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Should everyone run marathons?

Should everyone run marathons?

Also today: Sleep better before a big race with these tips

June 12, 2024

Minute 1: Not every runner should complete a marathon, and that’s okay

Here at Six Minute Mile, we take great joy in hearing about our readers’ running achievements. We aim to provide that final push of motivation and confidence you need to pursue your goals. However, we believe in a balanced approach, combining encouragement with caution. That's why today, we’re warning that marathons aren’t right for everyone. Not running a marathon doesn’t make you any less of a runner, and you can decide what’s best for you by hearing these “8 Reasons Why You Shouldn't Run A Marathon.” If your main objective is to maintain health, marathons might be counterproductive. The 26.2 miles puts immense stress on your body, potentially leading to blisters, aches, and fatigue that could hinder your training progress as you recover. Furthermore, there’s no unique health benefit tied to the marathon distance. You can achieve similar improvements in cardiovascular health, endurance, and mental wellness by incorporating long runs into your training — runs that don’t necessarily cover the full marathon distance. Of course, races can be an excellent tool to motivate you and keep you focused on a goal, but there are plenty of other race distances worth trying. Here is how to set the right “Running goals: choosing the right race distance.” If you consider yourself a hybrid athlete who feels just as at home in the gym as you do on the road, then a 5K could be the perfect distance. If you still want to focus on endurance, a 10K or half marathon could be the right fit.

#HealthOverHype

Lumen measures your metabolism with a single breath

Minute 2: Sleep better before a big race with these tips

A race isn’t won or lost on the day of competition. Rather, the way you perform is the culmination of the weeks and months of preparation you’ve undergone, and the most important day in your journey just might be the day before your event. That’s where many athletes like to unwind to ensure they’re fresh for competition, but pre-race nerves can get in the way. Lucky for us, we read some excellent advice from the folks at Training Peaks, so if you “Can’t Sleep Before a Race? Try These 3 Expert Sleep Strategies.” Their first suggestion is to look at the big picture. This isn’t the first race you’ve run, and it won’t be the last, so don’t treat any single event as a make-or-break moment in your journey; a race can always be a stepping stone to bigger and better things. Similarly, there’s a lot more that impacts your performance than one night of sleep. Assuming you’ve been training, eating, and sleeping well in the lead-up to competition, you can rest easy knowing one poor night’s rest won’t wreck your potential. Next, TP recommends mental reframing strategies to keep the anxious thoughts at bay. Some athletes have found success with meditation, including Champion climber Natalia Grossman: “How Champion Climber Natalia Grossman Is Prepping For Paris 2024.” By meditating, journaling, and vocalizing her concerns to friends or her sports psychologist, Natalia is able to keep her cool while climbing in competition. Despite sounding very simple, meditation isn’t always easy for beginners, which is why you may want to consider these “3 Tips for Actually Enjoying Meditation, According to an Instructor Who Used To Hate It.”

#CalmBeforeTheCourse

Daily Performance Greens Packed With Clean Ingredients

Energy to Run On

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Are you looking to improve on that 10k or half marathon time this fall? Start your summer strong by adding Daily Greens to your morning routine to help yourself get to that PR. Fueled by powerful adaptogens like, L-Theanine, and Ginseng to enhance your mental strength and focus. 1 box contains 28 on-the-go packs so you can always be prepped for that extra boost.

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Minute 3: You don’t need running gels to fuel on the go

Last week, we put on our detective caps to get to the bottom of a running gel controversy. You can read all about it in Minute 5 of this issue, but it got us thinking, are there other ways to get energy on the go? We weren’t the only ones who’ve been curious, and one runner put things to the test in: “I Replaced Running Gels with Real Food and This is What Happened.” A running gel replacement needs about five things, says author Mallory Arnold: Carbs, electrolytes, compact size, ease of digestibility, and good taste. With those criteria in mind, she narrowed down her options to white bread with honey, a sweet potato, cereal, a banana, or dates. Sure enough, white bread with honey was Mallory’s top pick. She described it as boring but effective, and we imagine it feels a lot less silly than carrying an entire sweet potato with you on your run. While we’re on the topic of foods to support your running, we should mention these “12 Ways to Add Protein to Smoothies.” Oftentimes, athletes use supplements like whey powder to fulfill their protein needs and support muscle growth. However, you can get a larger variety of nutrients by sourcing protein from whole foods, and that’s why some nutritionists recommend adding Greek yogurt, tofu, peanut butter, and other ingredients to your shake.

#BreadForSpeed

Minute 4: Starting a new exercise plan? Give it three weeks to feel better

Mark Twain once said that “the secret of getting ahead is getting started.” For runners, the beginning phase of your training can be thrilling, but it’s also one of the hardest parts of the process. Whether you’re starting for the first time, or coming back after a layoff, it can be hard to build up momentum. If that’s something you’ve struggled with, you should understand that “The First Few Weeks of Exercise Are Often Excruciatingly Painful — Here’s What’s Actually Causing It.” Researchers have found that it takes about three weeks for our bodies to change its reaction to exercise stimuli. At first, our bodies are doing the bare minimum to repair damage to muscle tissue. That’s why recovery can feel slow, and pains like “delayed onset muscle soreness” (DOMS) are common. After three weeks of consistent work, however, you may experience a shift where your body goes from simply handling the stress, to overcoming it through increased muscle growth. Furthermore, runners’ hearts begin increasing in size, and our plasma volume grows to adapt to our increased oxygenation needs. That’s when the real fun begins, but until then, you may want to use these “5 top tips to beat DOMS after a workout at home.” It can be tempting to lie down and rest whenever your muscles are sore, but don’t take your R&R too far. That’s because increased circulation can allow your muscles to get the nutrients they need to repair, so some light activity can go a long way in speeding your recovery.

#ThreeWeekPeak

Ride the Hudson Valley with Bike New York

Minute 5: Quick Intervals

Among all the bad habits a runner can have, using shoes well beyond their prime might be the most common. Oftentimes, we don’t even realize what we’re missing until we finally step into a fresh pair and remember how comfortable they can be. If you’re guilty of letting sneakers overstay their welcome you should pay attention to these “5 signs that you need new running shoes.”
Earlier in this issue, we covered some options to keep you energized during a run, but that’s only half the battle. Especially in the summertime, when we’re sweating a lot more than usual. It’s days like that when it’s a good idea to have some of the “6 Expert-Recommended Foods That You Should Eat to Boost Your Hydration” on hand. Included on the list are things like melons and cucumbers, which contain plenty of water themselves, making for a refreshing and low calorie snack to keep you on track.
Like we said in Minute 1, running a marathon can take a lot out of you. Don’t get us wrong, though: anyone who feels they’re up for the challenge should go for it. Just don’t feel like the job is done once you’ve crossed the finish line. From there, it’s your responsibility to give yourself every advantage you can while recovering, and to learn how to do that, you can read this article from Polar: “From Finish Line To Feeling-Good: Your Post-Marathon Survival Guide.”

Minute 6: Daily Inspiration

Runners, never quit on your hips. They’re vital for maintaining proper form, and if you’re struggling to get full range of motion or experiencing pain due to tightness, we’ve got just the video for you. It comes from physical therapist Sam Caddick, aka @sjc.physio, and he’s got four movements to develop hip rotation, lateral hip control & hip flexor strength so that you can grow stronger and more flexible than ever. They go beyond a lot of the most obvious and common hip exercises we’ve seen too, so it’s one video you won’t want to miss.