6 Key Tips To Train For A 10K Marathon

Many of us at some point in life have had a thought to start running or participate in various marathons. People from all sections, like corporates, college students, housewives, senior citizens and even physically challenged are all excited to be a part of an endurance sport like marathons. Marathons have been showing various experiences and memories in these runners life which are imprinted in their hearts forever.

Many people participate in marathons not just to stay fit but also to alleviate many mental factors like stress and anxiety and have proven to change their lives in better ways. However, to ace a marathon mere training is not sufficient. There’s a lot that goes for that perfect run that a runner dreams of. Here’s all you need to know to ace a 10K marathon- 

1) Start early

Duration is very important when it comes to endurance sports, especially a distance like 10K. It takes almost 14 to 16 weeks for the build-up which is necessary to run a 10K. It assists you to stay consistent and make sure that you prepare satisfactorily for the race. 

2) Don’t focus on just running

Only running isn’t helpful if isn’t followed by proper workouts and warm ups. A warm-up is very essential because your body needs to prepare the body, mind and heart to take up the extensive training. If your body isn’t properly warmed-up, chances are your body might get cold, and directly heading towards running can cause muscle tears. Hence a warm-up is essential to open up the blood vessels and for the heart to comfortably continue the blood pumping process. 

3) Eat healthy

Beating just the time during your workout or running practices isn’t enough, your body needs the right nutrition to sustain the heavy training. You should consult your nutritionist or your coach to give you the right diet plan as there are specific numbers and quantities of some food items that you should be having. For instance, for a 10km run, your protein intake should be 1.2 gm per kg and 8 to 10 gm per kg of carbohydrates. 

4) Let your body rest and recover

While you are very much excited and all pumped for your 10k run, apart from training and nutrition adequate rest and active recovery is also important. An amino acids based supplements, or carbohydrate based meal within an hour of finishing the race is ideal for your recovery. Fast&Up Recover contains a combination of 20 essential amino acids, perfect for your body to recover in time. 

5) Check your running form

After you are well trained and properly nourished, it is important for you to check your running form. Unfortunately, not every runner has a personal running coach to look after his/ her form and give advice, hence there are many other ways you can examine your form. You can either take a video of yourself running on a treadmill and checkout for your posture, arm swings and footwork’s. Second alternative is to check for your previous race photos. Compare photos from the beginning, middle and nearing the end race to see at what level fatigue hits you and what else can be done.

6) Hydrate

Last and the most important of all is to hydrate. Hydration is the key for any endurance based sports. Only water doesn’t help to absorb the electrolytes which is important for running. Hence when you run for a longer period, you tend to sweat and lose electrolytes. Hot and humid weather makes it even worse. Hence a well hydrated body helps you to replenish those lost electrolytes and pumps up your body with essential salts, minerals and electrolytes.

Fast&Up Reload is a sports hydration drink which is formulated with a right combination of electrolytes, salts, minerals and vitamins, which helps to give you instant energy and hydration, reduces muscle cramps and acts faster.

It is also advisable to not drink lots of plain water. Drinking an enormous amount of water during the race can lead to cramps. Gels are the most efficient and effective way of getting carbohydrates quickly into the system during the run. Take small sips of gel and look to take one every 30-40 minutes or so during the course of your long run.