There are some 800 marathons held annually around the world, with some 250 marathons held annually in the USA alone. And only some 1 to 2% of the population has ever run a marathon.

If you have decided to run a marathon but do not know where to begin, then here are seven marathon running tips for you.

Tip #1 – Expect to train for several months for your first marathon.

Here is a secret unknown to most non-marathoners: The marathon is not the marathon. In other words, the true marathon is the months and months of training that go into preparing for a single morning of running. If you have never run the distance of a marathon, you must build your endurance, and you do this through several months of training.

Tip #2 – Join a group training program.

There is nothing like a group training program to teach you how to train for a marathon, to give you opportunities for long training runs with hydration and nutrition support beyond what your hydration belt can hold, and to stimulate a sense of accountability to others that will motivate you to persist through months of training.

Tip #3 – Register as soon as possible for your marathon.

Many marathon websites make it look as if you have a several-month time window during which to register. The reality is that many marathons now fill so quickly that you should register as soon as possible for yours. To be sure, plan to register within a couple of hours of the opening of online registration. Yes, registration can be that competitive!

Tip #4 – Follow advice from experienced marathoners.

Listen to experienced marathoners for advice. One of the best pieces of advice is simple: Do not change anything on race day from what you were doing, using, wearing, or eating in the weeks leading up to race day.

Tip #5 – Take care of yourself.

Be good to yourself. If a pain persists, then get medical attention. If advised to rest, then rest. Watch your weight so that you know that you are staying hydrated. Find foods that nourish you — both on the road and after long runs.

Tip #6 – Get inspiration.

Read books such as 50/50, which was written by ultramarathoner Dean Karnazes about his completing 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days. Watch DVDs about marathons and ultramarathons. Ask coaches what inspires them to run marathon after marathon.

Tip #7 – Expect that your first marathon will be a success.

The word “success” is very subjective. No matter what success means to you, daily visualize the end-result that you desire. For example, if success to you means a 5:30:00 chip-time, then take a few minutes daily to visualize yourself crossing the finish line with 5:30:00 displayed on your chronograph.

What tips do you have? Please leave a comment here. Thanks!

The head coach for my group-training program made me remember this expression last weekend.

We were about to embark on our final run of the training season prior to an upcoming marathon. And she advised us not to try to cram any last-minute speed work into that run or into weekday outings before the race. Her point was that there was nothing that we could do a week before such a race to significantly improve our chip-times. And she warned us that we could instead hurt ourselves at the last minute by cramming speed work into the end of the training schedule.

I found this to be great advice, and it reminded me of the title of this blog post.

Spelled out, this means that the event is not the true test of a runner or walker but instead that the true test is the “marathon” of preparation that must be pursued prior to the race.

Here are three areas of preparation, the first letters of which spell C-A-N — as in “You CAN do it!”

Cross-training

The marathon is the weeks of cross-training prior to the race. You must answer questions such as these:

• “Am I stretching sufficiently and correctly?”
• “Are my core workouts giving me the strong torso that I need?”
• “Is my weight training building the leg and arm strength that I need?”
• “Are my off-day sports activities complementing my running or walking?”

Apparel

The marathon is the weeks of adjusting what to wear during endurance walks or runs. You must answer questions such as these:

• “Are my shoes the right ones for my gait?”
• “Are my shoes the right size for my feet?”
• “Am I lacing my shoes appropriately?”
• “Are my socks keeping my feet blister-free?”
• “Are my shorts or tights chafing me?”
• “Is my top right for me in terms of fabric and fit?”
• “Is my cap or headband keeping sweat out of my eyes?”

Nutrition

The marathon is the weeks of adjusting what to eat and drink before, during, and after endurance runs or walks. You must answer questions such as these:

• “Can I handle any eating or drinking before my endurance run or walk?”
• “If so, what specifically, and how much, should I eat or drink before my endurance walk or run?”
• “How soon into my endurance run or walk should I start drinking?”
• “How soon into my endurance walk or run should I start eating?”
• “What should I eat and drink during my endurance run or walk?”
• “How much and often should I eat or drink during my endurance walk or run?”
• “Am I sufficiently hydrating while on my endurance runs or walks?”
• “What should I eat and drink after my endurance walk or run?”

What is your marathon before race day? Please leave a comment here. Thanks!

It can be real madness to buy a running or walking shoe that you have never worn from an online store.

©iStockphoto.com/inhauscreative

If you still are shopping for a Christmas gift for that favorite runner or walker, then here are some last-minute gift ideas:

• 12 Great Gifts for the Runner in Your Life
• Top 10 gift ideas for runners
• Gift ideas for runners
• Christmas Gift Ideas for Hikers and Walkers

Now get off the computer so that you can go get that gift!

Merry Christmas!

Okay, maybe running or walking is still cheap for you, but it is not for me.

While out on a training session with my wife the other day, she looked at everything that I was wearing and joked about how runners used to require only a pair of shoes, a pair of socks, and running shorts.

Perhaps that is all that you require for your runs, but I certainly use a lot more gear than that today.

