(On Running) #2 The Three C's of Marathon Training
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| Marathon training in Winter 2026 |
Commitment
Signing up for a marathon is a commitment to your health and wellbeing. Training for a marathon is following through on your commitment.
By virtue of running multiple days a week, you are bound to become a healthier version of you. Depending on your goal (crossing the finish line, Boston Qualifier, personal record, etc.) your training will vary. Nonetheless, it is training all the same.
Your commitment begins every time you lace up your shoes to go for a run. Simply stepping outside becomes putting one foot in front of the other repeatedly for miles on end. When you complete each run, you become someone who follows through on their goals.
To maximize marathon training, your commitment must extend beyond simply lacing up your shoes. Prioritizing sleep, nutrition, and recovery are essential. Set consistent bed/wake times and stick with them, striving for 7-9 hours of sleep each night. Be mindful of what you eat, listening to your body and prioritizing carbohydrates before workouts and protein immediately after. Develop a stretching routine before and after each run, and consider buying a foam roller to aid in recovery.
Your commitment to yourself begins with signing up, but doesn’t end on race day. To truly reap the rewards of marathon training, your commitment must be to a healthy lifestyle for yourself, rather than doing one marathon and falling back into old habits. Growth is a process, not a destination.
Consistency
A co-worker once explained his philosophy for weightlifting to me. If he misses one day, no problem. If he misses two days, then his training begins to fall apart.
This isn’t necessarily about the physical difference in missing one day over two; the muscle losses are not substantially different. Rather, it is about breaking the habit, or the consistent commitment to his fitness goals.
Marathon training is no different. If you miss a 5 mile recovery run and instead decide to recover by reading your favorite book, then your training won’t be derailed. If you make the same decision the next day, and then replace your Saturday long run by watching the movie adaptation, then you are no longer prioritizing your training.
Despite this, marathon training should be balanced with other things that bring you joy. Block off 45 minutes before bed each night to read your favorite book. Schedule social plans with friends well before your bedtime so that you can maintain your sleep routine. Meal prep on Sundays to remove the stress of calculating your nutrition every day.
Consistency is about self-accountability. If you don’t show up for yourself, who else will?
Community
Running is something I enjoy immensely in solitude. Challenging myself to be better every day has been infinitely rewarding. I have noticed, though, that it is the community of running that keeps me coming back.
Before I ran the Vermont City Marathon in May, I asked an experienced marathoner at the run club I frequent for advice on my first marathon. His response was simple: pace yourself, and find a group to run with.
On race day, I went out the gate slowly. My goal was to sustain 6:29/mile overall, and I split 6:45 and 6:41 in Mile 1 and 2 respectively. Then, around Mile 3, I overheard someone say they were going for a sub 2 hour and 50 minute marathon, which was also my goal. Internalizing the advice I had received a few days earlier, I introduced myself and we began to run together. We split up around Mile 4, until reuniting at the top of the hill at Mile 7. After that, we ran Mile 7-15 side by side.
Mile 15-16 is when the marathon got much more difficult. My running mate took off, and I was alone again. I was on an island for the rest of the race, aside from the much appreciated cheers from my friends and family on the sideline. Despite their support, I inevitably fell off pace in dramatic fashion during Mile 20-26. Read more about my Vermont City Marathon race experience here.
Miles 0-15 felt breathless, though, and having community was a big part of that. Find people to run with: friends, family, partners, etc. Join a run club near you and incorporate those runs into your training plan. Consider logging your training on Strava to recognize your progress and that of others.
When I played soccer growing up, my coaches always used to say “the ball moves faster than you do.” Passing the ball in a soccer game is like running with others during a race. You are only as strong as the people who support you.
The Fourth C: Coalescing
As a school counseling graduate student, I learned of the Gestalt concept that “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” Marathon training is no different. To execute your goal on race day, you must make a commitment, stick to it consistently, and find a community to support you. Only then will the three C’s coalesce, to become something greater—living the lifestyle of a marathon runner.
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Ryan K. Beck can be reached at reflections@ryankbeck.com
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