If you’ve been a runner for long at all, you’re no stranger to experiencing sore calves at the end of a long, intense run. Your calf and quad muscles receive the brunt of the impact with every stride, and that’s why calf exercises for runners are so important for keeping your calves healthy. This is especially true if you tend to run on the forefront of your feet–also known as a “toe-runner.”
When I ran cross country in college, I earned the nickname of “Prancer.” No matter how much I tried to correct my form, I always ended up running up on my toes. I adapted over time–but it also put a lot of stress on my calves. I relied heavily on ice baths, as well as these tried-and-true calf-strengthening exercises to keep my calves healthy.
Why Calf-Strengthening Exercises Are Critical
Strengthing your calves isn’t just about preventing injury to your calves. It’s about protecting your lower legs as a whole. For example, if your calves are too weak, it puts stress on your Achilles tendon and shins. No runner likes dealing with a painful, squeaky Achilles tendon or going through the agony of shin splints.
Include these calf exercises into your training routine two to three times per week to improve your form and help prevent injuries by building muscle in your lower body. You can put them into the middle of your run or tack them on at the end while your muscles are warm.
The difference between good calf exercises and great calf exercises is the time and attention you put into them. Don’t just cruise through these so you can rush off to a shower and your post-run smoothie. Be diligent and intentional—take your time.
Good calf workouts aren’t an afterthought—they’re a priority.
It doesn’t have to take long–you just need 5-10 minutes each time. Your calves, shins, and Achilles will thank you for it!
7+ Best Calf Exercises for Runners
1. Best Dynamic Calf Exercise: Jumping Rope
Let’s start with the basics! An exercise as simple as jumping rope not only strengthens your calves, it amps up your cardiovascular ability–which as runners is what we want, right? You don’t have to use a jump rope to do this exercise, but we argue it’s more fun to see if you can set a new jump rope record without tripping!
It can also serve as a great pre-run warm-up. Jump in place on the balls of your feet for 30-60 seconds three times. Repeat for a total for three sets.
Tip: Be sure to land on your toes rather than flat-footed. Landing on your toes is what makes this a great calf exercise–you strengthen those muscles with every jump.
2. Best Static Calf Exercise: Simple Calf Raises
Stand on the edge of a step or sturdy box. Raise your left foot, putting your body weight onto your right foot. Balance on the ball of your right foot.
Next, lift your right heel and pause there for a few moments. Lower your heel and repeat. Alternate feet every 10-15 reps, completing a total of three sets for power up those calves!
Tip: You can also hold dumbbells at your sides to amplify this strength-training exercise.
3. Best Calf Exercise With Dumbbells: Toe Walking
If you have them, grab some dumbbells and hold them at your sides–but this exercise works fine without weights, too.
Lift up your feet and walk forward on your toes for about one minute to 90 seconds. Do three to five sets for stronger calves–particularly the soleus muscle in your calf that’s responsible for plantar flexion–helping you to power off when you run. Remember, don’t let your heels touch the ground–keep them as high as you can!
4. Best Calf Exercise At-Home: Ankle Mobilizing Knee Pushes
Assume a starting position in front of a three to four-inch mat or block and put your toes on it so they are elevated past your heels. Bend your right knee and push it forward until you feel that familiar stretch in the back of your calf.
Repeat with your left leg. Aim for three sets of 10-15 reps on each leg.
5. Jumping Half Chair Squats
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, flat on the floor. Focusing your energy on your lower legs, jump using only your calves.
We aren’t going for a killer, sky-high jump here–if you’re only using your calves, you won’t get that high. On the way down, absorb the power of your jump by dropping into a half squat and landing quietly.
Complete three sets of eight for toned, healthy calf muscles ready to take on any hill workout. Plus, you’re weaving in a bit of cardio with this exercise!
6. Best Calf Exercise Without Equipment: Standing Double-Leg Calf Raises
This exercise might be the most classic move for building strong calves. Like a lot of strength training practices for runners, it leverages the power of your body weight.
Stand with your feet hip-width apart–being near a wall can help for balance. Align your ankles, knees, and hips to shield your joints. Press down on the balls of your feet and lift your body up while keeping your core muscles firmly engaged.
Hold for three to five seconds, then come on back down. Do three sets of eight.
7. Best Calf Exercise With Barbell: Weighted Calf Raise
Start by doing this as a double-leg calf raise. Once you’re comfortable with that, advance to single-leg weighted calf raises.
You’ll perform this exercise much the same way as the classic calf raise and double-calf raise. The only difference is you’re going to be adding some more resistance to the calf exercise.
The easiest way to do this is with a barbell and a squat rack.
Get into the squat position with a barbell across the back of your shoulders. However, instead of squatting down, you’re going to simply perform a toe raise.
