and can provide a sustained source of secondary energy, especially if running long distances.”
Fruits and vegetables
“Fruit and veg provide vitamins and minerals for immune support, efficient metabolism and overall well being. Eat brightly coloured fruits and vegetables like berries or beetroot – these are full of antioxidants which have been shown to improve performance and aerobic capacity.”
- Avoid these 3 common foods during training
It is equally important that you consider omitting certain foods that could hinder your progress – Kerry advises avoiding the following food groups:
Processed foods
Kerry says “Your diet should be very efficient when training – every meal needs to count. Processed foods are typically full of empty calories, added sugar, and fat,with low amounts of the nutrients your body needs.”
Fatty foods
“Avoid deep-fried or fatty foods – these take a long time to digest and can make you feel sluggish.”
High fibre foods
“Beans and pulses or cruciferous vegetables are super healthy but can be difficult to digest and can cause bloating, so avoid before training or a big race.”
- Don’t repeat the same exercise each time
Whilst running is key, boosting your overall fitness as well as curbing boredom during training is an important part of training.
Martyn Oakey Head of Fitness at Everlast Gyms, part of Sports Direct says “The key to training for a long run is to gradually increase the distance and pace that you’re running at. However, to prevent boredom from kicking in, devise a training plan that consists of a mixture of different kinds of exercises and running techniques that target key muscle groups.”
“Vary the intensity, duration, location and style of your workouts – for example, you can incorporate different kinds of running workouts that target stamina, speed and endurance.”
“You can work on building your stamina and strength through incorporating other kinds of exercise including swimming, strength training or yoga to take strain away from joints and improve your overall fitness levels.”
- Know when to eat around your workouts
To get the most out of every workout, consider the interplay between your fitness schedule with what, and when, you’re eating.
Kerry says ” If you like an early morning run, eat well the night before. For longer runs, however, it’s always best to do this when fuelled up – have a balanced meal 2-3 hours before, then a carb-heavy snack about an hour before.”
- Don’t train every day
Whilst training will be different for each individual based on lifestyle, fitness and experience, Martyn recommends:
“A good baseline that can apply to most people would be to aim for three to five workouts per week. This allows you to complete regular exercise to boost your stamina and strength, whilst also incorporating all-important rest and recovery for your muscles and avoid injury.”
