The Boston Marathon brings together thousands of runners who earn an entry to the coveted event by meeting rigid qualifying times based on age and gender in runs held across the nation. This year鈥檚 event takes place on April 15.
A panel of faculty experts from the College of Health Professions and Sciences, many of them accomplished long-distance runners themselves, share what it takes to prepare for 26.2 miles and discuss some of the new trends and technologies competitors are using to prepare and compete.
What kind of running regimen should be followed to prepare for a marathon? Training for this distance has unique demands in terms of how to fuel and hydrate the body as well as developing a successful training regimen, says Peter Buffington 鈥�12DPT, 香港六合彩开奖结果 Physical Therapy Clinic director. He has run 17 marathons, including six Boston Marathons, and has already qualified for the 2025 Boston Marathon.
For most prospective marathoners, training will take four to six months, Buffington says.
鈥淎 runner must figure out how to increase running velocity (through speed work) and to maintain that pace even when their legs have a significant amount of fatigue,鈥� he says. 鈥淔or many runners coming to the marathon from a shorter distance, this means extending their long run to 2.5 to 3 hours.鈥�
Buffington says one training technique is 鈥渟low running,鈥� which places an emphasis on running slower on easy days, coupled with adequate recovery, to ultimately improve speed.
鈥淪ome experts use the analogy of a sponge: people are better able to 鈥榓bsorb鈥� the training when running at a slower pace on the day or two after a fast session,鈥� he says. 鈥淭hose easy miles serve a purpose: they allow for less stress on the lower legs which, in turn, allows a runner to withstand an overall higher volume of training.鈥�
Aside from running, what other physical preparation is needed?
Get your body checked out before you start training, sports medicine experts say. An examination from a physical therapist can assess joint range of motion, muscular strength and muscular flexibility to identify any asymmetries or weaknesses and help prevent injuries. Carey Rothschild, a clinical associate professor in the Division of Physical Therapy, says core and hip stability are key components of running, and strengthening them is essential to support the demands of marathon training.
鈥淩unners want to run, not strength train,鈥� Rothschild says. 鈥淏ut for longevity in sport, the body鈥檚 tissues must be robust and resilient to withstand the demands of marathon training. Ultimately, the runner should complete functional strength training a minimum of two to three times per week to maximize muscular capacity.鈥�
Common exercises Rothschild recommends for runners include plank variations, hip abductor and extensor training, calf and foot muscle exercises, and variations in squats, deadlifts, lunges, and plyometric activities. A long-distance runner for more than 30 years, Rothschild has completed the Boston Marathon eight times.
What鈥檚 the latest gear and tech runners are seeking to improve performance? 鈥淭he advancement of wearable technology allows runners to get multiple streams of real-time physiological feedback beyond heart rate, step count, and even GPS,鈥� says David Fukuda, professor and chair of the Division of Kinesiology. 鈥淭hey can track or even recommend appropriate intensity zones or monitor indicators of fatigue and metabolism through blood or sweat samples. This information can also be used to assist with decision making during training or competitions.鈥�
鈥淲earables such as Garmin watches, Whoop armbands, Oura rings, and others are providing more feedback about recovery and sleep, measuring things like heart rate variability and respiration rate, which give a runner data that indicates how well they are recovering,鈥� Buffington adds.
鈥淩ecently, elite runners have been trialing super light, single use shoes which may improve performance due to their extremely light weight and propulsive construction,鈥� Rothchild says. 鈥淭here鈥檚 no consensus on the ideal shoe type for runners. Many shoe types exist and ultimately must be comfortable for the runner at first try. The best shoe for a runner will be based on individual foot structure and gait pattern.鈥�
VO2max tests, short for maximum oxygen uptake, used to be just for elite athlet