MENTAL TRAINING
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Listen to your body
Unless the coach who developed the training programme has a crystal ball, there is no possible way to know anything at all about you – apart from the fact that you’ re a runner planning on completing an event. Only you know when your body begins to ache, or when you’ re waking up tired and fatigued. You know when you’ re getting sick or when you’ re heading for an injury. You know when your body is not handling both the training load and other outside stressors. You know all these things because your body tells you, so learn to listen to your body.
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Make it your own
Unless the programme already comes in an editable spreadsheet format, start by opening a blank spreadsheet and retyping the programme. Next, insert your planned long runs and races – most programmes for the ultras will have suggested time frames for a qualifying marathon – and adjust the training in the weeks leading up to and following these long runs and races. With just these few adjustments you’ re individualising the programme to your own needs.
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Rest and Recover
This leads on from point 1: You know your body. Determine if the rest and recovery scheduled in the programme is adequate. If not, adjust by adding additional recovery days where you feel you may need them. You can also move rest and recovery days around, but always remember that a hard day should be followed by a recovery or rest day. Allow for some flexibility in each week’ s training so that you can listen to your body when it’ s calling for additional rest.
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Keep it up!
Following a programme often keeps us motivated and helps us to listen to the body and overcome the mind. The mind says things like,“ It’ s too hot! Maybe I should rather just run tomorrow.” Whereas the body says,“ I’ m exhausted, and if you don’ t rest now, I’ m going to force you to rest.” All you have to do now is stick to the programme, and that should help you achieve the goals you’ ve set for yourself.
MARATHON RECOVERY ESSENTIALS
In the build-up to the Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon, all entrants need to run a qualifying marathon, and to get the most out of your performance – and the best possible qualifying time – it’ s important to give yourself some down-time after conquering the 42.2km distance.
We often disregard the toll a marathon places on the body. Think back to the last marathon you raced, and how your body felt during and after the event. Keep in mind that your body changes significantly during a race. Blood is redistributed from the internal organs to the muscle tissue, rate and depth of breathing increases, and the heart is enlarged as a greater demand for blood is required. We also develop muscle damage over that distance, which lasts up to two weeks after the race. Many runners start to feel better when the pain disappears a few days later and think they’ re ready to get back to full training, but rushing back is only going to delay the full recovery process.
Physiological Holiday
It’ s important to ensure that you give yourself adequate rest following a marathon – you’ ve put your body through so much, now give it a chance to heal and you’ ll be back on the road in no time! Start by stimulating blood-flow into the damaged muscles to aid recovery: After a few days of complete rest, massage, light swimming and short walks will help get the blood flowing. of recovery and easy training to ensure better recovery. A typical recovery week after a marathon should look something like this:
Race day
Day 1 – rest Day 2 – rest Day 3 – rest Day 4 – light sports massage Day 5 – short, easy run Day 6 – rest Day 7 – easy run and foam roller massage
The Reverse Taper
Tapering for a marathon involves drastically cutting weekly mileage while increasing intensity the closer we get to race day. So, if our peak training week is 100km, then Week 3 prior to the race will be 70km, Week 2 will be
35km and Week 1 almost nothing. A reverse taper is pretty much the same thing, but without the higher intensity runs: Your first week after the marathon would consist of full rest days, with one or two very short runs and some massage. Week 2 would include three or four easy runs and massage, Week 3 could have five easy runs( a little longer), and by Week 4 you could resume normal training.
The most important is to listen to your body: If it is telling you to rest, listen! The consequence of ignoring those warning signs often comes in the form of injury or illness. As marathon season approaches, be wise in the marathons you choose to do. Think about what you’ re going to be putting your body through and make sure recovery and rest are part of your programme!
The recovery required is dependent on how hard the marathon has been raced. Even if the marathon simply forms part of your training for the bigger stuff, allow a few days
We hope all the training advice here helps you as you continue prepare for the 2026 Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon or Half Marathon. While some of this info is aimed specifically at training for an ultra marathon, many of these tips are just as relevant for those runners preparing for a half marathon.
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