Just payin' my dues!

Tonight I did not want to run! I've been to a funeral today and stood frozen at a graveside then I went to the wake and stuffed myself with sandwiches. Not ideal marathon nutrition! By the time I got home it was dark and cold and threatening to rain ... and I had to go for a training run. Don't you just hate these nights? Well I got changed and off I went and just did it - with a bit of a stitch to start with. Not very fast but I still did it - a few more miles in my legs.
I remember talking to a friend a couple of years ago. He's a professional tennis player and when I told him about forcing my self to run on a night when I really didn't want to, he said, "These are the dues nights." (I thought he said, "These are the Jews nights" so his comment didn't make a lot of sense and sounded a bit racist to be honest. But then he explained what he meant.)
These are the nights when you put in the good, honest effort and they really pay dividends over time. You just pay your dues and the marathon race rewards you!
Maybe on a night when you don't feel like it you can just motivate yourself by reminding yourself that its just a 'dues night'. It always helps me now.

For more information on getting in shape to run a marathon one of the best books I know can be found at http://wullym.90daym.hop.clickbank.net
This book will get you through a marathon in fine style - even if you only have 90 days to train.

Make sure you get the right shoes!

In the article above I spoke about finishing the marathon without blisters or any other foot pain. One reason I believe that this happened was because I carefully chose the right shoes (New Balance, if you really want to know) and made sure they were well run in before the big day. But what would I suggest is a correct approach to picking shoes? Well I came across this helpful article by a guy called MAUI AGUILAR which I found very helpful. See what you think.

People have different approach of choosing what they think is best running shoes. But what are the things that should we really consider when buying a pair of marathon running shoes. Stereotypically, we have the notion that the latest, hottest and most expensive foot gear is what we should be wearing since it is, in fact, the coolest. But there are some things that we need to consider before we grab ourselves the best pair that will not only fit comfortably, but at the same time, benefit us in the long run (literally).

Foot type
As a whole, people of all walks of life have different feet types. In other words, its the different bone structures of the feet. This leads to the way we walk, stride and run. The most common among the human population is flat footed people. It is also called the pronated type of feet. It means that the medial bones of the foot tend to go inward then downward and when walking, the foot comes down on its margin. These foot type need extra support on the medial arch. If you have this type of feet, motion-controlling running shoes best fit you.

The second most common feet type is the high arched type. People with this type of feet walks from the outside going to the inside and they don’t have any problem with their stride. If you belong to this group, cushioned running shoes is best for your feet.

The last feet type is the normal type. It lands just outside of the heel and finishing off slightly inward. This type is also known as the better runner. They have more control with their stride. Unfortunately, only a very small number of people have this feet type. Best fit of marathon running shoes are those with cushion and supports the medial arch.

Purpose
You have to bear in mind the purpose of buying a pair of running shoes. For whatever reason, a definite ground rule in buying a new pair is when the soles of your shoes already have worn out. The duration of a pair of shoes for normal runners who frequently use their running shoes everyday is six months, if it’s more than six months, invest on a new one. An old pair of runner shoes doesn’t benefit your feet and support your bodyweight properly any longer, so it’s advisable to change them. Never run a marathon in old shoes that are worn out - even if they are comfortable to walk in. For the pounding that your feet take during a marathon you need the proper support.

Price
A pair of running shoes comes with numbers. And those numbers are in dollars. Try to select a pair of shoes that fits you properly and comfortably without ruining your budget. Look for shoes that have exactly what you need, both the cost and the efficiency and ask yourself if it can last six months or so of running, jogging, walking, day in and out, rainy or sunny season. If you've got the nerve, go and get measured at a running shop. They'll test you on a machine and get you the exact right pair. Then, and this takes a bit of nerve, walk out and buy them off eBay or some other web shop that gives you a bargain. Alternatively, just level with the shop and ask for a discount.

Fuel the body for performance

Running nutrition is essential before an athlete or a routine-bound runner starts engaging on a fast-paced activity like marathon training. It's always important to make sure the body is in good condition with enough energy and endurance resources to overcome obstacles and meet daily training goals.

