2018 Cleveland Marathon Training Post 1

2018 Cleveland Marathon Training Post 1

I mentioned earlier in the month that I was lucky to be chosen to be an Ambassador for the 2018 Cleveland Marathon. With the race being in May, I knew I had a few weeks to cross-train and work on some base mileage.

As much as I like training for a race, I kind of like doing what I want as it provides more flexibility with my schedule. My wife and I have two children (both under 18 months), so I don’t always get a ton of sleep, which means running can sometimes be tough. There are days when I like to wake up and ride the bike and there are days when I like to get up and run. Not having a set schedule allows me to listen to my body and maximize the spare time that I have. Unfortunately, training for a marathon requires discipline and some kind of structure.

Race Discount: Save 10% off any Cleveland Marathon race or challenge with coupon code SLONGCLE10.

I am looking forward to putting together a training plan to get ready for the 2018 Cleveland Marathon. I like the tough speedwork sessions and enjoy the long runs that are part of the training process. It’s always great to see how you improve as training progresses.

Below is a list of the activities that I have been doing for the past month or so to cross-train and build base mileage so that I can begin Cleveland Marathon training next month. One thing that has been tough here in northeast Ohio was the weather. We had a stretch of days where it was around zero degrees, which meant that the treadmill and I became pretty good friends. I like running in the cold, but when the real feel is below subzero, I will usually stay inside.

Activities to help prepare for Marathon Training

1. Dry January. Yep, no drinking this month. My wife and I had our second kid at the end of November so I took a bunch of time off of work and all I did was help my wife, entertain our other son, rode the bike, and would end up having a few beers at the end of the day. It was nice to have time off around the holidays but found myself drinking way more than I normally do. Side note, I love beer so this was kind of hard for me to do.

2. Less running. After running the Indianapolis Marathon last fall, I took a break from running. I was injured last year and struggled to make it through training which led to a less than ideal race result. With the addition of our second son, running took a backseat in terms of priority. When I did start running again after a break, I would run every other day and mix in other exercises. To make a long story short, starting to run again this year was a little rough, especially on a treadmill. As much as I love the Sole F65 treadmill we bought last winter, nothing beats running outside.

Image courtesy of Sole Fitness

3. TRX. Last winter my wife bought me the TRX suspension training system. For those who don’t know what TRX is, it’s basically two straps that are suspended from a door or ceiling that uses your bodyweight as resistance. Not only is TRX easy to setup, but its versatile and fun to use. I’m not a huge weight room guy and this is a great alternative. TRX has a great app that makes it easy to learn the different exercises. If you are looking for an alternative to weights, give this a try. There are a ton of videos on YouTube if you want to see how it works.

4. Cycling. It’s hard not to like a sport that is fun, challenging, and easier on the body than running. With that said, cycling is one of my favorite things to do. All you need is a bike, a smart bike trainer, and a Zwift account to ride indoors any day of the year. Zwift is an app that allows you to cycle or run with others in a video game fashion. This is great when you live in northeast Ohio during the winter months. I currently use the Tacx Vortex Trainer with my Cervelo S2 road bike. Having the flexibility to ride when I want was great during the time I was off during the holidays. For the few days it warmed up, I rode my Surly Pugsley. Love that fat bike.

Related: See Tacx Vortex Trainer

5. Improved diet. I figured that if I was drinking less, I should probably eat better as well. One thing that I continued to do was to drink smoothies mid-morning packed with fruits and veggies. I used to work at Vitamix so I have learned how to make a variety of smoothies. Once you figure out the right combination they are really easy to make. My favorite part is that cleaning the container is easier than making the smoothie. I usually make green smoothies packed with some fruit, spinach, and broccoli.

Related: See Vitamix Green Smoothie recipe

How do you prepare to get ready for Marathon Training?

Leave a comment or contact me if you have any questions about my preparation for marathon training.

About the Cleveland Marathon

The Cleveland Marathon is in its 41st year and is one of the top 50 oldest marathons in the US. During race weekend Cleveland hosts between 15,000-18,000 runners and walkers in addition to thousands of spectators.

The Cleveland Marathon is on Sunday, May 20, 2018 at 7:00 a.m. The full marathon, half marathon, and 10k all start at this time. Plan to arrive around 6 a.m. to allow yourself plenty of time to park and get ready.

If you haven’t registered yet, you should! I promise you won’t regret it. Hope to see you all in May.

Use coupon code SLONGCLE10 to save 10% off any Cleveland Marathon race!

Register for Cleveland Marathon