Best Foot Forward...
This year’s London Marathon will be held on April 21st. This iconic event first took place over 30 years ago, in 1981.
It was the brainchild of John Disley and Chris Brasher who after taking part in the New York Marathon, wondered if London could stage such a festival.
7,747 runners took part in the first London Marathon, whilst in 2012 there were over 37,000 participants. The Marathon is now a calendar highlight for competitors, spectators and charities alike. Olympic champion Stephen Kiprotich will take part this year and is expected to complete the 26.2 mile course in just over 2 hours.
For most of us a marathon would prove too gruelling, but there are half marathons, 10k and 5k runs or sub 5k events which anyone can enter. There are running events nearly every weekend somewhere in Britain.
Running has many benefits, firstly it’s free. Once you have your basic kit, it costs nothing to simply ‘go out for a run.’ As you are not tied to a specific class or opening times, you can go running whenever you please.
Studies extol the health benefits. Runners
tend to be stronger and live longer. Regular exercise, along with a healthy balanced diet, can also reduce your risk of cancer.
So how does a fledgling runner get started? Most beginners’ guides suggest doing a combination of run/walk/run on your first
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outings and building up your distance gradually. You should always stretch, warm up and cool down and ensure you are hydrated. You should not run too fast. You should always be able to maintain a conversation and not breathe too heavily.
Training programmes suggest that subject to satisfactory health, beginners could train to complete a 5k run within six weeks, training three times a week. Someone preparing for a marathon would probably have a training plan of at least 16 weeks.
It’s important to have the correct equipment and in particular the right shoes. Specialists will use biomechanics, your weight, the surfaces you wish to run on and the shape of your feet as influencing factors when determining which shoes to recommend for you. Serious runners will alternate between two pairs of shoes during training, and shoes should be replaced after around 500 miles.
Other items to consider include running socks, tights leggings or shorts, a stop watch, technical t shirt, a heart monitor, training log, drinks carrier, energy drinks and a lightweight jacket. Ladies will also require a high impact sports bra.
Many find they are more committed to running if they have a training partner, and some join local running clubs for increased support and guidance.
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