A weighted exercise like this helps you measure your progress by the number of plates you put on the bar. This helps you progress and grow muscle faster than cranking out 50 to 100+ calf raises.
Don’t Underestimate the Importance of Injury Prevention
It’s common for runners to experience sore calves–these muscles power our runs and give us the strength to tackle steep hills and fire off speedy kicks at the end of a race. So, we have to take care of them!
There’s nothing that can deter even the most disciplined training plan and running goals more than an injury that could have been prevented. Resolving those injuries involves more than drinking enough water and light stretching.
Listen to your body and invest the time into proper stretching, ice baths, and strength training activities. It might not be the most fun part of your training routine–but it’s worth it! Your entire body and personal records will thrive as a result!
Don’t wait for an injury to start doing these calf exercises for runners. Make calf-strengthening a priority—not an afterthought.
A happy runner is a healthy runner with strong muscles, enjoying pain-free runs. Get started by downloading our FREE injury prevention video series today!
Running and climbing are vastly different sports. Yet many runners are avid climbers and vice versa. Do you fit into this group? If so, how do you balance running and climbing? Or do you think about that at all?
The reasons you choose to run may vary widely but one question I don’t hear often is, How can these two sports live in harmony? The answer is complicated and depends on your goals.
How Running Affects Your Rock Climbing
Here, we’ll walk through how climbing and running can coexist at a supplemental and performance level as well as some of the benefits of doing both.
Training Should Be Specific to the Sport
High performance climbing requires A LOT of time on a wall to develop proper motor skills. Those motor skills show up in your technique, which most climbers should focus on more than anything.
Physiologically, humans aren’t built to scale mountains. We need to adapt ourselves over time to develop internal and external cues that tell our bodies how to move upward. More on technique here.
Climbing and climbing-specific training should be 85%+ of training for beginners, 75%+ of your training for intermediate climbers, and 50%+ of training for advanced climbers.
When planning your training for climbing and running, keep these percentages in mind. If you slip too far in either direction, your climbing performance will suffer. Don’t obsess over the numbers, however, and record every minute of your training. Paralysis by analysis will leave you stuck with no action.
Running Supports Your General Endurance
In his famous book Training for Climbing, Eric Horst says “any sustained climbing lasting in excess of two minutes is fueled principally by the aerobic energy pathway.” It’s fair to say that your aerobic energy system plays a large part in climbing performance.
Running is a great way to improve or maintain your aerobic energy system. There is a point of diminishing returns for climbing performance, though.
Climbing is a complex sport that requires a lot of time climbing. You need plenty of mileage to build the necessary motor skills to perform at a high level. Therefore, running should be supplemental if your fitness goals are solely climbing related. If you have running and climbing goals, read the periodization section to understand how you can perform at high levels with both sports.
Try Two Running Sessions Per Week
For supplemental climbing training, I suggest doing running intervals or steady-state running. Two sessions each week will maintain your running fitness and improve your general endurance.
Through these sessions, you’ll improve the efficiency of delivery of oxygen to your muscles. That means you’ll feel less fatigued when climbing long routes and you’ll increase the number of routes you can climb in a single day.
Running intervals for climbers involve 20-30 minute running sessions at varying paces. The difficulty and duration of each interval can vary. The idea is to alternate between a faster pace than your aerobic pace and a jog.
An Interval Workout You Can Try
The Run Experience has a fantastic 20-minute interval run workout on YouTube you can follow. Holly takes you through a pyramid interval structure that increases in difficulty and decreases in duration with each interval.
Steady-state running for climbers involves 20-30 minute running sessions at a consistent pace. You want to run at about 8 out of 10 difficulty or 85% of maximum heart rate.
Running Can Speed Up Recovery
Low-intensity cardio is proven to speed up recovery time. Why? It increases blood flow throughout your body, which provides your muscles with necessary products and removes unnecessary waste. Running is a great low-intensity cardio workout for climbers.
This session is not used to directly improve your climbing performance through endurance training. Nasal only breathing and speaking without gasping for air are signals that you’re in the correct training zone. Five out of ten difficulty or lower is great.
Structure Your Training with Periodization for High Performance in Running and Climbing
If you’re set on high performance for both running and climbing, structure your training with periodization. Periodization uses set periods of time to focus on improving a facet of your sport.
In climbing, this means focusing on an energy system. An example structure is four weeks of endurance, three weeks of maximum strength, two weeks of power, and one week of power endurance training.
Periodization creates a performance peak, so you can climb at your highest level. Ideally, you plan a trip or competition at the end of your training program. While focusing on climbing, you can use running to support your general endurance and maintain your running fitness.
At the end of your climbing training program, switch your training focus to running. If you’re an intermediate climber, instead of focusing 75% of your time on climbing and climbing-specific training methods, you can focus 75% of your time on running and 25% on climbing.
