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How to run a faster marathon ? Learn from others!

Posted by Pascal Landshoeft

Jun 23, 2014 6:00:00 AM

 

How to run a faster marathon? Learn from others!


As you can read in my own "first marathon story" i could´ve done better on research and taking on board some advise from others. So that you not fall victim to the same mistake hereby some experiences of others. Five stories of five great individuals, who are all in the marathon club.

 

The flying dutch: Flo the Pro

Flo´s blog is a great resource for runners. Dutch, open to the world and very organised he expresses his love for running, photography and people. He chases storms, hands out jeans to homeless people, skates, runs a business with his girlfriend and runs ultras. You will find his "How i trained to run a sub three marathon", "How i trained to run my first 50 mile race", and "How i trained for my first 100 mile run" will help anyone with tips to avoid running injury and how to arrange your marathon training.

Jason the competitor 

Jason is a Marketing Manager at Percolate and writes his blog "The art of ass kicking" from New York, where he lives. A former gymnast suffering a severe knee injury he decided to run the San Francisco marathon. Jason used a similar plan like me, where you don´t run long distances and mix in some strength training . On race day he changed his strategy on short notice and duly faced the same challenges as me going the full distance. He struggled through the race after he hit the wall, but finally made it. He finished his race in 4 hours and 53 minutes and you can read the full account of his endeavours here. Big compliments on finishing the marathon while wearing supportive bandages for his knee.

Earth, Wind & Fire with Mary Dedaux

Mary Dedaux Swinton ran the Dallas White Rock Marathon after a knee surgery. She did 18 weeks of preparation and ran together with her husband and friend, only missed one of her long runs and felt well prepared until... well until the weather forecast changed. The wind and cold made her struggle during the 26.2 miles (42km), but in the end she made it. Marathonguide.com features many stories of first timers to get an impression what to expect when you are considering a marathon.

Bruce, Burgers and Marathons

Hannah Louise Summers, a fanatic lover of Burgers and Bruce Springsteen, decided to run the London Marathon 2014 for sharity. In her ten weeks marathon training schedule she got overtaken by scouts, ignored by other runners at Hyde Park and tried not to turn into a bore, who only lives for her sport. She hit the wall at 20 miles. First she thought she could never bring herself to love the training, but now she misses it. A very fun blogpost by an interesting woman who loves burgers and managed to raise 2600 pounds (currency, not weight...) with her run. Maybe you will see her in one of her lycra outfits around Hyde Park.

Joshua Becker the Philosopher

Joshua Becker lives the lifestyle of a minimalist and describes his experiences on his website and his blog becomingminimalist. He ran his first marathon in 4 hours and 31 minutes inVermont City and takes a very humble approach to running which really resonnates with me. He points out the good in people and how you can acheive more together rather than individually. See which 12 lessons he drew for life from his marathon exeperience.

Conclusion

It does not matter how old you are or where you come from. Running will give you more control over your life and help you gain perspective. The daily training makes you think about how to structure your day. A structured day will lead to happiness, just try it and you will see.

 

Further reading

 

Topics: How to run a faster marathon