Training
There is a huge amount of advice on how to best prepare for the Great North Run on their official website. Effective training begins with making sure you are following the correct training plan for you. Your starting point will depend upon your previous experiences, your current fitness level and also your work and family commitments. It is essential you start from where you are now and build up gradually. Be realistic about your starting point, if you take on too much, too soon, it will become unmanageable, your body will break down and you'll open yourself up to risk of injury.
Building up
Even if you come from a good level of fitness, trying to build-up too quickly will certainly get you injured. Running is a repetitive activity that involves your foot hitting the floor repeatedly with considerable force. The reason why experienced runners can handle such high levels of training is because they have taken years to get there. Your body adapts slowly to new stresses and a product of regular running is that your bones will harden and become more resilient to the new forces. So fit people beware: your engine (heart & lungs) may find it easy – but after a while your legs won't.
Rest and repair
Rest days are essential, the natural thought is that you get better when you train hard. While that is not altogether untrue, the reality is that your body actually gets fitter while you are resting. During hard exercise, your body gets tired, waste products build up and energy levels fall as you have used up fuel - you are technically less able than before you started training!
If you continued the same level of activity over several days, you would become progressively more tired and eventually you will breakdown – either with injury or illness. However, when you stop and rest your body starts to repair the damage, which it will do to a higher level than before as the body recognises a need to adapt to the new stresses that you're subjecting it to.
Consistency
A regular training pattern is more important than any one session. There is a cumulative effect from training regularly which is not achieved by doing all your training on one or two days each week.
Energy
Your training is done to encourage physiological changes in your body – one of these is the ability to use different forms of energy. The most efficient energy source is glycogen – basically a sugar stored in the muscles. This will last for about 1 ½ hrs of fairly rigorous exercise – like running.
After that has gone the body learns to use fat for energy – which we all have a big supply of. The problem is that the body does not convert fat to energy very efficiently, although it can be improved by doing runs over 1 ½ hrs.
Nutrition
A healthy diet and fluid intake are essential. Your body burns carbohydrate for the energy you need to make the muscles move, it also needs protein to help it recover from the damage done by hard exercise and it needs vitamins and minerals to maintain its health. So what you need is a good balanced diet. Make sure you are taking in adequate carbohydrates. If you are taking in a lot of fruit and veg, yet still get colds you may need to look at vitamin supplements – but they are not essential if your general health is good.
Hydration
Fluids are essential. Even on a cold day you will lose a lot of liquid through sweating – if this does not get replaced your body cannot function properly. So make sure you keep hydrated. During exercise you should drink to thirst to avoid over hydrating. When training for less than 75 minutes, water or an isotonic drink are adequate. If training for over 90 minutes, consider using an energy drink to keep your glycogen levels topped up.
Be kind to your feet!
One of the simplicities of running is that you can do it right from your doorstep and whilst there are many technologically advanced pieces of kit out there, the only essential piece of kit you need is a good pair of trainers. During your training, and on the day of the Great North Run, your feet are the thing that will make your race successful or unsuccessful and will also be the deciding factor in whether your experience is enjoyable or torturous.
Choosing the right footwear
Get the right shoe to match your running surface. Road running, track running and cross country all require a different shoe. This may mean owning more than one type of shoe depending on what type of run you have planned. Depending on how serious you are, you may also have a racing shoe specifically for racing.
Know your pronation type. Essentially pronation refers to the way your foot rolls when you walk and run. Most people are neutral runners but if you over or under pronate, without the right support, it could lead to knee and hip issues so get your gait checked. Also bear in mind that your running style will change as you become more efficient so regularly recheck things to make sure you are in the right shoe for your running style.
Look for a shoe that is lightweight and breathable but, at the same time, make sure it is up to the job. When training for a half- marathon you need something a little more substantial to help absorb some of the impact but, at the end of the day, you are going to be wearing your shoes for many miles so the lighter the better. Let the shop assistant know you are training for the Great North Run.
The most important thing is that your shoe fits properly and is wide/long enough so your toes can move freely. The more you run, the more your feet will expand so to ensure your feet have enough room to move around, consider buying your trainers half or a size bigger than your regular shoe size.
Go shoe shopping at the end of the day or after a run when your feet may be slightly swollen. Also be sure to wear the same socks you will be wearing during your runs. This can make a huge difference in how the shoe fits. Try on both shoes. Your feet may not be the same size! Most reputable running shops will also offer gait analysis to help you find your ideal shoe.
Barefoot running
Barefoot running is a personal choice and needs careful consideration. If you have never tried it before, get some advice as this isn't for everyone. Always begin with a slow transition from your normal trainers to minimal footwear.
Further information
There's plenty of further information available via the internet from other reputable sources, such as this Half Marathon article in Runner's World here. The Army Benevolent Fund accepts no responsibility for the advice given above. It is given simply as a starting point for your journey; your personal training plan will need to be individually tailored. If in doubt, please seek professional guidance.
