Your first, second and third steps to running a marathon

PACING is important in every running event but especially in marathon running, here are your words of advice on how to structure your training and pace before and during the Gold Coast marathon.

NO ONE, except perhaps Forrest Gump, attempts a marathon without preparation.

Whether you’re a first-time runner or an experienced athlete, sports science can help you prep like a pro.

Training and pacing are two areas where the advice of sports scientists can be gold.

According to Dr Chris Stevens, a Southern Cross University senior lecturer in sport and exercise, science runners should be doing three types of training sessions.

These include long, slow distance, threshold and interval training.

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Southern Cross University Osteopathy student Douw van Vuuren will compete in the 10km Run on Gold Coast Marathon weekend

“Long, slow distance sessions are when you aim to run for a long duration at a slow pace,” Dr Stevens said. “These sessions increase your body’s capacity to transport and use oxygen for energy.

“Then there are the threshold or tempo sessions where the aims is to get comfortable with running at the race pace. These sessions increase the lactate threshold, which allows you to run at a higher intensity for a longer period without fatigue.”

Lactate is the by-product of muscles using glucose for energy and increasing your lactate threshold can affect performance and recovery in endurance sports like marathon running.

An interval training session is the third type of important training session.

“The aim is to run faster than usual in these sessions, by alternating fast running with periods of rest. These sessions allow a runner to increase their maximal aerobic running pace.

“It won’t make the race a walk in the park, but it will make race pace more comfortable.”

Progressing your training over time is also important.

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On race day, emotions and adrenaline can take over.

For an inexperienced marathon runner, the goal is to build up the total running distance over time, especially by progressing a long, slow distance session each week.

“A useful rule is to not increase your weekly training distance by more than 10 per cent each week.”

On race day, emotions and adrenaline can take over, but thinking about and planning your pacing beforehand can help enormously.

“Aim instead for an even pace throughout. Less experienced runners particularly should start slower than a comfortable running pace and aim to increase their pace in the second half of the race.”