You have visions of running like a world class athlete. The reality is you have as much grace as Bambi on ice. Not to mention after a few faithful sprints you’re gasping for breath and realising that the trek ahead is going to take some training.
Well, we’ve signed up with Glenisk who are supporting the Marie Keating Foundation team at this year’s Flora Women’s Mini Marathon. Glenisk have gathered a team of experts including Aveen Bannon of the Dublin Nutrition Centre and the fitness trainers over at Bodybyrne to provide us with nutrition and training tips for the lead up to the marathon. From stretches, nutrition and posture to mapping your route – we’ve got you covered.
So ladies lace up those runners and start setting your pace for week 1.
Week 1 – Moving Your Body
No matter what level runner you are, always begin each workout with a 5 minute warm up. This should include a range of movements, flexing arms and legs as well as some gentle jogging. Be sure to finish each workout with a 5 minute cool down and static stretch to help prevent training injuries.
Beginners
Session 1 – Start off your training with running intervals. This will help build up your cardiovascular fitness as well as easing you into running. Approach this session as 1 min walking followed by 1 minute of running for approximately 20 minutes.
Session 2 – For as long as you can, start running at a steady pace. This does not need to be at a quick speed, but you should be running faster than gentle jogging. Hold this pace for as long as you can and then return to recovery (walking that you can speak again). This session should last 3ominutes.
Intermediate
Session 1 – Test how far you can run of the 10K (even if it isn’t the full length) and use this time as a benchmark to work from when training for your goal time to complete the race. This will give you a good indication of your fitness levels for the running plan.
Session 2 – For a distance of 6K only, start with 1 minute steady jogging (about 60% of your max) followed by 30 seconds of a 75% pace. This session again should last 35 minutes including your warm up and cool down. As well as improving fitness, you’ll soon start increasing the speed in your legs over the 10K distance.
Nutritional Tips This Week: Keeping Your Body Refuelled
When training, it is vital that we refuel our bodies as well as keeping them hydrated. Before training aim to be drinking 400-600ml of water 2-3 hours beforehand and after training, be sure to keep drinking to replace the water lost when sweating.
Overall runners should be aiming to have 3 meals a day with 1-2 small snacks and at least 2 litres of water. For the best results when training, keep foods clean, natural, non-processed and with little to no sugar.
Glenisk are also going to offer recipes for top treats each week! Check out this recipe for Oat Protein Pancakes to get you started.
