Is There a Marathoner In You?
A lot of people say to me, “I could never run a marathon”. My reply is that, with the right training, almost anyone is capable of finishing a marathon. Some can do more than just finish. The guy in the picture to the right is a case in point.
Three years ago, Mark Kruger weighed weighed 285 pounds and had a body fat percentage of 38%. He now weighs 185 lbs and has a body fat percentage of 11%. He runs 50-55 miles a week and has run a marathon in under 3:18.
Most of us are in better shape than Mark was and don’t have to go on “The Biggest Loser” to drop 100 pounds. If you aren’t running at all, try a Couch-to-5K (C25K) program. In only 9 weeks, it can get you from being a couch potato to competing in a 5K race.
Fleet Feet runs a group training program called No Boundaries that can get you from the couch to a 5K in less than 3 months. There is also a program called Marathon Makeover, which promises to get you from the couch to a marathon in 40 weeks.
If you are running already, gradually increase your mileage (no more than 10% per week) until you reach your desired distance. Set a goal to run a 10K, 15K, 10 Mile, Half Marathon, or Marathon.
There are plenty of training plans out there, many of them available for free or the price of a book. Don’t have time to train? There are some programs, like the Furman Institute’s FIRST program, that only require 3 runs a week.
What’s your goal? Tell me in the comments.
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