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Saturday, August 13, 2016

How To Prepare For San Antonio Half Marathon

By Susan Cox


Making it to a finish line during a race depends on your strength and accumulated training. This is because running is a muscle intensive activity and therefore the body needs to be prepared well. One of the ways of getting accustomed to running is by carrying out frequent physical exercises. Consider the following tips as you prepare to participate in San Antonio half marathon.

As a runner, your ability to cover several miles during an actual race depends on how frequent you train. One of the parameters that you can use to assess progress as you train is mileage. This parameter entails the maximum distance an individual can cover while running. Try setting mileage targets and surpass them as you train. For example, you can set a mileage target of five miles per day.

Increase the mileage slowly as each week passes. The more mileage you cover during training, the more your body adapts to running long races. Choose a training plan of about fourteen weeks. If it is your first time to participate in a half marathon, choose a longer plan for your body to adapt well to the training.

Training plans vary in length as well as content. The length is based on how frequent you run every week. Choose plans that match your fitness level and availability. For example, if the plan requires you to run every day and you have other commitments, choose a different one. Running several miles every week is good for training but it can also increase chances of injury.

There are numerous ways of increasing the running pace during training. You can carry out warm up workouts such as press ups to stimulate and prepare your muscles before you start running. When running, you can increase your speed slowly for this enables you to inhale oxygen needed by the body to generate energy.

Cross training is another useful technique that you should adopt before the half marathon day. This involves performing lightweight exercises during your off running days. Exercises such as swimming, cycling and using an elliptical machine can optimize your physical fitness. These exercises also target the upper and core parts of the body hence helping you to maintain good form and fight fatigue when running.

Join a group training program to optimize your physical fitness. The training group should be led by a competent coach. Preparing for a race with your friends can make you more responsible for your training sessions since you will not afford to miss any of them. Friends can also encourage you to train harder and this can enable you to fight off fatigue when participating in a running race.

Research on the race before it begins to be familiar with where it is hosted and how it will be conducted. In most cases, information about half marathons is usually available on the internet. Browse the web to determine the venue of the race as well as kind of energy drinks that runners will be given. Never consume a sports drink you are unfamiliar with that is given in the race. Assess the topography of the venue where the race will be hosted to determine if there are hilly slopes on its race tracks.




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