And I suspect that many SpryFeet.com visitors depend on a lot more gear, too.

Check my list (in U.S. dollars), and see whether you would make a similar list:

$ 160 -- GPS wrist-unit
$ 130 -- running shoes
$ 115 -- compression tights
$ 100 -- polarizing sunglasses
$  80 -- compression top
$  35 -- hydration belt
$  35 -- pedometer
$  20 -- interval timer
$  20 -- wicking cap
$  20 -- white-LED clip-on headlamp
$  10 -- red-LED blinker
$  10 -- cellphone case for hydration belt
$  10 -- wicking socks
------------------------------------------
$ 745

All of this can be used on a single walk or run (e.g., one that starts in the early-morning dark and ends in daylight, which is the way that my Saturday sessions nearly always go).

I know many runners and walkers who wear orthotics, too, so you might want to add that to your total.

If you have more than one training session during the week, then you probably will have multiples of some of the clothing (at least the socks), so that adds to the total, too.

And the above list does not mention consumables such as electrolyte/protein drinks, energy-boosting foods, and sunscreen.

You also may want to consider after-the-walk/run gear, such as a towel and stretching mat, in your total.

Beyond all of this, if you run or walk in cold weather, you have to add gloves and so on.

So you might want to add the following to your list (beyond the above costs):

• orthotics
• multiples of some clothing
• after-session gear
• cold-weather gear
• consumables

These “extras” could push the total closer to $1,000.

To  be clear: I am NOT complaining about these costs.

After all, I am always looking for anything that will help to prevent injury or to improve my performance.

But I find it interesting how the pursuit of fewer injuries and better performance has led to all these costs.

What costs did I overlook? Please leave a comment here. Thanks!

I ask this question because of something that I saw last Saturday.

I was at the expo for the San Antonio Marathon the next day, and the Rock ‘n’ Roll folks were selling finisher shirts.

I bought one, but I also had an odd feeling about it.

After all, I had not even started the marathon, let alone finished it.

I was sure that I was going to finish, I liked the design, I knew that this was my only convenient, in-person opportunity to buy such a shirt, and I wanted a long-sleeve technical shirt, which I had never had.

But I also joked with my wife that it was a bit odd to be able to buy this ahead of time.

After we made the purchase, I had a bigger realization: Anybody could have entered the expo and bought one of those finisher shirts.

That’s right: You did not have to even prove that you were participating in the marathon or half marathon to enter the expo and specifically to enter the clothing retail area.

Here are a few arguments in favor of selling finisher shirts before a marathon:

1. It is perhaps a free-speech issue in that any retailer can sell shirts with anything (or almost anything?) printed on them.
2. A finisher shirt can inspire a buyer-participant with integrity to finish.
3. Practically speaking, many participants are not in any mood to go shopping after the race.
4. Unlike a race medal or an online database of finishers, a finisher shirt is not proof that one has completed a race.
5. In the USA anyway, colleges and universities all the time sell T-shirts, sweatshirts, and other apparel with their logos emblazoned on them.

But, regarding that final argument, college and university apparel usually does not indicate that the wearer is a graduate. Instead, most people understand that academic sportswear often simply indicates that someone is a fan of the associated college or university.

In contrast, a finisher shirt directly implies that the wearer has finished the race.

What do you think? Do you no longer trust your eyes when you see someone wearing a finisher shirt? Or do you figure that anyone who has not finished a race but wears one anyway is only doing harm to himself or herself? Are the Rock ‘n’ Roll folks (and, presumably, others) cheapening the significance of finisher shirts? Or would “Let the viewer beware!” be your advice to anyone who is bothered by this?

Please let me know what you think by leaving a comment here. Thanks!

When I blogged about Vibram FiveFingers shoes, I did not appreciate the depth of the movement toward barefoot walking, barefoot running, and “barefoot shoes” (as many people call them).

Then I learned about and blogged about the Nike Free 5.0, and I realized that Vibram was not the only shoe manufacturer interested in combining the benefits of barefoot walking or barefoot running with the benefits of shoes.

My latest find is a Popular Mechanics article titled “Barefoot Running and Shoe Companies“.

That’s right — Popular Mechanics — as in the magazine that I used to devour as a boy who liked to take apart door locks, build Soap Box Derby cars, and so on.

The article refers to Boston Marathon participant Rick Roeber, who publishes BarefootRunner.org and has been featured on KMBC-TV Channel 9 News running barefoot — in the snow!

The Popular Mechanics article also talks about what is called the “22-12 solution” — a standard shoe-industry practice of putting 22 millimeters of material under the heel and 12 millimeters under the forefoot — and whether this paradigm for ultra-marathoners, who tend to run more on the forefoot.

I recommend that you read the entire article and come to your own conclusions about barefoot walking, barefoot running, and so-called barefoot shoes.

And, if you want the perspective of proponents for barefoot living, then you might want to visit LivingBarefoot.info, too.

After you have done your own research, please leave your comment here. Thanks!