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Marathon Virgin: Week 1
By slhaf | January 12, 2012
The Virgin London Marathon is just four months away (April 22, 2012) and so H&F staff writer Sian Lewis has started her training plan with vengeance
‘For some reason I thought it would be a good idea to run the marathon this year, having never run further than a 7k in my whole life! After a few months of kicking myself I decided to suck it up and get down to business.
‘I realised that running the marathon is the perfect way to shape up for my wedding in August this year, while raising money for a worthwhile charity: Breast Cancer Care. I’ll be part of Team PB, raising money for both prostate and breast cancer causes. Visit teampb.org.uk for more information.’
‘I thought I’d start my blog with a few preparation tips before starting a marathon-training plan:
1) Get your gait analysed. I know people harp on about this but finding out if you’re a neutral runner or an overpronator (foot turns inwards) or supranator (foot rolls out). This will give you peace of mind knowing you’re protecting yourself from injury and making your running technique more efficient. I went along to Harrods and had a chat with the staff at Sweatshop. Turns out I have a neutral gait and was in fact running in the right shoes.
2) Get fit to run. When you embark on a running plan it’s easy to get caught up by the need to rack up mileage, but spending some time doing lower body strength exercises and core exercises is really important to keep you running strong. Your glutes, lower back and core muscles are there to support you pelvis and prevent knee problems. Try adding a glute bridge and the plank into your circuit training session each week.
3) Get yourself a good sports bra. Running is one of the most high impact activities you can do, and without the right support your boobs won’t thank you in the long-run. Unfortunately there are no muscles in the breast so once the tissue fibres have been stretched they won’t go back! I love the Panache Sports Bra, £35. I have one in black and in white and they’re so comfortable I even wear them in the day when I’m not training.
I’ve just finished Week 1 of Sam Murphy’s 16-week marathon training plan for beginners, featured in the February issue of H&F on sale now. I’m feeling motivated and confident, but a little achey too!
Next week: I share celebrity trainer Matt Roberts’ top mobilising exercises EVERY runner should do before going for a run.
Visit my Just Giving page to help me raise funds for TeamPB: www.justgiving.com/SianLewisMarathonVirgin
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