There is much more to a healthy marathon than just the running bit. You need a holistic approach which takes different elements of health into account. There’s nothing worse than getting ill or injured and missing weeks of training when you’ve got a great goal you’re heading towards. As the Wellness Expert for the 2026 TCS London Marathon, tasked to speak about how to stay well during marathon training at the Meet Our Experts event, I decided to present it as a puzzle. You need all these puzzle pieces firmly in place to keep healthy and well while you are pushing your body to new limits.
Here are the essential puzzle pieces:
- Training plan. You need the right plan. Read my previous blog about how to choose one that fits you. If your plan progresses too quickly, is too intense or doesn’t have step back weeks you’re at high risk of overtraining, wearing yourself out or getting injured.
- Nutrition. Alongside learning how to fuel your race, you need to fuel your training too. You need enough energy for the increasing amount of running you’re going to do but also for your body to carry out its usual functions such as supporting your digestion, hormonal health and immune system. If you under fuel and are energy deficient for any length of time, the cracks will show. Nutrient dense foods will give your body the building blocks it needs to repair and strengthen your muscles, bones and connective tissues as you progress in your training.
- Rest and recovery. A crucial piece of the puzzle. It’s not when you run that you get fitter, it’s when you recover. Skimp on this and you will pay the price. Read my previous blog about how much rest runners need. Keep checking in on yourself. Marathon training is tiring but it’s easy to get to the point where you are just plain exhausted. Never be afraid to take a day off.
- Illness and injury prevention. If you have the other three puzzle pieces in place, then this one will take care of itself to some extent but there are two important things you can do:
• Wash your hands! Simple handwashing can help to reduce the risk of picking up simple germs like diarrhoea bugs (30 per cent reduction) and upper respiratory infections such as colds (20 per cent reduction).
• Strength train. Yep, runners want to run but adding two sessions where you work on basic strength moves such as squats, lunges, planks and balancing on one leg will really benefit your running and reduce your risk of injury.
I remember my first marathon and I honestly didn’t know any of this. It took trial and error and getting it wrong to find out what I needed to do to stay well. It can be a fine balance to achieve. Of course viruses are all around and accidents happen so you can never be 100 per cent confident but control what you can control and put yourself in the best position you can. Grab the puzzle pieces and start putting them together.
Featured image from Pixabay