Maintain Your Energy Systems
While climbing during this period, your goal is to maintain your energy systems, so your performance doesn’t deplete. Make sure you have one or two climbing sessions each week to maintain your energy systems and motor skills. Since you’re largely improving your endurance energy system through running, focus on strength and power.
The Run Experience has a great deal for a 7-day free trial. The Run Experience is a company dedicated to improving and inspiring runners through coaching support, community, and providing clear programs and tools for becoming the best possible runner you can be.
You get access to all of their running training programs through the free trial. Whatever your running goals are, they can surely help. This is a great program to explore while focused on running.
Running Offers Mental Benefits to Climbers
Managing anxiety and fear while scaling a sixty-foot cliff is a real thing. As a climber, you know the importance of managing your mental landscape. One of the best ways to manage your anxiety and fear on the wall is to manage it off the wall.
Running is a great way to calm the mind. If you love running, by all means, keep up with it. The mental benefits alone will help you live a happier more productive life. That inevitably rubs off on your climbing performance.
The Verdict
With a proper structure, running and climbing can coexist in harmony. Running is a great supplemental workout for climbers to maintain and improve general endurance. For supplemental practice, keep climbing and climbing-specific training to 85%, 75%, and 50% of total training time for beginner, intermediate, and advanced climbers, respectively.
Running and climbing at a high level is also possible and best done through periodization. Lastly, if you only run for the mental benefits, then please keep running. Running is proven to improve your mental well-being, which directly affects climbing performance.
Meet Our Guest Author!
I’m Forrest, founder of Onsight Built and climbing coach. I love climbing because of the wonderful and supportive community, the adventure of exploring the great outdoors, traveling to beautiful locations, and the concept of self-mastery. If you’re looking to break through a performance plateau, improve your performance but aren’t sure how, or put together a structured plan for performance improvement, check out my coaching page!
Marathon training is a big undertaking; there is no question about that. But what if we told you marathon training did not have to be such a daunting idea? In fact, if you plan ahead, find a solid marathon training plan, and stick to that plan, gradual improvements will allow you to be ready by race day with minimal stress.
How Long Does It Take to Train for a Marathon?
The first question many people ask is: “how long does it take to train for a marathon?” The magic answer is…well, it depends.
How to train for a marathon depends on your running experience and current base training. While it might take an elite runner a couple of weeks to refocus their training and get in tip-top shape for a marathon, it might take a couch to marathoner months.
Below, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about how to train for a marathon, whether you’re a complete beginner or a veteran of the sport.
How to Train for a Marathon Based On Running Experience
In this article, we’re diving into how long it takes to train for a marathon given your running experience: from beginners to vets. Let’s dive in!
I’m a brand-new beginning runner.
If you are brand new to running and to working out in general, a marathon is still completely doable. In fact, it’s a great goal to kickstart your fitness journey. Figuring out how to train for a marathon will be your first big hurdle. Luckily, we’ve got you covered.
As a general rule, beginning runners should give themselves at least 5-6 months to train for a full marathon. After all, you don’t just want to finish your first marathon.
You want to finish your race feeling strong and injury-free. If you are looking to make long-distance running a habit, you’ll want to create a good memory out of your first marathon.
This is why we suggest at least 5-6 months of training beforehand. And you will want to find a marathon training plan. Let your plan do the heavy lifting in your marathon training – all you should have to do is show up every day and do what the plan says. And don’t worry, at least once a week, the plan will say to rest.
Your Main Goals:
Acquire sufficient physical fitness to finish the race
Learn and practice proper running form
Build the endurance and mental toughness required to run such a long distance
If it is your first time running, find a plan that starts with short distances at a slow tempo, utilizing the run-walk method. This method allows you to combine running and walking in intervals.
Maybe for your first run you’ll run for 30 seconds, and walk for one minute, repeating that pattern for 20 minutes. From there, you can eventually bump that up to running for one minute, and walking for 30 seconds, or some variation of that. This way, you are learning proper running form while incrementally increasing your fitness level.
Over the next 5-6 months, your will gradually increase distance and speed. When searching for the proper marathon training plan, make sure your training plan has variety.
For many beginner runners, it helps to find a training partner, or to join a running group, either in person or online. Telling someone about your training helps you to stay accountable, as does having someone to train with. Consider asking a friend if they want to get fit and train with you!
Each week, you (and your partner) will incorporate a long distance run, some speed work, 1-2 days of strength training, and plenty of mobility every single day. If mobility is new to you, check out this video on foam rolling basics for beginners.
Hopefully, you’ll find the training plan that works perfectly for you. However, if you don’t, just remember that these plans can easily be modified and customized to your needs.
For example, if you are aiming for a particular marathon time, adjust your plan accordingly if necessary. Especially as you get closer to race day, adjust your training paces so that they reflect your desired race time.
