The Hardest Things About Marathon Training (That’s Not Running 26.2 Miles)

What is the hardest thing about marathon training? Is it the weekly long run? Being hungry and tired all the time? Running when it’s dark and raining and cold and you really don’t want to run?

We all find different challenges during marathon training, but one thing that connects us all is how we overcome each of them, and how they all feel worth it when you cross the finish line and collect your medal.

🍔 BEING HUNGRY ALL THE TIME (BUT ALSO NOT EATING ENOUGH)

You’ve got to eat. Under-fuelling and being low on energy is the quickest way to ruin your marathon training. It’ll make everything feel harder and will significantly increase your risk of injury and illness.

Carbohydrates become the energy we use to run, and you need to eat lots of carbs. Learn the foods which work best for you. Plan the snacks that you’ll want to have. Make sure you’re getting enough protein alongside all the carbs. If you’ve got a big workout or long run planned then eat extra carbs the day before, and have a pre-run snack or meal.

If you’re struggling with fatigue or recovery during a marathon block then take a closer look at what you’re eating – there’s a good chance you need to increase the amount you carbs you have.

🧻 PLANNING YOUR RUNS (AKA POOP LOGISTICS)

Route planning is very important during marathon training, and for a lot of runners that means knowing where you can stop to use the toilet.

You know you’re a runner when you’ve got a collection of stories based on toilet emergencies. It happens to all of us. Just remember to put some extra toilet paper in your pocket, just in case.

🏃🏼‍♂️ THE WEEKLY LONG RUN

Each week you’ve got to do a long run. They increase from 12 miles, 14 miles, 16 miles, 18 miles… They keep getting longer! You’ve got to plan your week and your weekend around them. You need to plan good routes. Eat well before them. Take gels. And know that they don’t get easier because they keep getting longer!

But long runs are essential because they best prepare you for the marathon. They build up your strength and endurance, they make you more resilient both physically and mentally, and they let you know that you can do your marathon. It’s a weekly test that we get to overcome and whether good or bad, we either make progress or learn that we need to try something different next week.

Try to frame the long run positively. Do them in places you really like, or find people to run with you (or cycle alongside you). Approach them with excitement and not negativity.

Here’s Sarah on her longest run in training for the London Marathon.

😩 RUNNING WHEN YOU REALLY DON’T WANT TO RUN

There will be runs that you just don’t want to do.

It’s dark, it’s cold, it’s raining and windy, and you’ve got work and chores to do. But you’ve got to do the run. The best way to train for a marathon is to be as consistent as possible, so get your shoes on and go.

Know that doing these runs when you don’t want to will make you feel really good after. There’s something powerful about overcoming those negative thoughts and doing the run. You just won’t feel that by sitting on the sofa.

But also allow yourself some grace and be flexible. Reduce the run distance if you’re feeling too fatigued (or at least allow yourself to cut it short if you don’t feel better after 10-15 minutes). Go to the treadmill, or use a stationary bike instead. Swap the workout for an easy run. Consistency is crucial in a marathon, but so is flexibility.

🧺 ALL THE LAUNDRY

Three, four, five or six runs per week and a couple of gym sessions means a lot of washing. If you’re training in the winter you’ll be wearing more layers, which means double the laundry load. Get used to filling and emptying the washing machine!

🩹 BLISTERS, CHAFING AND LOSING TOENAILS

Some runners are blessed with blisterless feet (and all 10 toenails). Most of us are not.

Experienced runners learn what does and doesn’t work for them. They know the socks and underwear which is going to be most comfortable. They know when and where to apply anti-chafe. They’ve learnt the plasters they need to put on the sensitive areas. But often we learn too late and it’s only when we’re already sore that we realise we’ve got a problem.

Get ready for chafing in unexpected places: armpits, your lower back, your butt. Be extra cautious on hot days and rainy days as they come with greater risk of chafing.

🤢 FUELLING GONE WRONG

Nothing new on race day! And a big part of that is nailing your run nutrition, whether that’s gels, energy drink, chews or whole food.

