This post is sponsored by Athleta AND all of this is my own content, thoughts, and voice. I don’t know how many of you saw my story poll on Instagram asking about running a marathon but my thought is that for those who are interested we could all train and run a marathon together! The marathon I want to run is in June and my plan is to get everything up and ready for everyone to start training in January! SO you may be wondering how do I stay fit now? What can I do to get in pre marathon training shape? I should mention this is just what I am doing it isn’t a “how to” or even advice you should follow but it is how I am staying in shape until I start marathon training! Also if you want to join in on the marathon training definitely stick around as I will be sharing more details in December! PS. if you want to join in comment so below so I can start to get an idea of how many of us will be training together… I am going to share which marathon I am doing so that if you want to actually physically run the same one with me you can BUT you could also totally just train along with me and run one wherever you are!
The 5 Things I Am Doing to Stay Fit Pre-Marathon Training:
Nutrition - This one I cannot stress enough… so I have actually run four marathons prior to this but only completed three. My third marathon I actually had to drop out at mile fifteen because my body freaked out and I just couldn’t keep moving or even stand up… it was terrifying. I lost a lot of weight that marathon training round and not because I was trying to but because I wasn’t actively making sure I was taking in the right nutrients. So this time around I have learned from that mistake and am focusing more on nutrition. Everyone has individual needs and I can’t tell you what do (but will share my nutritional plan during the marathon training in a different post) I would just recommend focusing on your bodies needs and getting yourself as nutritionally healthy as possible now, so that your body is ready for the physical challenge of marathon training,
Yoga/Stretching: Okay another marathon story… in my second marathon I completed it but it was so painful because my knee gave out. I talked to a specialist later on and he thought it was because I hadn't been stretching well enough during my training and my calf muscle had actually been the problem… all that to say though during this time before starting training I am doing yoga at home and stretching. I am actually a certified yoga instructor and will share in a separate post what I am doing for home yoga in more detail but for now will just say there are a lot of amazing online yoga communities you can join. Even if you can’t actually make it to a yoga class having an active home practice can be so beneficial for your body and in this case could potentially be so important for preventing injuries while marathon training. (ps. I actually did some yoga in my Sculptek Demin from Athleta (which is what I am wearing in all these photos) and it totally held up and actually surprised me in how versatile and flexible these jeans were!
3. Stay Active- I have done this all fall through hiking primarily, the girls and I have even hiked a couple fourteeners! If you have never marathon trained before I would seriously recommend incorporating some sort of physical activity into your life. Download a “couch to 5k” app or even just start walking daily.. any physical activity is beneficial! The marathon training plan I am going to use starts with a three mile run.. so whatever activity you need to do to maintain the ability to run three miles OR to get to the point where you can run three miles that is what I would focus on and what I am maintaining.
4. Have the Right Gear- Since I haven’t been doing a ton of strict running I have mostly been working out and living daily life in my Athleta clothing. The Scuptek Denim have been a serious life saver… and by that I mean I usually HATE jeans but these ones are so versatile and flexible I have seriously been able to do anything in them! You can find them HERE and honestly they are gorgeous… my husband even commented (not knowing they were new) on how much he liked them on me, which he rarely notices what I am wearing so I take that as a compliment! If you look back through my biog I kind of have an Athleta obsession and swear by their gear so if you are looking for a reliable pair of denim that also allows you to climb mountains and do yoga the Sculptek from Athleta are for you!!!! Also their tops are super versatile as well and I am kind of dying over the rust color you can see in all my photos you can find that HERE as well!
5. Last But Not Least, Weight training - For me I have found a lot of my injuries related to running come from weakness.. running is one form of exercise but it isn’t the end all be all. More important than being a god runner you need to be well rounded in your physical fitness. I try to go to the gym 2-3 times per week to lift weights and keep my muscles strong so that I am strong not just fast and a healthier runner. There are a lot of awesome programs you can follow so honestly I would just say ask your local gym or google a program and find what fits your individual needs. There is no starting point too low.. .you can start wherever you are at and build from there!
Okay so that Is what I am currently doing! If you have any specific questions or want more details please don’t hesitate to ask! I want everyone who wants to run a marathon to be able to join in so start where you are at and go from there! This counts for half marathons too! The point is to have fun and have a community around you supporting you along the way! ALSO legitimately I am obsessed with Athleta… these Sculptek Denim are genuinely awesome and worth checking out! You can find my whole look HERE and if you have any questions about Athleta please leave them below!