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Off-Season Marathons: Good or Bad Idea?

Thursday, 20 November 2014 00:10

Your guide to whether you should tackle 26.2 this winter.

By Jene' Shaw (triathlon.competitor.com)

Training for a marathon can be a motivating way to get through the darker months, but given the high risk of injury and need for downtime after a full racing season, it’s not appropriate for everyone. The guidelines below will help you determine whether you should lace up your sneakers, or just relax and do some yoga.

It’s A Good Idea If …
»   You have experience with continuous high-volume training.

»   You’re burned out on multisport and looking for a new focus....

»   You ended your season feeling healthy overall and have no history of overuse injuries.

»   Your bucket list includes qualifying for Boston or running a specific marathon.

»   You’re on a long-term plan for your first Ironman.

Coaches weigh in: For athletes who tend to take the off-season a little too seriously (as in park it on the couch for three months and gain 15 pounds), a marathon could be the key to staying committed. “Training for an off-season marathon can push athletes to increase run volume at a time when their focus may be wandering,” says Melissa Mantak, the 2010 USAT National Coach of the Year and owner of The Empowered Athlete.

Coach Jared Gell of Competitive Instinct Multisport says marathon training helps some of his athletes transition to run training after a season of juggling three sports. “It keeps the endurance base high, instead of sitting around until December to start preparing for that mid-summer Ironman,” he says. “Doing the run-specific block also allows for a heavy focus on the swim and bike early, and maintenance on the run through the base phases.”  READ MORE