Conserving energy for marathon

A mistake runners always make is to exhaust their energy very early in the marathon race. It could be the euphoria that comes with overtaking many people at the beginning. But the key is to maintain a steady pace very early on to last the race. You have to manage your strides according to the terrain. It is always good to take big strides but you will notice that you seem to be running faster.
When running up a slope, it is important to open your strides so you can cover more ground. It is tedious to run on a slope so big strides will get you up the slope faster and not prolong the agony. Learning how to conserve energy in such situation can contribute towards other parts of the race.

Electric powered wheelchairs

Besides the standard marathon for able bodied people. There are also marathons for the physically disabled. The participants are usually wheelchair users. The distance covered in wheelchair marathon is the same as any other competitions, that is 42km. The participants are not allowed to compete in electric powered wheelchairs as the spirit of marathon is to push your body to the limit and beyond. Therefore, only manual wheelchairs are allowed. Athletes are advised to buy wheelchairs that are lower than usual as it keeps the system stable at high speeds. There are a few well known international wheelchair marathons such as the Oita International Wheelchair marathon.
There are few important rules that are different from the usual marathons. A helmet is important. Only race officials can assist the athlete if he were to fall during the race. This is the same if the athlete wishes to repair his wheelchair.
Participants are subjected to classifications based on the degrees of disability. The system classifies them into T51, T52, T53 and T54. They are created using the strength athletes have in their elbows and arms. This will determine what type of wheelchairs should they use for the race to maximum efficiency.

Training in hot weather for marathon

Yesterday I tried running with wider footsteps at the park where my family had a chalet. It was a very hot in the afternoon at around 4pm. I jogged in the searing heat on my body. It is important to keep yourself well hydrated when jogging under the sun as your body loses water at double the usual rate. Before running, you will need to drink 500ml of water and warm up well. This is to avoid heat exhaustion and in worst cases, heat stroke which may kill or damage your body organs as the brain stops functioning for awhile. I completed around 7km yesterday which is not a very long distance but considering the heat,the exhaustion rate is comparable to that of running 10km.
Immediately after the jog, I dipped into the swimming pool and it felt so great. This must be the best feeling on earth. Besides jogging, there should be a mix of other exercises to build up your body. Swimming is another very useful exercise as it builds up the stamina in your body and strengthens most muscles.

New training regime and sprint training

This week I did more than jogging, I increased my speed of jogging to train stamina. On Tues, I ran a rapid 5 rounds. I maintained a fast pace and kept wide strides throughout 5 rounds. As I was tired after this rapid training, I did not practice short distance sprinting.
On Thurs, I ran for 3 rounds in rapid pace and had sprints of 100m.
For marathon training, it is advisable to train jogging in wide strides as this will cover more distance and contribute significantly to your time. I find that with wider strides, I can feel the difference in timing. Short strides also tend to consume more of your energy.
From now on, my weekly training will consist of a long distance run, increasing to 10 rounds next week, followed by sprint sessions where I will run with big strides.

First 11km run

Past week's training has been tough. I ran my first 11km for training on Saturday. I was pacing my brother until the last 2km where he increased the pace. There should be a mix of normal jogging and sprint trainings. The latter helps to improve stamina. I intend to start my first sprint training tonight.
I realized that it took me 1hr 15 mins to complete 11km, that is slightly more than what I run usually. I am also increasing the number of rounds I run every week to 10.
A marathon runner also needs to be well equipped and attired. A pair of tights will be useful to keep your thigh muscles from moving too much while running as this may sap energy.

Ramped up my training

The past week has been quite a good training routine for myself. I ran 7 rounds 3 times and increased to 9 rounds this week. I managed to finish each time without panting or feeling too tired. I guess my legs must have gotten used to the distance I am clocking every week. The only downside is that I can feel the strain on my right knee immediately after I stop running. I am afraid if I were to carry on running for the full marathon, it will be worse at the end of it.
I have to continue the knee strengthening exercise every day, rotating knees and squats can help to strengthen your knees as it use your body weight to exercise your knees.
Lastly, sigh, I did not catch sight of the korean girl this week, I had already planned my script. Nevermind. Next week.