How to run a half marathon: Personal experience and coach advice
Over the past three years running has become the main sport. Largely due to its availability. In addition, according to research, even five-minute daily jogs prolong life for three years. We decided to experiment and sent Oles Iva, editor of the “Style” column, to prepare for the women's charity half marathon in San Francisco for three months, where thousands of participants from all over the world come. After the race, we talked to Israeli fitness specialist and TV presenter Anat Harel about how Olesya managed to run twenty-one kilometers across the hills and whether everyone can do it.
About training and training
Newcomers in running often set themselves a big goal, for example, to run a half marathon. So it was in my case. three months ago I could run thirty minutes and four or five kilometers, but I do not understand how I managed to overcome a distance of twenty-one kilometers.
Have you ever heard of IRONMAN triathlon competition? Its participants first swim four kilometers, then ride a bike 180 kilometers and then, without rest and a break, run a marathon - that is, plus another 42 kilometers. The entire triathlon takes an average of 16-17 hours. And you know what's important? Anyone can overcome IRONMAN. People over the age of sixty participate in this competition. The main thing, as in any competition - whether it is a race for ten kilometers or IRONMAN - you need to prepare correctly. Without training there is no competition.
It is a mistake to believe that a pair of sneakers and will is enough for running. To run you need to approach wisely. First, you must develop your strength and strengthen, that is, swing, muscles. If the muscles are not strong, all the blows and shaking during the run will fall on the skeleton. Therefore, for beginners, pain occurs, bones and joints suffer. If you decide to run a long distance without training, you should understand: it will cause damage to your knees, ankles, and your spine. Patience, consistency in training, a gradual increase in load - this is the right way.
How long does it take to prepare for the race? For example, if you start with fifteen minutes of running a day.
Running is an intense sport for a trained body. As I said, strength training along with running is mandatory. If you decide to run ten kilometers, the preparation will take at least three months. Half marathon - ten months, and for the marathon you need to train for a whole year. Of course, you can prepare more quickly, but then the competition will bring not pleasure, but injury.
I was preparing externally. A year ago, during the summer, she ran irregularly for fifteen minutes and gasped. This year, I gradually increased my jogging time, five minutes a week, and began to study regularly. At some point I did not notice how I ranforty five minutes. I adhered to this time, probably, for two more months. feeling the strength, ran an hour, then an hour to fifteen. in parallel with the run, she trained her muscles and swam five times a week. However, right up to the start, it seemed to me that running the half marathon was beyond my capabilities. although ten kilometers were already easy for me.
Systematic and gradual - all right. The body is smarter than us. You need to listen to him, and it will not fail. I would not advise jumping so sharply from ten kilometers to twenty one. Maybe you have a genetically strong body and mind, so you were ready, but actually this is extreme. There is another common mistake. Here you ran a marathon, reached the goal and stopped training. I assure you that a month later you will not be able to run a quarter of the previous distance without damaging your body. Stopping, you took a step back. We'll have to start again with a minimum load and gradually increase it.
Why it happens?
When you throw a workout, the body forgets where you left off. The body is not a car. You can not press a button, that is, turn it on, and then turn it off. On the other hand, there are studies that prove that people who run regularly for twenty years have fewer injuries to their knees in old age.
About adrenaline
it struck me that I ended up running easily Half marathon without noticing neither time nor distance. at the same time, the training runs for ten kilometers were accompanied by pain in the feet and unpleasant sensations in the knees, but this time I did not feel anything. why?
The day of the race is always different from the weekly runs. Energy and strength appear, which did not seem to exist. This is the effect of adrenaline. Because of him, you become more capable. More precisely, it seems to you that you have become stronger. Because of adrenaline you do not feel pain. The body is very smart. Do you know that during a car accident, people breaking bones do not feel pain? The body saves us from it. When an adrenaline rush occurs, we approach animals, survival instincts work. People are so excited at the race, that a surge of adrenaline is inevitable.
It turns out that dozens of slides in San Francisco managed to overcome because of adrenaline. Before the race, I never ran over the hills.
Unfortunately yes! This is a temporary super power.
About recovery and alcohol
How to recover from the marathon?
Many after the race decide to sit, lie down and not move. It is not right. On the contrary, you need to move as much as possible and sleep well after. In addition, you need to eat more carbohydrates and proteins. After the competition in the muscles does not remain glycogen, so you need carbohydrates: cereals and fruits, in combination with proteins. So you recover quickly.
And to drink alcohol after the race?
This is normal. Nothing wrong. A glass a day does not harm.
I heard that during the preparation it is not recommended to drink alcohol, it is better to even give it up. I could not refuse the wine and drank it a month before the marathon.
Of course, right on the eve of the race you should not drink. But everyone knows that a glass of red wine is recommended for the heart and blood vessels.
And three?
This is not recommended, but not prohibited. The day before the race, I calmly drank a glass of champagne. Alcohol does not affect running. It generally affects human health and prevents people from losing weight. People with a hangover run even faster and more vigorously, but all this is not useful. If you drink three glasses every day, you simply break down the body. However, I have a suspicion that Russians are genetically more resistant to alcohol. Just kidding In general, alcohol has a lot of elementary calories, which is why it causes problems with obesity.
About running and overweight
The San Francisco Women's Half Marathon is a charity. Funds collected as part of the race (participation in it costs $ 170), are sent to the fund to combat leukemia. Therefore, the race brings together a variety of people, among the participants thousands of women of different ages and constitutions. Is running really accessible to everyone? Say, if you have problems with being overweight, can you still run?
Elementary: the greater the weight, the greater the load that falls on the knees and skeleton. To prepare for the run, you need, I repeat, to swing muscles and lose weight. I would recommend to obese people to choose walking. Calm at first, then accelerated. After all, walking is the preparation for running. You can run, unfortunately, only after losing excess weight. However, to include in walking light jogging, for three to five minutes, I also advise. The main thing - to set a goal and listen to yourself. Remember: no matter how fast you run, in any case you are faster than the one who sits on the couch.
Respect your body, it will thank you. Get enough sleep, eat right, do not exhaust yourself. It is impossible without health damage to jump from fifteen minutes to forty-five minutes of jogging. Everything should be gradual. Pain is a sign that you need to slow down, not a challenge. You can not even imagine what limitless possibilities the human body has.
Does running help lose weight?
Running is an intense aerobic load, so yes. But, although you burn a lot of calories, it only works in conjunction with a balanced diet. The main thing in running is that it helps strengthen the main muscle - the heart. All those who run regularly notice healthy complexion, because blood rises to all organs and tissues. People need a healthy heart.
About the connection of body and mind
amongintellectuals existsstereotype: If you go in for sports and watch your body, then you don’t work with your head. Why is that? I believe that the physical achievements are always followed by the metaphysical ones.
This is a paradox! Sport is your state of health and health, which means that if you do it, your head works better, you are less tired, you can come up with the most. The body is your main tool. Even writing journal articles, mathematical formulas, or scientific works helps a person's body — fingers. The body and consciousness exist inseparably, everything must be in harmony. If you train your head, why don't you train your body? How is it worse? It is not necessary to run, you can choose any sport: trampoline, bicycle, swimming, fencing - whatever. The same run expands the boundaries of consciousness. To run a half marathon means to do something beyond your abilities, to become part of thousands more such crazy people. This is a strong emotion, because it gets hard work. I see how running strengthens faith in myself, makes people stronger. It seems to them that everything is possible. Strong and healthy body strong and healthy in spirit. It's trite, but it's true.
Photo:Run Nike Women Series / Facebook, 1 via Flickr