I remember watching the New York City Marathon in November 2018 and getting that hot, bubbly, excited feeling in my brain. I sat glued to the screen as Shalane Flanagan fought to defend her NYC title. When she crossed the finish line in third (Mary Keitany placed first), she gave the packed crowd a wave and said, “I love you. I saw all the runners-more than 52,000 finishers-looking simultaneously exhausted and gleeful. Filled with serious FOMO, I was struck with marathon fever and promptly signed up for a February marathon, which was about 12 weeks away.
For months before this sudden urge to do another 26.2, my running had stagnated. A major cross-country move, too much CrossFit, and an achy hamstring left me logging 15 miles per week if I was lucky. It wasn't until I jumped right into the marathon training mindset that I learned an important lesson: Don't ignore base training unless you want to feel deflated or get injured as that big race approaches.
Base training is the one-to two-month period before the four- to six-month marathon training plan begins. It is similar to a marathon training plan in that it has shorter runs on weekdays with one long run on the weekend, and the best base plans will incorporate strength training to build your muscles as you slowly increase mileage.
This story is from the Issue 02, 2022 edition of Runner's World.
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This story is from the Issue 02, 2022 edition of Runner's World.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
TO RUN 26.2 IS TO FEEL ALIVE
THE SUN IS rising from the east, and the waves of the Pacific crash below to the west.
LEAVE IT UP TO A PIECE OF PAPER TO TEACH YOU TO RUN EASY
BEFORE I FELL for running, I thought the hardest thing about the sport was the fast stuff: the speedwork, the sprints, and the intervals.
WHY-AND HOW-YOU SHOULD RUN DOUBLES
Those are just a few of the titles entered into my training log for the second run of a day.
FIND YOUR RUNNING COMMUNITY, ONLINE OR IN PERSON
I SIGNED UP for my first marathon while sobbing in the back of a rideshare, on my way to the airport to fly to my uncle's funeral.
FUEL WITH WHAT YOU WANT TO EAT
AS AN ULTRARUNNER, I'm all too familiar with the saying that long-distance running is an \"eating contest with a running component.\"
AT THE FERTILITY CLINIC, MY PAST CAUGHT UP WITH ME
I SAT IN the fertility doctor's office white walls, bare wooden desk, opaque window-alone.
THIS IS NOT AN ESCAPE STORY
AT 15, DARLENE STUBBS WALKED AWAY FROM A POLYGAMOUS CULT-THEN DISCOVERED A NEW LIFE AND COMMUNITY THROUGH RUNNING.
RUNNING WITH HANK
How my daughter's rambunctious mutt saved my sanity while she was lost to the darkness.
WHEN I FOUND OUT I HAD MS.I THOUGHT I'D NEVER RUN AGAIN.
I checked the pins on my bib, shimmied my spandex shorts into place, and teed up the stopwatch on my wrist.
A RUNNER'S GUIDE to sleep
Nike rocked the running world in 2018 when it released the Vaporfly 4%, claiming that the shoe could boost a runner's efficiency by that amount.
