Tips & Guides

Training Tips

Equipments

Shoes:

• Your running shoes should always be comfortable.
• Your feet should feel supported without any areas of pinching or rubbing.
• When shopping for a new pair of shoes, go in the afternoon when your feet are at their biggest.

Clothing:

• In warm weather like in Kuala Lumpur, use shorts and shirts specifically designed to wick away moisture from your body. Stay away from cotton tees and avoid nylon shorts.
• Most of your body heat escapes through your head, so if you choose to wear a cap make sure it’s light and it allows heat to escape.

Training

• Set up your daily training plan and be aware that your body needs adequate rest

Physical training stresses the body, and during recovery it adapts. Without rest and recovery, there can be no adaptation. The definition of rest is different for every runner. For the highly trained, it may be simply 30 minutes of easy running. For others, it may be a day completely off from training. Nevertheless, rest should be programmed into a training plan and adhered to. This allows the athlete to recover completely from workouts, and to train hard when it is time to train hard.

• Avoid over training and listen to your body

Many injuries are a result of over training: too much intensity, too far a distance and advancing too quickly. It’s important to pace yourself when adding mileage or intensity to your training regime. A safe incremental regime would be to increase your weekly mileage by not more than 10% each week. But everybody is different. If you are unsure, it is always important to seek a sports physiotherapist or sports physician for advice on how to plan your training.

• Train in a group

Running with a group is one of the most effective things an athlete can do to help his or her training. Everyone has a day when they are sluggish and need the encouragement of a friend during a workout. At some point in time you will likely repay the favor by helping out that friend. Team running is great race strategy, but be careful that the group does not get too competitive and all of a sudden racing the workout. Sometimes it is essential to select a person who is a good judge of pace and effort to control the tempo of a run, especially of a long run. Don't race the workouts.

• Prevent injuries and be aware of the importance of stretching

Do choose to run early in the morning or early evening when the weather is not too hot. Proper hydration is essential to your peak performance and avoiding rapid deterioration in your speed, strength, cramps and heat stroke during your run. Stretching is important for prevention of injury as well as to improve your dynamic flexibility which is essential for athletic performance. It should be done after a warm-up such as slow jogging until you sweat mildly. It should be done before and after your exercise. Do not overstretch and remember to stretch gently and slowly to the point of tension.

• Nutrition and drinking

Carbohydrates provide the fuel runners need. During marathon training, 65% of your total calories should come from carbohydrates, particularly complex carbohydrates. 10% should come from protein (you need 0.5 to .07 grams per pound of your body weight each day). 20-25% of your total calories should come from unsaturated fats. Be sure to get the nutrition you need to keep you strong and allow for adequate recovery.

Start drinking before and also during the marathon to prevent severe health risks which are common when you are under drinking and running under the hot sun in Kuala Lumpur. During pre-training and marathon training, weigh yourself before and after each run and get your body weight back to the weight it was before the run by drinking water or sports drinks within the first few hours after the run.