Couch to marathon: How to train in 12 weeks

With the marathon season around the corner, even couch potatoes can train for shorter runs at the Delhi Half Marathon in November.

I had a dream last night that I was running in the park, the morning sunshine on my face and the dewy air filling my lungs.

Halfway through my flight of fancy, I realised that it had to be a dream because I have never, in all my experiments with the gym, been able to run.

But a quick search on the Internet tells me that if I keep at it for 12 weeks, I could be fit enough to run six kilometres.

Another search serendipitously points out that it’s just in time for the 6K Great Delhi Run at the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon, which will be held on November 23 this year.

While the 21 km-long half-marathon can take up to six months to train for, a person who leads a largely sedentary lifestyle can realistically aim to run 6K in 12 weeks. 

“Unlike the half-marathon, almost anyone, from any age group can train for the 6K run,” says Sudipta Dubey, head trainer and owner of New Delhi-based Als Fitness Centre. And when one can train with fun and easy apps via the smartphone, there are hardly any excuses.

These come with walking and running training programmes that are easy to follow and can even track calories, inches and weight loss patterns.

But there are certain health conditions that could prove hurdles in the training programme.

“Any neurological conditions, high blood pressure and other chronic illnesses make it necessary to get a go-ahead from a physician,” says Dubey. Suman Agrawal, nutritionist and founder at Selfcare India, insists that Vitamin B3 and B12 tests are essential before one begins training.

“These tests are important to check for nerve-related problems, cardiac health and overall fitness levels,” says Agrawal.

Get, set, download

A quick search on Google Play Store or the Apple iStore will point you to several apps that can help with your running goals.

The most popular of these is C25K, which started as an online programme. Couch-to-5K is an 8-week programme that begins with a 1-minute jog and 1.5-minute walk routine, for a total of 20 minutes.

It requires you to follow the running routine three days a week, with a final goal of being able to run five kilometres at a stretch. Most training programmes are a variation of the C25K programme.  

RunKeeper is a great app if you’re running outdoors. It uses your smartphone’s GPS to track the distance you’ve run and gives an estimate of the calories you may have burned.

The app also lets you keep scores with friends who have it installed on their phones, which can be a great motivator.

MyFitnessPal is the perfect way to stay true to your diet and exercise plans. With a large database of most packaged foods and even popular Indian recipes, you can keep tabs on your calorie intake.

It subtracts the calories from your daily quota when you put in your exercise routine for the day. With constant reminders to log your food, it becomes a little hard to nibble on that muffin at work, at least without feeling guilty.

Eat, lunge, run

Dubey suggests that other than a jog-run routine, it is important to strengthen certain muscle groups in the body that can help you run better.

“While training for a 21K marathon is much more vigorous, you still need to do compound exercises like squats, chin-ups, push-ups and lunges to make sure your muscles are strong enough for the run.”

She also suggests that most of these exercises are not gym-dependant, but to avoid injury, it may be better to follow the regime under supervision, even if it is from a running buddy.

Agrawal suggests that a balanced meal plays a key role in keeping the energy levels up during training sessions. “I would recommend a diet that contains 20 per cent fat, 20 per cent protein and 60 per cent carbohydrates for beginners.”

She also says that on the day of the marathon, 6K-runners should have about 30 grams of glucose in 200 ml of water just before they start running.

“If you drink this earlier, it will make you want to rush to the loo,” says Agrawal.

This should be followed with a pouch of Enerzal, about 20 minutes into the run. “Runners must also remember not to have fruit right before exercising. This makes them lose all the good bacteria in their stomach.”

Pain, no gain

SKS Marya, chairman of the orthopaedics department at Max Healthcare, recommends that any pain, besides the initial soreness, needs to be checked by a doctor.

“Some cramping is common, but if the pain lasts for more than 48 hours, makes you take more than two painkillers and causes problems with balance, it needs to be looked into.”

As for knee injuries, Marya says that a 6K run is fairly safe if you have healthy knees and no prior injuries. “It is a myth that running can put a strain on your knees. A half-marathon can do that, but you can do a 6K-run even on a pavement.”

He emphasises the need for a proper warm-up routine to allow the muscles to ‘wake-up’.

“The muscles protect your ligament, which protects the joints. So a warm-up is the first and most important step towards avoiding injury,” he says.

While age is not much of a factor, lifestyle diseases like diabetes make the muscle more susceptible to injury. In such cases, the disease should be managed before one starts training.