Read on to hear guest blogger Doug MacDonald’s insight into prepartion for the Edinburgh marathon this weekend.

So how and why is running a marathon such a challenge for elite athletes and novices alike?  While Haile Gebresellasie might burn his way round in just over 2 hours, lesser mortals are more likely to be pounding the roads for 3 to 5 hours.  The first challenge then is the motivation required to keep on pace for such a long period of time.  It’s very easy to lose heart when you’ve been out for a couple of hours and know that you’ve still got a long way to go.

The next challenge is maintaining focus and concentration over such a long period of time.  While the act of running is an automatic action after a while, a marathon tests our ability to remain focussed on completing the process.

The last challenge that I want to consider is having confidence and belief in your ability to complete the race.  If you talk yourself out of it beforehand then the race is over before you even take one step. 

So here are my 3 tips for getting the most out of your marathon race:

Firstly, plan.  Sit down and think about what it is you want to get out of this race.  If you understand what it is you really want and why you’re doing this it’s a lot easier to remain motivated.

If you’re running in memory of someone or for a charity then you might simply want to complete the race and to enjoy the experience.  These are subjective outcome goals and are potentially great sources of inspiration when you hit the ‘wall’!  If you’re looking for a certain time then write that down and look at it in the days before the race.

Secondly, use that planning to keep focussed.  Outcome goals are great but also try using some process goals.  Calculate how fast you need to run each mile and then use that to keep you on track for achieving your outcome goal.  Also use it as a method of praising yourself when you are on or ahead of schedule!  You can also set technical goals here, for example focussing on finding an ‘easy’ rhythm in the first 3 miles.

Finally, stay relaxed and positive!  When top athletes talk about their best performances they always talk about being relaxed and it feeling ‘easy’ even though they were working hard.  In the days beforehand try visualising yourself being relaxed and in control at particular points in the race.  Don’t get too concerned with the outcomes and instead focus on putting together the best race that you can.

These are some very simple but incredibly effective strategies and techniques for helping you to achieve your goals and to enjoy the marathon.  It is an incredible challenge so think about how you want to feel afterwards and go out there and give it everything. 

By Doug MacDonald, Sport and Exercise Psychology MSc

Find more blogs from Doug and contact details if you are interested in his services at http://positivesportpsych.com/news/

First off you can not change fat into muscle.  They are two completely different entities.  Therefore to build muscle we are not looking for massive, instant gains as much of this will be fat.  Ultimately in muscle gain we will increase body fat slightly, but the key is to keep body fat gains as low as possible.

We know that an individual can put on around 1-2 Kg of muscle in a month.  This correlates to a maximum lean muscle increase of around 1lb a week. I would suggest that if you are putting on more than 1 lbs per week then it is something other than muscle, but not necessarily fat.  There are many variables that make up the body and contributers to weight gain can be increased hydration levels and energy stores, such as glycogen in the muscle (carbohydrate energy source).  What we don’t want is massive body fat gains.

To be sure that we are not putting on too much excess body fat as we build up it is important to measure body fat percentage as well as weight.  Always try to make your weigh-in circumstances the same including time of day, previous fluids and solids consumed and clothing (or lack there of).  The best time to weigh yourself is first thing in the morning, so that many of these variables are consistent.  Next we have to measure body fat.  There are various methods to measure body fat, with my personal favourite being skinfold measurements, however bioimpedence (electronic scales) is probably the easiest method.  You will need a trained friend or exercise professional to take skin fold measurements accurately for you.

The recommended protein intake for an individual is 1.2 - 2g of protein per Kg of body mass, dependent on your goals.  This is the same for even top body builders, it just so happens these athletes weigh a hell of a lot, so the quantity necessary for results is larger, allbeit proportional to weight.  Do the math and remember that any protein above these levels can turn to fat in a similar way too excess carbohydrates.  I would argue that protein shakes are unneccessary for 95% of the population as we already get enough protein in a standard diet.  Shakes are convienient, but my personal position in supplementation is if it wasn’t on the Earth 2,000 years ago then think twice about eating it.  If it wasn’t on the Earth then it isn’t natural and becomes more difficult for the body to digest.

Summary

• If you are gaining more than 1lb per week in weight, then monitor body fat
• More than 1.2 - 2 g/Kg bodyweight of protein is too much for best results
• When weighing yourself make variables consistent
• Check body fat and not just weight
• Get a professional to do skinfold measurements
• Think carefully about protein supplementation.  A lot of online information is geared towards selling supplements.

By Michael Smith BSc (hons), ACSM HFS, ACSM CET

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