PodiumRunner: A Short Marathon Build-Up?

The Case for a Shorter Marathon Buildup

The uncertainty of racing makes it hard to plan 4–6 months out. Take heart, 8–10 weeks might be a better marathon buildup. 

Sep 4, 2020/RICHARD A. LOVETT/PodiumRunner 

If you’re looking for candidates for the type of runners who’ve been most severely impacted by COVID-19 restrictions, marathoners are probably top of the list. After all, it’s fairly easy to do a virtual 5K or 10K — or give the mile or the 800 a go on a track or measured road. 

But a virtual marathon? With no aid stations and no other runners to keep you focused during those long, later miles? That’s a different beast, entirely. 

Which means that once COVID-19 restrictions on road racing start to ease, there’s going to be a big clamor for marathons. But, when a marathon finally becomes possible, that will raise another question: how far in advance do you need to start training for it?

(Link to article)

Three Is The (Un-)Magic Number

The Three Most Common Running Injuries
Adam Elder/Outside, July 12 2017




Every year, as many as 80 percent of runners get injured. Most suffer from a handful of common injuries. These are not good odds.


But here’s the good news: You can avoid them. In fact, these injuries are often easier to prevent than to cure. For advice, we turned to Dr. Jordan Metzl, a sports medicine physician in New York City who’s run 35 marathons and finished 14 Ironman triathlons.


Here are the three most common running injuries, according to Metzl, and his advice on how to prevent them...


(Link to Article)

CTS: Make Certain It's Not Summer!

Three Tips for Worry-Free Marathon Training
Carmichael Training Systems

A good training program is an essential part of preparing for a marathon, and fortunately there are a plethora of sound and effective programs available to runners of all ability levels. But preparing for a successful 26.2-mile run takes more than a schedule of workouts, and the coaches at CTS got together to provide three tips to help you have a great experience at your next marathon...

(Link to Article)

Carmichael Training Systems: Life to Years

Five Ways to Add Life to Your Years 
Chris Carmichael//Carmichael Training Systems 

Lately I’ve been seeing a lot of articles and blogs about adding years to your life, and to be honest most of the advice is downright obvious: Don’t smoke, reduce stress, drink alcohol in moderation, eat better and exercise more. That’s all wonderful advice for the general population, but it got me thinking about our population, by which I mean aging athletes. We are already outliers to the general population, and have already committed to the steps shown to extend lifespan. But as athletes we have also placed a high priority on thriving rather than surviving, so what are the steps aging athletes need to take to add life to our extended years?

(Link to Article)

Outside Online: Ninety-Four Problems, But...

Five Things Most Marathoners Shouldn't Worry About
Martin Fritz Huber//March 9 2017

Marathon training can be overwhelming, but some things just aren't worth the stress

With the abundance of marathon training advice available today, figuring out how best to prepare can seem as daunting as the race itself. There are training plans for every ability level, books dedicated exclusively to the subject of marathon nutrition, and accessories for problems you probably didn’t know existed. For someone with limited time to dedicate to the inherently absurd pursuit of racing 26.2 miles, the question may arise: How much of this stuff do I really need to worry about?

Of course, the answer depends on your goals. Anyone looking to qualify for the Olympic Trials will be fine-tuning their training down to the last detail. But for your average marathon-bound runner, it’s easy to miss the forest for the trees.

To help cut through some of the clutter and distill those aspects of marathon training that matter most, we consulted Mario Fraioli, a former collegiate All-American and head coach of the digital coaching service Ekiden. (He also writes a weekly newsletter called the Morning Shakeout.) Fraioli has coached several elite-level athletes, but we picked his brain about what the rest us should be most focused on. (link)