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Sandy
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« on: May 16, 2004, 11:58:55 AM » |
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With P. Diddy?s successful running of the New York City Marathon on November 2, 2003 and the proliferation of other famous faces running the marathon distance, I am frequently asked about how quickly the average person can get ready to cover
42 kilometers. While P. Diddy ran a speedy 4:14 first marathon on nine weeks training, we must remember that he had resources at his disposal, and advantages given that you may not have.
Prior to the beginning of his training, P. Diddy does not mention a regular work-out routine or anything regarding his running experience but speaks about his motivation to raise money for kids, and something about being faster than Oprah. At this same time Diddy was contacted by NIKE, and flown to their biomechanical lab with all of their professionals at his disposal to custom make him ?his biomechanically perfect? shoes. He also had not one but numerous trainers, physical therapists and running coaches including Alberto Salazar, winner of three New York City Marathons.
Race day, Diddy was placed with the fireman and police officers running the race who provided a human barrier that separates the elite runners from the pack. Essentially this placed him in front of 30 000 plus runners. Not having to pick your way through the throngs is a definite advantage for anyone wanting to run a personal best. For the next four hours and 14 minutes, P. Diddy was flanked by alternating undercover policemen, pacers and trainers reminding him to not only drink and eat, but carrying the sustenance he would require.
These advantages should not dissuade you from covering the distance, but convince you that a more conventional approach is required. Recall the time required to train in weeks can be calculated by subtracting the distance of your farthest run in the last three weeks from 28. If work or family responsibilities are expected to be an issue, extend this time by building in more recovery days. The key to a successful marathon is being prepared, and not only to run the distance but to monitor your own nutrition, and physical and mental status.
Although P. Diddy was successful in his quest for not only completing the marathon and raising two million dollars for charity, he most emphatically stated he had no plans to run the distance again. Having worked with numerous runners at all distances, I have found that preparedness has been the number one predictor of longevity in the sport. Essentially, the more prepared one is for the task at hand, the less overwhelmed one will feel physically and emotionally at completion, increasing the likelihood they will repeat the task. The lengthy build up to a marathon is not completely about the physical. While long runs help to build muscle strength, they are essential in working the mental game. Believing you can accomplish your task, as well as problem solving in practice, increases your confidence for race day ensuring you will cross the finish line of not only this race, but the next as well.
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