I am active, but running has never been my thing.
For those who work out regularly or even semi-regularly, give yourself 3-4 months to train for a full marathon. Your overall fitness will certainly help you cross that finish line, but running requires a particular skillset that is best built gradually.
For this reason, give yourself about a month to get ready for your marathon distance run. Here at The Run Experience, we always recommend following a training plan, no matter your fitness level.
A training program will take care of determining things like weekly mileage, weekly number of training runs, when your rest days are, and other things like that.
The less planning and stressing you have to do, the easier your training will be. It’s that simple. So let your training plan take care of that and be your running coach; you just have to be the athlete.
The biggest challenge of your marathon training is going to be running on some of the days when you would normally do a different work out. Or perhaps, given your current workout schedule, your biggest challenge might be fewer rest days than you’re used to.
Again, this is why we recommend a training plan so that your runs are like any other calendared appointment.
Your Main Goals:
Learn and practice proper running form
Build the endurance and mental toughness required to run such a long distance
If you are already working out regularly, you do not need to switch up your routine entirely. Find a marathon training program that incorporates cross-training, and use those days for your normal workout method.
Your marathon training requires you to build both the particular muscle memory associated with running, and the endurance a marathon requires. If you give yourself enough time to build these things gradually, your body will thank you on and after race day.
A major benefit of starting your marathon training early is that you will be less prone to injury. This is because you’ll have time to incorporate easy run days and recovery days. Not only will these minimize overall soreness during training, but they will make your tempo and long distance runs that much stronger.
I already run, and I’ve even done a half marathon, but I’ve never run a full marathon.
The only difference between “marathoners” and “recreational runners” who have never done a marathon: marathon preparation. Longer distances simply require more preparation so that you can teach your body how to calm down and support you, even at mile 25.
If you are changing your race distance to become a marathoner, give yourself 2-3 months to get marathon-ready. Your run form is likely in good shape, but finding and maintaining marathon pace over such a long distance is a tall order.
Allow yourself enough time to properly train and comfortably switch your distance, so that your body doesn’t try to fight back against the sudden added mileage.
Your Main Goal:
Build marathon-level endurance and mental toughness
It is important to note that some of your training runs are going to be longer than anything you’ve done before. These longer runs beat the body up. In fact, when it comes to marathon training, one of the biggest hurdles is actually just making it to the starting line.
This means your mobility and recovery practices are even more important. If you already follow running training plans, just be sure youreallystick to your marathon plan.
If training plans are a new concept for you, we cannot recommend them enough. Maybe you used to be able to get away with not using your foam roller, or with skipping your cool down, at shorter distances. When it comes to marathon distance training, that is no longer the case, and a training program will hold you accountable for things like that.
How to Train for a Marathon—TRE Style
Like we just mentioned, training plans are where it’s at to reach your goal, no matter your experience level. New runners benefit from the guidance to train safely and efficiently, and experienced runners can use a training schedule to get out of a rut or to strive for a new distance.
There are also some things that every runner should do, no matter their level, such as strength training, speedwork, and mobility training. Finding a pair of shoes that you love and testing a fueling strategy for your long runs are other universal needs of marathon runners.
Running a marathon will take time and dedication, so let’s check out the best way to get started.
The First Week of Marathon Training
Our training week is more than just running. To stay strong enough to handle the miles and avoid overuse injuries, our week has 3-4 running days, two strength training days, and a daily dose of mobility work. It might seem like a lot to fit into a seven day period, but with smart planning, it’s not too overwhelming.
Keep in mind that this training week represents the intermediate level. If you’re just starting out, don’t skip that base-building phase to improve your fitness level. In that phase you could still follow the same structure within your week, just modify the miles and volume of the runs and strength workouts to what feels manageable for you.
Day 1: Core Work and Restoration
Warm Up: two rounds of:
30 jumping jacks + 5 plank walkouts
10 squats with a 2-second pause at the bottom + 5 pushups
20 leg swings + 10 lunges per side
repeat for 2 total rounds
Mainset:
3 rounds: 30″ single-arm planks (alternate arms slowly side to side) + 10 V up/tuck up variations
3 rounds: 5-10 downward dog pushups + 10 lateral leg raises “windshield wipers”
Mobility:
Chest stretch (on belly). ~2 minutes per side
Upward dog + downward dog flow ~5-10 reps (or 2 minutes)
Anterior + posterior banded hip stretch. ~2 minutes per side in each direction
Day 2: Posture, Breathing, and Pulling Drills
Warm Up:
10 deep belly breaths
5-minute easy run to get your heart rate going
Bend & Touch: stop running and continue to warm up with a bend over and touch and reach back.
Side Bend: side to side bend.
Hips: follow with 5 high kick + lateral lunges in each direction.
