Marathon training tips with Beginners2Runners and Wegan

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This is the twelfth year Pink Lady® has been involved in the Virgin Money London Marathon and for 2018, members of the Kent-based Beginners2Runners club, will be participating in the race dressed as our iconic apples.

Ahead of the big day, in collaboration with our friends at Gay Star News, Beginners2Runners recently teamed up with lifestyle bloggers, Wegan, to show us their top running tips for marathon training, whether you’re an amateur athlete or long-distance pro.

Warming-up

Warming-up is essential when exercising or training to prevent injury and muscle strain. Follow these three simple steps to loosen up those limbs…

High knees

  1. Stretch your arms out in front of you
  2. Bring your first knee up towards your hands
  3. Release and repeat on the alternative knee
  4. Start off slowly, then, once you start to warm up, pick up the pace to a comfortable speed

Running on the spot (you will need a training buddy for this one!)

  1. Stand opposite your training partner and join hands
  2. Begin to move arms back and forth while running lightly on the spot
  3. Pick up the pace and develop into a faster run

Butt kicks

  1. Bring first heel up towards rear, then place back down
  2. Repeat on the other side
  3. Breaking into a gentle jog, stretch out your arms in front of you and bring back to your body and repeat
  4. Gradually pick up speed to a pace you feel comfortable with

Running Tips

Running a marathon is no easy task, but the Beginners2Runners team have some top tips to help you on your way…

Top tip 1 -

Make sure you wear trainers you have worn before – you don’t want to run 26.2 miles in shoes which will give you blisters!

Top tip 2 –

Always track your run so you can measure your progress, either on a smart phone or smart watch using apps such as Strava or Map My Run.

Top tip 3 –

Join a running club! Make friends as they will encourage you on your marathon journey.

Cooling-down

It’s important to restore your body after exercise to avoid dizziness, fainting and to prevent painful lactic acid from building up in your muscles. Cool down with these three simple steps…

Touching your toes

  1. Raise your arms and stretch upwards, lifting your heels off the ground
  2. Bringing your arms forward, slowly bend down towards the floor
  3. Roll back up to your original position and repeat

Lunging

  1. Bring your first leg forward, placing your foot flat on the floor
  2. Ensure your back foot is flat on the floor
  3. Lean into your front knee so it’s facing forward, ensuring the knee does not hang over your toes
  4. Repeat on the other side

Arm stretch

  1. Bring your first arm forward in front of you
  2. Turn your hand so your thumb is pointing towards the floor
  3. Bring your arm across your chest and the other arm up behind the elbow
  4. Drop your shoulder, pull gently to the side, repeat on the other side

You can find out more about Wegan here - http://www.whatwegandidnext.com/