Without the proper diet and running nutrition, our body won’t be at its best fit to achieve what it needs to do. A runner should be knowledgeable about his/her diet and food intake; after all, our body is still our main foundation for any physical activities. The things mentioned here will help you realize how to correct our diet intake in plenty of time for your running nutrition. This will help you make your own ideal diet and contribute to the development of your body weight. When you have accumulated all these running nutrition ideas, it will ensure the proper maintenance of your health before, during and after your workouts.

Carbohydrates or carbs as how it’s simply known is the main source of our body’s energy. Glucose is the sugar component that carbs produce and it’s essential to our muscles. The stored carbs in our muscles is called glycogen. This helps us achieve and execute our daily tasks properly. Best sources of carbs are vegetables, bread, cereals, pastas and potatos.

Protein is also vital for the body since we consume our strength through daily physical activities. Our body needs to repair itself and regain the loss strength by the previous task. To maintain protein in our body, meat, eggs, nuts and beans are the best sources we need to take.

Fuel yourself with sufficient water everyday or even before and after training. It is best to maximize your water intake since our body is ¾ water composed. Since running consumes most of your energy and water supply, it is advisable to drink water consistently, hydrate yourself so the heat released by the muscle to keep up with you while you run is regularized and prevented from rising too high. Being thirsty affects your running endurance so always be mindful of your liquid intake.

Don’t go out there if you haven’t eaten the right amount of food. Runners tend to skip breakfast for the reason that they want to start early. But during the night, the stomach has already consumed the food stored from last night's meal since it never stops its grinding process. They won’t realize what they’ve missed until they find out later during the run. It is still best to follow what moms always say; breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

Having listed all these main running nutrition tips, we still need to mention one more ingredient. A balanced natural supplement intake is the best way to complete your running nutrition list. My own personal preference is a natural supplement called JUICE PLUS+ which is quite simply 17 fruit, vegetables and grains in a capsule. It sounds incredible but its true. This stuff has increased my energy, rocketed my anti-oxidant levels and reduced my free radicals by 75%. Take a look at my website if you are interested - www.juiceplus.co.uk/+mm026962

But don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing like a natural, well-balanced diet with fruits, vegetables and other non-processed foods. Anti-oxidants supplement runner’s normal dietary intake. So go ahead, grab that apple for your marathon nutrition!

Marathon Training and Nutrition

As you can see from my profile, I'm a 49 year old married man with a passion for running marathons. In this blog I want to share my experience with you - my experience of training, of getting proper nutrition and of running the actual race. The last Marathon I ran was in Dublin in October 2005 and I set my goal to finish in under 4 hours. As it turned out I managed to complete it in 3 hr 59 min 17 secs. What a feeling of accomplishment. Incidentally, isn't it strange that having focused so hard on the 4hr I finished within 45 secs of my target time? Do you think our brain tells our legs to speed up (or slow down) by some amazing internal clock that we're not even aware of? Of course I'd trained hard for the marathon and I had really sorted out my nutrition but I still find it incredible that if I'd even stopped for a toilet break I'd have missed my target! I'll be talking a bit about this mental side of running later on but if you've got any thoughts I'd love to hear them.

If any of you ran Dublin last year you'll remember that it was an awful day weather wise. It bucketed with rain for the first couple of hours and then it cleared up and we finished in glorious sunshine. The great thing as far as I was concerned was that I never got any blisters or sore nipples or tweaked muscles. I finished in fine style and wept as I ran the final 200 yards. I've got a couple of theories as to why I managed so relatively well on my first marathon and again I'll cover them later.

I don't know if you can identify with this but having completed a marathon in the time I wanted has given me so much confidence to achieve much more in my life outside running. I reason that if I can slog my way around 26.2 miles then I can achieve my business goals; I can make my marriage work; in fact I can achieve whatever I set my mind to. Do you understand what I mean when I say that? In 2005 just before I ran the marathon I attended an Anthony Robbins seminar where I walked on fire. I saw it as a similar thing to running a marathon - it felt almost impossible; I had a degree of fear; I might hurt myself; I might fail and look stupid. However, I successfully walked on coals and that gave me a lot of confidence that with the correct training, nutrition and mental attitude I could also do a marathon. In one great year I became a fire-walking, marathon runner!! And so can you.