Drills:
Leg swing + Pull: this drill involves a standing leg swing + Pull. 10 each side.
Pulling: 5 rounds: 30 meters run, pull 10 times on the right, pull 10 times on the left.
As you pull your leg up, focus on being as tall and relaxed as possible. The taller and more relaxed the easier it is to pull!
Run:
Run the remainder of the time at a steady to moderate pace. Every 5 minutes include 10 quick pulls on each side.
Cool Down & Mobility:
3 minutes of easy running
2 minutes of couch stretch per leg
Day 3: Strength and Cross-Training
Warm Up:
3 rounds: 10″ jogging in place, 10″ of high knees, 10″ of butt kicks, and 10″ of rest
3 rounds: lateral lunge and hip circles
2 rounds: 10 opposite arm circles each way and 3 shoulder rotation (with hand against the wall)
Main Set:
3 rounds: 10 meters of walking lunges and forwards bear crawl
3 rounds: 10 meters of inchworms and backward bear crawl
3 rounds: 10 single leg burpees (5 L, 5 R) and 10 step ups per leg. Choose height on ability.
3 rounds: 10 shoulder touch push ups (touch, touch, pushup) and 10 box or bench jumps. Choose height on ability.
Mobility:
5 minutes quad rolling & smashing
5 minutes thoracic spine (upper back) and shoulder work
Day 4: Hill Intervals
Warm Up:
10 deep belly breaths
10 minute run progressing from easy to moderate effort
1 round: 10 sprawls, 10 squats, 10 hip circles per leg, 10 elbow touches per side, 10 forward/backward arm swings
Run:
5-7 rounds: 60-second hill interval. Rest 1-2 minutes in between.
*Use a “runnable” hill, nothing that’s over 5% incline.
Options: continue up the hill & slow jog back down to the start, or use a treadmill indoors
Cool Down & Mobility:
3 minutes easy run/walk cool down
2 minutes of rolling with a ball, per foot
Day 5: Rest and Mobility
Today is a recovery and restorative day. The goal is to give you the mental and physical break you need to not only absorb all the hard training you’ve done this week but to feel rested and refreshed and ready to tackle this weekend’s long run and fun run.
Feel free to spend time on your problem areas, i.e. roll out your quads and do the couch stretch if you’re dealing with tight hips and knee issues! You can use the mobility you’ve seen here, or don’t forget about the Injury Prevention Series in the app!
Day 6: Long Run
Warm Up:
10 minutes of a breath-focused run
One round of leg swings, lunges, and hip circles
One round of inchworm push ups
Run:
5-7 mile run with optional walk breaks
Cooldown & Mobility:
3 minutes of easy jogging and walking.
Mobility area of choice.
Repeat a previous mobility drill and spend at least 2-3 minutes per side where applicable.
Day 7: Fun Run and Recovery Cross-Training
Optional Run
20-60+ minutes. A great way to get extra mileage for the week provided your body is ready to handle those miles and you have race goals that require them!
You can also just spend some time outside moving around. Kick around a soccer ball, take a walk on the beach, or roughhouse with your kids. Just have fun and move around a little!
Round out Your Training
Once you’ve got your schedule worked out, there are a few more things you’ll need to consider. Beyond just the training, you’ll also need to dial in your nutrition, your gear, and your race day prep.
Running shoes
Chances are you’ve already found a pair of running shoes that work for you if you’re ready to train for a marathon. But if that’s not you, then we’ve got you covered. There are endless models of shoes to choose from, but three main categories are stability shoes, highly cushioned shoes, or minimalist shoes. Each runner has to find what works best for them, and some runners even rotate between various styles and pairs depending on the day’s workout.
Fueling
As your runs get longer and the weeks of training build-up, you’ll need to find what sort of nutrition and fueling works best for you. In this case, we aren’t talking about your daily eating habits, such as whether you start your day with peanut butter toast or just a cup of coffee.
Rather, once you start spending more than an hour at a time running, you have to start bringing calories on board to fuel your body throughout the run. Specifically, your body needs carbohydrates, aka glycogen, to go those longer distances. Some runners consistently reach for chews and energy gels, as they’re easily digestible and highly portable. Other runners prefer to stick with real food such as bananas, boiled potatoes, or dates. Still others stick to a sports drink in their water bottles to hit the right balance of fuel. Just like your shoes, it takes a lot of trial and error to figure out the right nutrition strategy for you. Heck, you might even be like some pro runners and rely on tubs of frosting to get the job done.
Being ready for the start line begins well before race day itself. The biggest part of your prep is of course your training plan. Figuring out how to tailor your schedule to fit around your lifestyle, how long your longest run will be, and when to start tapering are all hugely important. But, there are some other factors that you should also keep in mind.