The only way to know if something works for you (or not!) is to try it in training. And inevitably there are going to be some gels and foods which just don’t work for you and leave you feeling nauseous or grateful that you planned your route past a public toilet. While there’ll be other times when you might not take enough fuel, or may take too much. Training is about learning the best way for you.

Remember that it’s much better to deal with fuelling mistakes in training than during the race.

💰 THE AMOUNT OF MONEY YOU SPEND ON RUNNING

Marathons are expensive! You might start out just needing some running shoes but the more you run, the more stuff you want. A second pair of shoes. Some good socks. Better shorts. A pack or belt to carry things. Gels and race nutrition. A good running rain coat. Things to help you recover like a foam roller or massage gun. Open ear headphones. A watch to track your runs. Nice running sunglasses. New shoes for your race… Get ready to have a constant shopping list of running items that you want to buy.

🌅 EARLY MORNINGS AND LOST WEEKENDS

Goodbye lie-ins and goodbye social life!

Most of us are training around work and life, so we need to fit in the training when we can. That means early mornings, a lunch run then eating at our desk, running after work in the dark, and spending a few hours every weekend on your run, which comes with the knock-on to your social life. It means not going out on Friday because you’ve got your long run on Saturday, and skipping Saturday night out because you’re tired from your long run. Dont’ worry, tou can see your friends again when the race is over!

🌧️ RUNNING IN ALL WEATHER CONDITIONS

Unfortunately your training plan doesn’t know the weather forecast.

If your plan says you’ve got a 30 minute tempo run then that’s what you’ve got to do whether it’s freezing cold, there’s heavy rain and a headwind, or it’s the hottest day of the year.

Just make sure that you dress appropriately for the weather. Be careful on very hot days and adjust your effort. Don’t try to run fast (or even run at all) in dangerous conditions like ice, snow and extreme heat or wind. If it’s very windy then workouts can feel pointless as you can’t hit your paces, so it’s better to skip them. Consider shifting your week around to avoid really bad weather or head to a treadmill if you can.

Running in bad weather can feel miserable, but it can also be a lot of fun once you give into the conditions and just accept what you’ve got to deal with. Plus you never know what weather you’ll get on race day – if you’re used to running in the rain and you get bad weather in your marathon then you’re in a better place than a lot of other runners.

👙 FUNKY TAN LINES

A runner’s watch tan line is a mark of commitment to their sport. If you train in the summer and in sunny places then you’re going to have some interesting tan lines all over your body. The singlet, the sports bra, the sock line, the short line. And they’ll be there for months.

Also: Wear sunscreen!

⚖️ FINDING THE BALANCE TO IMPROVE

Every training block is about balance. Easy days and hard days. Running and rest. As we make progress and start aiming for quicker times the challenge becomes finding the right balance between pushing yourself to improve and trying not to push so hard that you get injured or overly fatigued.

There’s often a very fine line between success and failure here. Listen to your body. Notice the aches which don’t feel quite right. Ease back before you’re forced to stop. Equally know when you can push a bit harder in a workout.

🏋️ ALL THE STRETCHING AND STRENGTH WORK

You’ve got the warm up and then the cool down, plus there’s the flexibility, the mobility, a bit of yoga, a lot of foam rolling, some time with the massage gun, and then a couple of times doing strength work each week. There’s a lot of extra stuff to complement the running.

Strength is something you really should make time for. It can be challenging to fit this on, or to do it on tired legs, but do what you can. Even 15 minutes at home with bodyweight exercises or light weights can make a difference.

As for stretching and foam rolling, try to find a way to make it part of your routine. Do it for 10 minutes when you wake up each morning and before you make a coffee. Do it while you watch TV in the evening.

Also: for those who don’t manage to do their strength training comes the guilt of not doing it. Just try to get your squats done next week, or find a way to fit it into your weekly routine that feels manageable.

Here’s Sarah with a follow-along strength training video for you.

🤕 INJURIES, NIGGLES & WORRYING ACHES

You’re going to feel a lot of aches during marathon training. They could come anywhere and any time. It’s good to learn the difference between tired muscles and DOMS, and something more worrying that could be a niggle or an injury.

