A marathon is a big challenge, and taking it on requires athletes to train smart as well as hard. At OTE, we know a secret weapon that’ll help you develop your running engine, boost your resilience, and prevent injury: cross-training!
Discover how to utilise cross-training for your marathon preparation with our complete guide. We’ll cover how to train for a marathon, where cross-training fits in, and how you can fuel your body throughout the journey.
How to Train for a Marathon: The Conventions of Success
Before delving into cross-training, let’s begin with the foundations of marathon training. What are the conventions of preparing your body for running just over 42km?
Depending on your running experience, training for a marathon can last anywhere between 16 weeks and 6 months. Whatever a runner’s fitness level at the start of their training, preparing for a marathon involves a schedule of organised runs, rest days, recovery weeks, and targeted hydration.
Here are some of the core principles of successful marathon training:
- Short-Term Goals: In the build-up to the event, every runner must set themselves incremental goals that build up to the marathon. Gradual increases in distance and pace are key.
- Long Runs: Once a week, runners should go for a long run that gradually builds their tolerance for covering long distances.
- Speed Runs: For those looking to improve performance, shorter but quicker runs are recommended to build pace.
- Recovery Runs: Running for fun is also a key part of training, so these shorter, gentler sessions should also be scheduled in.
- Rest: The key to preventing injury is giving the body a few days between runs to rest and repair. A consistent sleep pattern is also integral.
What is Cross-Training? Your Key to Injury-Free Running
We’ve covered the key components of training for a marathon, so let’s now turn to cross-training and why it needs to be part of your running and rest schedule.
First things first, cross-training refers to a style of training that blends a variety of different movements and activities. Swimming, cycling, strength training – it’s a holistic approach to training that complements your running and offers a range of benefits, including:
- Boosts overall aerobic fitness
- Prevents overuse injuries caused by repetitive exercises
- Varies marathon training and prevents boredom
How to Cross-Train for a Marathon: The 3 Best Methods
Now that we’ve defined cross-training and identified how it can support marathon training, let’s look at some of the ways you can incorporate it into your marathon training. Here are our top three methods you can choose from.
1. Cycling
Whether you own a bicycle or have a local gym with exercise bikes available, cycling is a great option for cross-training. Not only does it target your leg strength without putting weight on your feet, but it’s also a terrific method of building aerobic endurance.
Once per week, try a 20-minute easy bike ride followed by a 30-minute stint with a bit more pace. This should get your heart racing and give your legs a good workout. Don’t forget to also leave time for a 20-minute cooldown to help your legs recover.
2. Swimming
Head to your local pool and make swimming a regular part of your marathon training. The full-body motion of swimming gives you an all-around workout that’s zero-impact and fun.
A couple of times per week, incorporate a swim session into your routine made up of a relaxed warm-up, intervals of speedy or steady lengths, and perhaps a long swim designed to test endurance.
3. Strength Training
Building strength isn’t just about pushing your legs to get better. A strong core developed through weekly or biweekly strength training sessions can help boost performance, and targeted machines can help build resilient running muscles.
Twice per week, head to your local gym and curate a workout that includes a range of compound lifts (squats or deadlifts), unilateral movement (step-ups), and core training. Bolster your legs’ ability to run long distances by targeting your calves and ankles, too!
Cross-Training Nutrition: What’s Fuelling It All?
Whether you’re cycling, swimming, or lifting your way to marathon success, training for this physical test will require a lot of fuel! With so much running and cross-training, you need to ensure you’re eating and drinking the right things, and that’s where OTE Sports steps in!
The basis of your marathon fuelling must be a healthy and balanced diet, but when it comes to fuelling your runs or topping up your energy during cross-training, OTE has the product range to ensure you can continue pushing yourself up until the big day.
Every run and cross-training session will drain the body’s energy reserves, so it’s integral to keep them topped up for optimal performance. With OTE energy drinks and energy gels, you can quickly and easily carb load before or during your workouts. Light and simple to use, these products are easy to take out on a run or keep in your gym bag for a fast-acting energy boost.
Hydration is a key aspect of fuelling that mustn’t be overlooked! With OTE Hydro Tabs, you can ensure your body is well hydrated throughout your marathon prep, topping up fluid levels and restoring key electrolytes that are lost through sweat. Hydration plays a key role in recovery, too, so future-proof your performance with our range of recovery drinks.
Power Your Cross-Training With OTE Sports
Running a marathon successfully isn’t just about grit and determination. Going the distance also comes down to consistent and intelligent training, utilising conventional wisdom, cross-training, and targeted fuelling to make sure your body feels fit, strong, and injury-free on the big day.
Are you ready to start your marathon training? At OTE Sports, we’ve got the expertise and products to help you perform better than ever before. Get an energy boost with our range of chews or ensure a healthy treat is always in reach with our snack bars. Whatever you need, perform at your best with OTE Sports.