For example, depending on the race you sign up for, make sure you’re able to train in a similar environment. If your race will be in the heat of summer, take advantage of warm days to get in a run. If you choose a speedy downhill course, strategic strength training will help prepare your quads and ankles for a beating. Sometimes you have to get creative to replicate your rae situation. Here’s how you can prep for a hilly race, even if you don’t live in a particularly hilly area: Marathon Running For Hill Lovers, Even When You Live In Flatland.
You can train mental toughness just like you train your legs. Using a mantra to get you through the tough workouts is great practice for race day when you’re striving to perform your best. Speed workouts are usually pretty uncomfortable, so they’re another great opportunity to practice keeping your cool when your brain and your heart rate is telling you to stop and take a break.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Marathon Training
How long is a marathon?
Oh, easy. Good one to start with. A marathon is 26.2 miles or 42.19 kilometers. Why? Well, that’s a longer story.
When should I start training for a marathon?
As soon as possible. Chances are, you’ve started training for a marathon without even realizing it. All the running and training you’ve ever done contributes to your base fitness—and this is the key component to your marathon training.
Training involves focused workouts, optimized training plans, and intentional rest days. In that sense, you should start training for a marathon now to give focus and structure to your running.
How to get ready for a marathon?
Commit. Anyone can run a marathon. You just need the commitment, training, and know-how. Marathon training isn’t just getting out and putting the miles on your legs. No, it involves:
Structured training
Intentional rest days
Cross-training
Dieting
Stretching and foam-rolling recovery
etc.
How to train for a marathon in a year?
Be slow and intentional about your training. If you’re planning on racing a marathon in a year, then build up your base fitness and focus on recovery—you have to show up on the start line to run a marathon.
You have 52 weeks to train, so take it nice and slow. Don’t be afraid to take consecutive rest days, and make cross-training a priority.
How to train for a marathon in a month?
A month isn’t a lot of time to training for a marathon, especially if you’re training as a beginner from scratch. If you’re completely new to running, then there’s a chance you could training for a marathon in a month, but there’s no promise you’ll quickly recover from the new trauma on your body after finishing the race.
If you’ve already been running for some time, then it’s completely possible to get in marathon shape in just a month. First, don’t change anything. With just 4 weeks to go, you’re not going to gain any new incredible endurance.
Instead, the focus for how to train for a marathon in a month is just to show up healthy at the start line. Start tapering your training to give your legs more of a rest.
How long does it take to get used to running?
How long it takes to get used to running all depends on the individual. If you have a high amount of healthy base fitness, then it’ll take little-to-no time. If you have a higher fitness mountain to climb, it’s going to take longer.
Don’t set arbitrary deadlines for yourself. Enjoy the process. If you fell in love with running overnight, it would diminish the joy and accomplishment of overcoming the challenge.
Start Training for a Marathon Now
Runners of all levels can successfully cross that marathon finish line.
It’s less about how long you take to train for a marathon and more about the nitty-gritty training plans and details.
Now that you know how to train for a marathon, it’s time to put your new-found knowledge to the test—sign up for a race! Target a race that’ll excite you, whether that’s 8 weeks, 16 weeks, or 52 weeks away. Next, sign up.
Now, it’s time to start training for a marathon.
If you’re ready to start, be sure to download our app and explore our full marathon training program. 16 weeks of training are all programmed for you with the perfect balance of miles, strength, run drills, and mobility to give you the prep you need to show up healthy and prepared on race day. If you need some base building training first, check out the 30 Day Challenge to get you ready.
You can do this! Just be sure to give yourself adequate prep time, stick to your training plan, and enjoy the ride!
Low back pain…it’s the worst. Most people experience it at some point or another, whether they’re runners or not. You picked something heavy up incorrectly, you regularly spend 8 hours of your day in a chair, or maybe it’s the effect of some issues in your posture and body mechanics. If you’re a runner, your running form could play a huge role in whether your lower back muscles protest the miles you put in.
Lower bank pain when running can make even a jog around the park excruciating.
But the bottom line is, you don’t have to live with lower back pain. Strength training, correcting poor posture, and working on mobility are all ways to get back to pain-free life and running. Read on to understand how weak and tight muscles contribute to your pain and follow our tips to help shore up those trouble areas.
Low Back Pain Fixes For Everyone
It’s worth mentioning that chronic pain and running injuries don’t usually come out of nowhere. If you’re experiencing lower back pain while running, chances are you’ve got some gaps in your training. Perhaps you’ve had less time lately for all your workouts so you’ve just been running and have skipped any cross training. Or maybe after a run you just jump in the car and head home, skipping your cool down and post-run mobility. It could also be that your lifestyle is quite sedentary and it’s time to make some changes.
