Page 22 - April-June 2024 Edition

are in effect running 35km a week. Without any pain stiffness or injury. Your muscle and every 5 km, run your routine 5 km 4 x a week then rest 2 days and do a 30. I advise train for a
metabolism are now ready for serious running. Let’s assume you want to run a marathon inside marathon by doing 30 km twice, 3 times if you have the time, 2 weeks apart in 3 hours 30
6 hours. So we train for 5 hours so no pressure on the day. Do serious runners need serious minutes with 2 days rest either side. You must always continue the normal routine of 4 x 5 km a
running shoes? You’re not an elite athlete going for the olympics you’re running very short steps week. The second or 3rd 30km attempt should be 2 weeks before the marathon. I don’t advise
about 6 kph, light infantry marching speed. I buy the cheapest shoes that are comfortable training over any further distance as over 30 is stressful. No special diet, no special foods, no
and fit. If I make any choice it’s the lightest. high cal drinks, your body knows how to create enough fuel, it’s been preparing for this for 3
months. Before your marathon run your 5 km 4 x a week then rest 4 days before the big day.
You know you can do 30: you’ve done it twice and the extra 12 isn’t anything new and you’ll
find it easy. Normal breakfast, finish at least an hour before the race, and have a dump. I know
from embarrassing experience there are no toilets half way on the Kampala marathon! Use
your watch, resist the temptation to go faster, aim for 10 km in 70 minutes, allowing stopping
every 5 km to go very slowly for a minute while drinking 500 mls.

IS RUNNING MARATHONS HEALTHY?
One marathon is fun. One a year is fun. I’ve done 50-mile races, 33’s, 30’s and standard
26-mile marathons, I’m built that way. If you’ve run a marathon in 3 hours great but I don’t think
it’s healthy to keep doing it and aiming for faster and faster. It invariably damages joints, it
releases cortisones, and elite athletes die young. Those who run 35 to 40 km every week as a
routine 5 or 10 km a day are relaxed, live long healthy lives. If you find a 10 km easy then run
10 km 4 times a week like I did getting to work. Even running 30 km every now and again if it’s
easy might be good for you: but stress isn’t. Marathons are stressful, do them occasionally but I
think the obsessive who do them over and over should think again. If you simply hate running
try triathlons. Or buy a dog and go for long walks.
NOW LET’S GET YOU RUNNING A MARATHON
Run an extra 5 minutes out so you are now doing a 30 minute run, but reduce to once a day.
Start to stretch out, running a bit faster, a bit longer stride, but not enough to be breathless.
Each day you will run a little bit further in 30 minutes. If no pain no stiffness, then measure 5km.
Either 2.5 out 2.5 back or a circuit. Then run it slowly and it should take about 40 minutes. Next
aim in week 4 is run only 6 days a week but get breathless. Bring your time down to 30 minutes
for 5 km. Any stiffness twinge or pain means you’re overdoing it and go back to gentle jog until
it’s boring and easy. Once you can run 5 km in 30 minutes you’re a runner. Do it 6 days a week.
It should still be easy, no pain no stiffness, and you’re still doing 10 press-ups 10 sit-ups a day. If
that’s your goal then job done: reduce to 5 days and enjoy your new-found fitness. But if you
want to run a marathon in June you’re only half way there.
Training for a marathon from nothing can be done in 3 months. You are now running 5 km 6 x
a week, and we keep up that background fitness by running 5 km 4 times a week and working
harder one day. You can’t grow new blood vessels any faster but you can start seriously working
on glycogen and lactic acid metabolism. Your body can store enough glycogen to run from
about 15 km up to half a marathon, but then you “hit the wall”. Your body will burn protein in an
emergency but that’s not possible for long either. You have to burn fat: not slowly all night long
replacing your glycogen stores, you’re already doing that from the second week. You have to
burn fat while you’re running: a whole new metabolic system that is normal for all elite athletes,
they all turn fat directly into energy as soon as the stored glycogen is used up.
www.freepik.com/free-photo/athletic-man-participating-cross-country_20283163.htm">Image by freepik</a>
So once a week run at the same speed but a greater distance. Start with 4 x 5 km and 1 x
10km. Rest the next day. If you want to run a marathon in 5 hours then you need to run the 10
km in 70 minutes, which includes 1 minute slow down to drink every 5 km. It’s actually quite
slow: it’s just a bit faster than your old 2 and a half k in 20 minutes speed. So, run 10 km in 70 CONTACT THE SURGERY
minutes once a week plus the 4 x 5. After 3 weeks run 15 km instead of the 10. You might 2 Naguru Drive, Naguru, Kampala Reception Numbers: +256 312 256001-3 / +256 772 756003
experience “hitting the wall” at 13 or 14 km but probably not. Rest the next day. Finally, in week reception@thesurgeryuganda.org / administration@thesurgeryuganda.org
5 or 6 try a half marathon: rest the day before, run 21 km in 2 hours 25 minutes with 4 drinks Emergency Numbers: +256 256 312 256008 +256 752 756003
stops. You’ll hit the wall but you’re now a runner and run through it. For the next 2 weeks go nurse@thesurgeryuganda.org thesurgeryuganda.org @TheSurgeryUganda (f)
back to 5 km x 4 and 10 x 1. Now it’s time to try a 30. Choose a nice easy terrain, water stop

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