The Penguin’s Top 10 Training Tips

I got this of the Rock-n-Roll 1/2 Marathon Website and liked it alot….

The Penguin’s Top 10 Training Tips

Runner’s World columnist, author and accomplished runner, John Bingham (The Penguin), offers his advice on training with his top 10 training tips. In no particular order:

Marathoning For Mortals:
The Penguin?s Top Ten Tips

1. Choose a training program that?s right for you:
There?s no one program that fits everyone?s needs. Be honest with yourself before you start your training. Look at your time, your life, and your interest and then choose a program that will work best for you.
2. Don?t overcomplicate your training program:
Training for a long-distance running event is mostly a matter of tenacity. You don?t need to have charts and graphs or a rigorous routine that stresses you out. Focus on the joy of the journey.
3. Rest is as important as training:
You don?t get stronger while you?re running. You get stronger when you?re resting. Make sure you take enough time off to let your body adapt. No one ever got injured from over-resting.
4. Variety is the spice of training:
No matter what your pace or goal, your training program should include a mix of training days. You need speed work to improve your form, tempo runs to improve your stamina, and long runs to improve your endurance.
5. If you miss a workout, skip it and go on:
If you have to miss a training day, don?t try to go back and pick it up. The sequence of your training is more important than any particular workout. Make sure you stick to the order of your training days.
6. Your shoes are your feet?s best friends:
Don?t skimp on your running shoes. You don?t have to buy the most expensive shoes in the store, but you do need to invest in shoes that work with your feet, your running style, and your training mileage.
7. Make sure your goals, objectives, and strategies are reasonable:
It doesn?t do any good to overestimate your ability and underestimate your willingness to train. Find a balance between what you want and what you?re able to do.
8. You can?t finish what you don?t start:
The biggest single reason why new runners and walkers don?t finish a marathon or half marathon is because they don?t start. They get injured during training. Be conservative in your training, and when in doubt, do less rather than more.
9. Have a race strategy:
The elite runners have a strategy. You need one too. You need to think about how you want to approach the race, what your plan will be during the race, and how you?ll know when you need to change your strategy.
10. Have three race goals:
Start the race with three goals; a best case, a worst case, and a doomsday scenario. Some races are great. Enjoy them. Some races are awful. Those you just need to struggle through. And some days you just need to walk away and try again later.