Don’t get down on yourself. It’s a simple process to shore up those gaps with a little strength and mobility work. With one of our favorite core exercises and a dynamic mobility drill, you’ll have two go-to moves that are easy to complete, whether at the trailhead, park, or your living room.
Please remember that we’re online coaches, not online doctors. If you’re experiencing intense back pain, nerve pain such as sciatica,, or other symptoms beyond those described in this article, please seek out medical advice or physical therapy for qualified help.
Strengthen The Core To Beat Lower Back Pain When Running
One common culprit of low back pain is weakness through the core muscles, more specifically the deep stabilizer muscles. These muscles are responsible for keeping us upright and balanced with minimal rotation side-to-side or back-and-forth, and have attachment points throughout the spine and pelvis. A strong core also helps us absorb the impact of our daily activities and running in particular. As thousands of steps build up throughout a run, a strong core will provide shock absorption for your body.
Less shock absorption isn’t the only downside of a week core. Your posture will also likely be affected. When the core is weak people tend to default to an overextended, mildly arched low back since those stabilizing muscles are disengaged. Not only does this lead to instability throughout your body, it also hinders your ability to engage your glutes. These muscle powerhouses are particularly important to all athletes and runners. Strengthening the core and correcting this arch to find a more neutral spine position is critical to keep running long-term and injury-free.
Let’s experiment with spinal positioning and how it affects your glute and core engagement to get a better understanding of how to prevent lower back pain when running (or just chasing your dog through the park!)
Test Your Glute Engagement
To find that neutral spine position, start with your glutes.
Stand as you normally would, feet hip or shoulder-width apart.
Then squeeze your butt to fire your glutes. You should immediately feel your pelvis shift slightly forward.
You’ll probably also feel your core muscles engage, even if you aren’t actively trying to flex them.
As you work through the following movements, keep the sensation of a neutral pelvis and engaged glutes in mind. That posture will help you get the most of the two drills, which will, in turn, improve your running.
Develop Core Strength With A Hollow Body Hold
This drill will put another variation on that engagement test. The purpose of this drill is to turn on those deep abdominal muscles, which support and protect your spine from defaulting to a dangerous position. Additionally, the extra help from your core will take some of the load off the lower back muscles, which, if left to absorb the impact of running on its own, can easily lead to repetitive stress and injury.
Lie on your back with your feet flat on the ground.
Lift your legs up to create a “table top” position, both legs bent at a 90 degree angle,
Knees should be directly over the hips and your head is resting on the ground.
The low back should be pressed securely into the ground. You shouldn’t be able to fit your hand between your lower back and the ground.
Next you’ll add some challenge to the position and really test your core engagement.
Peel the head and shoulders off the ground, keeping arms into your sides but lifted 2 inches off the ground, palms up.
You can raise the arms above your hips, perpendicular to the ground.
Try extending one leg, then both legs.
Play with variations of just legs extended, or one arm and opposite leg, etc.
Notice how the different variations affect the demand on your core, just as when you change position while running.
The only rule is that your low back MUST, MUST, MUST stay glued to the ground! This will keep your lower back safe and stable by avoiding hyperextension and compression in the spine.
Start with holding your chosen position for 10 seconds, for 6 rounds total. Increase time as needed.
Improved Hip Mobility Can Ease Lower Back Pain When Running
The other part of the puzzle is your hips! No doubt they are tight and putting extra pressure and strain on your spine. It’s pretty common these days that when you aren’t running or working out, you’re sitting. Sitting in your car, at your desk, on your couch…hey, us, too sometimes.
Let’s think about what that means.
Your hip flexors are muscles that connect your pelvis to your lumbar spine. They consist of the psoas and the iliacus, and they work together to flex the hip joint and move your leg up toward your body. Every forward step you take recruits the hip flexor muscles. When you spend the day sitting, these muscles are in a shortened position. Then when you stand upright, they lengthen. If the hip flexors are tight from being in a shortened position for too long, they can pull forward on the pelvis when you’re standing, adding to the tendency to tip your pelvis forward in an arched position.
Enter your chronic low back pain and thus, your lower back pain when running.
So, let’s work on your hip mobility up by targeting the hip flexors. Instead of a static stretch where you just hold a position without moving, this is a dynamic mobility drill. Running requires movement through the hips, not a static position. So we’ll replicate that movement here with some rotation and reaching.
Start by standing with a neutral pelvis as you practiced in the butt squeeze test
From here just start finding some rotations side to side, twisting the upper body from the lower body.
You should start feeling a light stretch through the front of the hips.
Continue rotating the upper body, side to side.
From here go ahead and put your right leg back behind you, finding a shallow lunge position.
Here are a few ways to increase the demand:
Extend the arms to increase the range of motion, emphasizing the twist towards the right leg.
