What You Should Be Doing To Prepare For The London Marathon

These final 30 days are where you need to bring your fitness to its peak. So, what should you be doing in these final steps to nail the London Marathon?

Mini Marathon

About 3-4 weeks before you run a marathon you should aim to hit one of your longest runs: about 18-20 miles. This long run acts as a stimulus to store more glycogen in your muscles and improve the oxygen-carrying potential of your blood vessels. Consider this a dress rehearsal before the big show. Don’t underestimate this long run though, and make sure you recover properly afterwards.

This is where things get all mathematical. After your long run you will need to taper your runs down gradually; 30% in the first week, 50% in the second week and 70% in race week. This will give your body time for rest and repair. Don’t get greedy, you might feel like you can run more, but don’t overexert yourself – that will hurt your marathon time greatly

Fuelling up

Carb-loading should now be your favourite pastime, outside of running of course. Carbohydrates will build your glycogen stores that will be crucial to your race. Avoid fatty foods at all costs, fat-loading is not something you want before a big race. Carbohydrates are your key fuel for race day so foods like potatoes, bread, rice and pasta should be your favourite foods (like they weren’t already!).

To everyone taking part in the London Marathon - or any other running events this spring – we salute you. Hopefully these tips will help you towards your goals for the race.