As marathon season approaches, there's no need to cancel your BMF membership to fit training in. Here, we'll guide you through your training, alongside BMF, with the expert help of David Hellard from the British Military Fitness Race Team:
So marathon season is upon us, hurrah! Hopefully by now you're in the swing of running a few times a week. Do not fear if you are not - our BMF marathon training plans, for all abilities, will help you reach your goals. By combining your running with BMF classes you will improve your leg strength, core stability and reduce the risk of injury, which translates into faster running.
The plans are designed around alternating intense sessions with slower days involving BMF classes. The temptation will be to push yourself 100% in BMF, but the intention is that you complete the classes at a jog, instead of running, which is why you can often choose to be in a lower colour group than usual. The classes are to help build strength rather than aerobic fitness. The one exception being Saturdays when you can go all out, but listen to your body; if you are feeling very drained, drop down a colour or swap your class for a slow jog.
16 weeks is a long time. You will get tired, you might even slow down after 6-9 weeks when your mileage increases and your body is still adjusting, so don't lose faith, it's normal. There are 100's of small factors to research and consider and I'll be back next month to go into more detail. Until then, make sure you run your slow days slow, try out some gels or shot bloks and book in your half marathons.
ABOUT DAVID
British Military Race Team member, David, is a championship marathon runner, with experience of over 20 marathons from Afghanistan to Sierra Leone. He is an official pacer for the London Marathon and writes for magazines including Runners World, Men's Running and the Guardian Running Blog. For a more detailed breakdown of David's marathon training you can read his blog.
Any questions, I am here to help, so feel free to contact me through the British Military Fitness Race Team Facebook page.
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