Try holding one arm higher and the other lower to move contralateral (opposite arm with opposite leg)
Find an increasingly larger range of twist over your left side, trying to reach that right glute of the extended back leg, then that hamstring, then the knee, then the ankle…you get the idea.
Ultimately, you want to create a dynamic movement that counteracts the seated position we spend so much time in.
Accumulate up to 30 twists per side, starting from a small range of motion and increasing from there.
Including these two exercises in your running training will definitely help in both rehabbing AND preventing lower back pain when running!
Here’s a bonus video featuring Coach Holly and her favorite way to release the hip flexor muscles using a lacrosse ball and a kettlebell. The video will start at this mobility drill, but you’ll learn a lot about your hips if you watch the full video!
For even more training, be sure to download our mobile app for interactive workouts, full training plans, and a lively community of fellow TRE runners.
What are tempo runs? If you’ve never heard of a tempo run before, don’t fret! We’ve got the details all lined up for you!
What is a tempo run?
Tempo running is a type of speed workout. This type of workout falls in the same category as fartlek and interval workouts, though those two serve different purposes.
Generally speaking, a tempo run is a sustained effort run that builds up your body’s ability to run faster for longer periods of time, no matter if you’re training for a 5k or a half marathon.
Typically you would find a pace that you can maintain for at least 20 minutes, but ideally for a 45-60 minute period of time. So, you want to be fast, but not all-out sprinting. If you think about it in terms of effort, on a scale or 1-10 with 1 being walking slowly, you’d look for a pace that feels like a 6-8 effort.
for whatever amount of time you are running.
Think of this run as being “comfortably hard.” You wouldn’t want to do it for hours on end, but you won’t be gasping for breath after 10 minutes, either.
Benefits of tempo runs:
So why would a runner want to integrate tempo runs (also known as threshold runs) into their training plan?
Help build your lactate threshold: Your lactate threshold pace is the maximum speed at which you can run while still allowing your body to promote “lactate clearance.” Lactate is what causes that burning sensation and fatigue during a hard effort, due to the lactic acid that builds up in your muscles during an intense workout. The more you practice running at faster paces, the longer you can go before you feel that burn.
Practice builds efficiency: Because practicing threshold training at this pace makes your body more efficient at it, after time you’ll be able to hold this faster pace for longer.
Mental strength: Has your mind ever tried to convince you to take a walk break or stop your run early, even if you weren’t tired yet? That’s your body trying to conserve energy and prevent you from overdoing it.
The last thing you want on race day is for that voice to tempt you into not giving it your all. Tempo runs to incorporate into your training program to build up that mental toughness.
Race effort prep: By regularly practicing tempo runs during your training, come race day your body (and mind!) will know that it’s an achievable task. You’ll be experienced in the speed that’s right for you, and know just how long you can push–also known as your threshold pace.
How do I do a tempo run?
Alright, so you’re convinced of the benefit of a tempo run. Now how do you do one?
Tempo runs are best used after you’ve built up a bit of a running base. Meaning, don’t plan this as your first run after a 6-month hiatus! Your middle distance run (usually midweek) is a good day to plug in this workout.
After a dynamic warm-up and some easier miles to get loosened up, it’s time to get your game on. Finding the right tempo pace might take a little bit of experimenting, and it depends a bit on the distance you’re training for.
Remember, we’re aiming for a 6-8 effort out of 10. If you’re training for a marathon, you can stay closer to a 6 out of 10, whereas a 5k or 10k runner might push closer to an 8 out of 10 effort.
Frequency:
Every type of tempo run (and intense speed work in general) doesn’t fall into the “more is better” category. Don’t be tempted to include speed work in every single training session, or you might quickly find yourself burnt out or injured. Rather, one good quality speed session per week can reap great benefits.
More experienced distance runners can include a second speed session in their training week such as an interval workout, but it’s not necessary in order to see improvement in your speed and efficiency.
Sample tempo workouts:
Let’s get you started with two options for a tempo workout:
Tempo run workout:
This workout is great for practicing at the higher end of that 6-8 RPE range.
10 hip circles, each leg clockwise and counter-clockwise
10 active pigeon stretches, each leg
10 bootstrappers
10 burpees
10 air squats
4 rounds of squat walks
Then for the tempo intervals, you’ll run:
5×5 minute intervals at 7-8/10 effort. Think about your 10k race pace to get an idea of the effort.
Jog for 90-120 seconds between intervals.
Finish with another mile or two of easy running.
Sustained tempo workout
For a different type of tempo workout, you’ll complete one sustained tempo effort of 30 minutes. Your effort will be closer to 6 out of 10 so you can keep the same speed the whole time, avoiding starting faster and slowing down as you go.
We have plenty more training tips and programs for you! From injury prevention to full race distance plans, check out the Training Club, our subscription service to a full library of tools and plans to help you become the runner you want to be.
