Brinston Miranda, fitness expert & founder of Be Fit, explains how to get marathon-ready

 
What is the best time to run?

The morning is the best time for running—the heat is comparatively less. Second, the body is fresh from a six to eight-hour sleep. Performance comes only when you are fresh.

What are the problems that can occur while running in different seasons and how can one tackle them?

In summers, runners sweat a lot and lose a lot of electrolytes, which can lead to muscle fatigue, dizziness and nausea. Products like Enerzal replenish electrolytes lost in day-to-day training. One must drink plenty of water; a well-hydrated body can overcome the severity of heat and humidity. Another advice in summers is to drop the pace at the first sign of dizziness or nausea.

It is a common misconception that running in winter is harmful. However, cold air can aggravate the airways and make a run more challenging. Cooler air tends to be drier, so inhaling it can cause the runner to experience a raw, scratchy or burning feeling in the throat and windpipe. Some report a dry cough. Simply inhaling cold air while running won’t cause an infection, but a previous ailment might get exacerbated. It is better to start your run well covered with a pullover. A full-tights outfit will help maintain core temperature in your body and ear plugs will protect your ears from the chill.

In the monsoons, the only problem is that your clothes and shoes get wet and heavy. Avoid wearing cotton clothes that will become heavy and make it difficult to run. Dri-FIT clothing is the best in the rains. Wearing a windcheater will also give you some protection.

How does one choose the right shoe?

Shoes are tricky because if you don’t have proper shoes, running for 21 km or 42 km or the ultra marathons can get annoying and eventually painful. A gait analysis, your running form, your posture, your weight…all these should decide the shoe you buy and use.

Walk us through your training schedule for marathons.

The marathon training schedule is mostly divided into marathon season, pre-season and off-season:

Off season: There is more focus on strength training and dynamic exercises, which help runners remain fit and keep their exhaustion levels low. Circuit training and plyometrics [also known as jump training] improve running form, efficiency and, eventually, running performance.

Pre-season: Hill runs and interval runs build endurance and enhance the performance of a runner.

Marathon season: Building up mileage to make runners ready for their 21/42 km is paramount. Distance running and speed reps are key workouts for six weeks before the marathon. Two weeks before the marathon, you do ‘taper’ runs, where you reduce the volume of your weekly training mileage. Run only half the marathon distance you are training for, along with regular stretching. And the last week, you concentrate on the core, your form and flexibility with small runs. Flexibility increases the range of motion of your joints, improving performance and decreasing chances of injuries. A strong core means healthy posture, which will keep you invigorated and reduce chances of any soreness on race day.

What are the advantages of sand training over concrete? Are there other advantageous platforms?

Sand training builds more power in the quadriceps, hip, flexors, calves and gluteus muscles than a normal road surface. Soft sand running stabilises the muscles in the knees, ankles and feet. But excess running on sand might slow you down. Meanwhile, hill training is a natural form of training that will make you stronger because you are going against gravity. It activates more muscles in the upper leg. It not only taxes the cardio-respiratory system but focuses on the muscles that increase your endurance level. Running uphill is the best way to tone your lower body.

What role does yoga and meditation play in training for the marathon?

Yoga and meditation help you in various ways: they increase flexibility and mobility; create awareness about breathing; help increase your concentration and keep you calm by developing your mental strength.

Does the training intensity differ for different ages?

Age is definitely a factor. But more important is the person’s own endurance quotient and motivation. Compared to this, age is almost inconsequential. I have seen 60-70 year-old runners who have clocked lesser times than, say, a 30-40 year-old runner.

Does a training group help keep runners motivated?

Absolutely. In my group, youngsters are trying to keep pace with seniors. And seeing the gusto of the youngsters, the seniors push themselves. This physical joust keeps the competitive spirit alive. So yes, groups do help.

What are your pre-marathon ‘must-dos’?

Get lots of sleep, maintain proper hydration levels, eat a pre-marathon meal high on carbs—oats, potatoes, rice, pasta, banana, oranges, apples, quinoa. Stretching and warm-up are also must-dos for best performance.

Any tips during the run?

Every two hours, consume some form of fluid that will replenish your electrolytes and hydrate you, along with some easy carbs, such as oranges, bananas and dates.

How does one recover after a marathon run?

Immediately after the race, consume food high in carbs and protein and continue to do so every two hours. Rest the day after the marathon. The following two days, maintain a high-carb diet along with plenty of liquids, like juices. Slowly start with walking and stretching and move on to strength training for the rest of the week.

What are the most common problems faced by senior marathon runners? How can these be tackled?

The most common problems that senior marathon runners face are degenerative injuries; back pain, sore muscles; overuse injuries like runner’s knee, femoral stress fracture and tibial stress fracture.

Degenerative injuries can be tackled with a systemised training method; for example, by performing a mobility warm-up, you can increase freedom of movement in the joint capsule. For sore back or minor muscle pain, I start with basic stretching exercises focusing on the problem areas. The next day, along with stretching I include walking, which carries on for a week. The second week, we focus on strengthening the muscles before going on to heavy cardio in week three. My priority is always to rid people of their injuries first before moving to marathon training.

Overuse injuries are also pretty common in silver runners. These can be prevented with the correct running technique and by segmenting your training schedule. A common phenomenon is runner’s knee. Also known as patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS), this is the pain caused around the knee cap or patella. It can be caused by many factors, such as frequency of running, weakness in the thigh muscles or muscular imbalance. You can prevent it by maintaining good quadriceps strength, and lower limb stability. A three-week strength training programme will help.

Silvers with a history of cardiovascular disease have to train with care; especially smokers. The best advice there is to stop at the first sign of breathlessness or tiredness. Start with a recovery week; stretching, walking and then running at a slow pace. If the previous distance for the week was 50 km, in recovery week, the maximum distance to cover would be 20 km. The other alternative is to put them back into strength training.

Photo: Haresh Patel
Featured in Harmony — Celebrate Age Magazine
November 2017