8 Mistakes to Training For a Marathon

It is easy to make mistakes when training for a marathon. It is a long process normally constituting at least 18 weeks. I have gotten wound up in the process and pushed my body too hard and found myself sitting on the sidelines. Here are eight tips to prevent you from getting injured while training for a marathon:

1. Increasing your mileage to quickly. Do not increase your mileage by more than 10 - 20% weekly.
2. Ignore warning signs of an injury and continue to train with pain. I kept running with a "nagging" pain in my right calf. I ended up not being able to run for over a month, going to physical therapy and taking hydrocodone.
3. No rest. You should rest at least one day each week.
4. Don't neglect a proper stretching and strengthening program. Due to the repetitive nature of running, muscle imbalances which cause injuries are common.
5. Don't wear worn-out or improperly fitting running shoes. You need to replace your running shoes every 250 - 500 miles.
6. Don't try to make up for a lost week of running by doubling your mileage next week, this is a very bad move.
7. Don't forget that cross-training with other aerobic workout activities can contribute to overall fitness and race preparation.
8. Listen to others but ultimately listen to your body and develop your own plan. Do not beat yourself up by training with friends who have a different fitness level, longer history of running, longer stride or much faster pace.

Any other mistakes that you have made training for a marathon?