Being a physio for 10 years I’ve treated my fair share of people taking on a marathon and have

always been ready to give as much advice as I could but have neve had the experience to fully

understand the full demands of a training cycle and then the battle of the event it self.

That all changed this year when I decided to take on the challenge myself and see if I could

practice what I preach. So these are my top take aways from the experience

1. Get a program

I can’t express the importance of having a structured program enough. Whether you download a

free one, steal a mate’s or sign up with a coach it is an absolute must. The reason this is so

important is that a program will allow you to increase your runs at the correct rate and also help

you with pacing and speed work which are super important in running. One of the biggest

problems I see in the clinic is people increasing the kms too quickly or increasing the intensity

too quickly which both lead to an overload or injury and then require time off.

2. Get strong

Runners are notorious for skipping doing any exercises to keep strong and one area I see

where anyone can improve. It can be the difference between finishing a marathon and can also

make the fast even faster.

3. It is better to be 10% under prepared then 1% over

Life happens, we get niggles, we get sick, work gets busy. All these things happen and it’s

important to not stress about missing a run or two you can still get on track and pushing through

these things are more likely to get you injured and needing more time off.

4. Nutrition is king

The other major issue I see in the clinic is people not practicing race day nutrition early enough

or just enough in general. This can be make or break on race day and hitting the wall is a real

thing in endurance events like the marathon.

It is also important to be fueling yourself well throughout your training blocks to help with

recovery and getting enough calories in to help with the miles.

5. Shoes make a world of difference

Finding the right pair of shoes for you not only decreases your chances of injury but will make

running so much more enjoyable. Always try on multiple shoes to see what feels best for you

but also get someone that knows what they are talking about so they can recommend the right

shoes for your foot type and guide you on your way. For this I cannot recommend The Running

Company enough, the team is super knowledgeable for all your running needs.

6. Invest in yourself

This can be done in multiple ways whether it’s physio, yoga or massage it is super important to

check in with your body and see how things are tracking. You’ll catch niggles before they

become problems or areas that need more attention as the miles ramp up and keeping you

training smart.

It is never an easy task to run 42.2km but its a super worthwhile challenge that will push you to

your limits.

If you have any further questions or want to talk more about anything above get in contact matt@balanceinmotion.com.au