If in doubt, take a day off, run easy or cross train. Aches which increase as you run are a bad sign. Never run with discomfort which changes your running form. Always see a physio if you’re concerned about something.

This is part of marathon training. Most injuries come from overuse and strength imbalances, so manage your training volume well, recover properly (get enough sleep, eat well), and do your strength training. If life unbalances your running, then you need to reduce the running to find that balance again.

👎 THE BAD RUNS

There will be bad runs in your training. Some will feel laboured and tough. Some will see you fail to hit your splits. Some will need to be cut short because you aren’t feeling up to it. Often this will be down to fatigue, so consider a day off and try to focus on eating more carbs and protein for a few days to increase your energy.

Try to be analytical about the bad runs. Why did they feel hard? Have you had a few nights of poor sleep? Have you been eating and drinking badly for a few days? Did you have a hard workout or long run recently? Look back over your recent training and life and see what may have caused the bad run, and try to problem solve the issue – marathon training is several months of problem solving all the issues which come, and learning how to respond to them.

🤷 EXPLAINING ALL THIS TO NON-RUNNERS

Actually, a marathon is 26.2 miles. Yes, I did run for three hours on Saturday. Yes, I am hungry all the time. Yes, I am feeling quite tired. Yes, I am panicking about that ache. Yes, I am paying to do it (and it’s quite expensive). No, I won’t win. Yes, it does get boring sometimes but I listen to podcasts or just repeat my positivity mantras over and over for hours. Carb-loading isn’t actually as much fun as it sounds. No, I just plan my routes where there are toilets.

😴 BEING TIRED ALL THE TIME

As well as being hungry all the time, you’re probably going to be tired a lot of the time. Running is a stress on the body and it’s through sleep and food that we can best recover. If you struggle to get around eight hours of sleep a night then your training may be affected and you might need to add in more easy days or rest days.

It’s important to learn the difference between normal tiredness and something that’s more concerning and may suggest overreaching and overtraining. Normal fatigue can be refreshed by sleep and a day or two of rest and good nutrition, but if you feel more of a full body fatigue and mental fatigue then take a little more time off.

This tiredness may be especially bad after a long run. If you feel really wiped out after a run then prioritise recovery, and that begins with food. Eat lots of protein and more carbs than you think you need, and drink electrolytes. Honestly: you’ve depleted your glycogen stores and need to rapidly refill them. Think of this like a carb re-load. If you don’t do this then you may be wiped out for more than just an afternoon and it could knock into the next few weeks.

Here’s Sarah and Mark on overreaching and overtraining.

📉 TAPERING AND RACE WEEK

There are two types of runners: taper lovers and taper haters.

Taper lovers feel great relief that the hardest part of training is over and they can reduce their running and focus on recovery before the race.

Taper haters just want to keep on running. They want to do one more good workout. One more longer run. They want to keep all the feel-good running chemicals flowing around their body. And even though they know tapering works, they also know they’ll face maranoia and taper tantrums as phantom niggles tighten up their whole body.

Either way, this time heightens obsessions. The aches are more annoying. You’re checking the weather every few hours. You’re memorising paces, planning about how to get to the start line, counting the carbs. This can feel overwhelming for some runners so here are the Do’s & Don’t’s of Tapering.

But you’ve made it! You’ve got all the way through your training and you’re ready to go. Marathon training might be hard, but we get through it!

FAQS ON THE HARDEST THING ABOUT MARATHON TRAINING

How do you pace a marathon?There are lots of approaches to pacing a marathon. One of the best is known as 10-10-10 pacing. Run the first 10 miles (16km) slightly below goal pace. Run the next 10 miles at goal pace. Then push the final 10km and give it everything you’ve got left.

Do you need to carb load for a marathon?Yes! Eating extra carbs in the two days before a marathon is important to build up a store of energy for the marathon. Make sure you have a day of higher carbs before every long run.

What’s a good time for a marathon?The average finish time for amateur runners in a marathon is around 4:15-4:30. For faster runners, running a sub-three hour marathon is often the goal. But honestly, we all have our own goals and many of us have no time goal and simply aim to finish within the cut off.