YOUR Marathon Guidebook!

Introduction

This guide is going to help you reach one of the greatest goals in sports: finishing a full marathon race.

Us humans have been running long distances since we became bipedal and we’ve gotten rather good at it. Incidentally, though, it’s exceptionally rare that someone can run for 42.195 kilometers or 26.2 miles without any preparation whatsoever. Without wasting any time, we’re going to tackle that topic in this book and get you to that finish line.

You’ve got a bit of work ahead of you, but trust me, it’ll be worth it!

I’ve seen a lot of runners train for and then complete their first marathons, and they all agree: It’s super tough but, even more so, highly rewarding to cross that finish line. So congratulate yourself for taking the first step today! By reading these lines you’re already on a path towards this unforgettable achievement, this milestone of a lifetime.

But first, you’ve got to ask yourself a question.

Don’t worry, no judgments here. Listen deep into yourself when answering this one pressing question many people get asked when chasing such a seemingly unnecessary, strenuous, maybe even egotistical goal: Why, though?! WHY?

Yes, on the surface, it’s hard to comprehend. The number of humans who haven’t done and never will do a marathon run is far greater than the number of those who have. And at first sight, there’s no visible benefit to finishing a marathon race. What’s it good for?

Still, there’s this interest, or this unexplainable urge within you, isn’t it? You may even have an exact answer to that WHY in your head already, or maybe you can’t quite put your finger on it just yet.

Try and find out. Again, no judgments, no shame.

• Are you trying to prove something to someone, to yourself maybe?
• Are you looking for admiration or respect?
• Is it that you think pursuing a healthy lifestyle would help your happiness and/or longevity?
• Are you trying to cultivate a new identity, moving away from being “the lazy one”?
• Do you want to improve your perceived credibility, be known to be someone who doesn’t just talk but literally goes the distance?
• Are you just curious if your body can handle it and how it feels, in an experimental way?
• Do you want to find out if that mind over matter saying is actually true?
• Experiencing a midlife crisis?
• Planning to propose to your spouse?
• Would you like to boost your self-esteem, to build more confidence?
• Tick that one thing off of your bucket list because you feel like you should do it?

All those reasons are valid. And there are certainly more.

Don’t let anyone give you a hard time when you state this new goal of yours or your reasons for chasing it if you have any. It’s a positive goal, no matter what the motivation behind it is. You can have a reason, but you don’t need one. “Just because” is perfectly fine, too.

Finishing a marathon race is a tangible goal, but goals are just tools.

Goals help us to guide our immediate actions towards improvements.

Setting this goal will make you run regularly and possibly take care of your health in several other ways, too, and that’s where the main benefit for you will actually come from.

As a quick reminder that you’re definitely on the right path, here are a few of the known and proven benefits of regular running:

1. Improved heart health: lower risk of heart disease, a leading cause of death.
2. Lower blood pressure: prevents many diseases and improves kidney and eye health, among others.
3. Improved cholesterol levels: keeps the arteries clean and reduces risk of heart attack and stroke while improving circulation and reducing inflammation.
4. Increased metabolism: helps to maintain a healthy weight.
5. Stronger muscles and bones: optimizes bone density, reduces the risk of osteoporosis.
6. Stronger joints: wear and tear from running has been disproven, running actually strengthens the joints and reduces the risk of arthritis.
7. Enhanced lung function: more lung capacity and efficiency, improved respiratory health.
8. Boosted immune system: helps the body fight off illnesses more effectively.
9. Improved gastrointestinal health: helps to regulate bowel movements and improves digestive health.
10. Reduced anxiety and depression: by releasing endorphins and serotonin, running helps alleviate symptoms.
11. Stress relief: reducing the cortisol levels to act as a natural stress reliever.
12. Cognitive benefits: memory and attention are boosted, risk of neurodegenerative diseases decreased.
13. Better sleep: more restful and restorative sleep.
14. Improved mood: the release of endorphins can lead to feelings of euphoria (“runner’s high”)
15. Increased self-esteem: achieving goals and maintaining exercise routines boosts self-confidence.

16. Social interaction: running with friends or in groups provides a community feeling.
17. Increased longevity: studies have shown that regular runners have a longer life expectancy.
18. Lower risk of diabetes: running helps regulate blood sugar levels.
19. Cancer prevention: helps reduce the risk of cancers such as breast and colon cancer.
20. Improved quality of life: the cumulative benefits contribute to a higher overall well-being.

Whatever it is you are trying to achieve, along the way you will learn so much about yourself, get healthier, see the world and yourself with different eyes and experience a unique emotion you might have never felt before: You’ll feel what it’s like to take aim at a seemingly crazy task, work at it regularly, and succeed in the end. You’ll be crossing the finish line at a full marathon race.

It’s something to tell your grandchildren about.

(Granted, they might not get it or even think it’s lame, but you will remember what it was like for a long time.)

Hello Dear Reader, My Name Is Tim Teege.

I have been running marathons for many years, over one hundred in total. As part of my EU Challenge I ran the official capital city marathons of all then 28 EU countries, as well as a bunch of ultramarathons, countless half marathons and shorter races, and triathlons of all lengths up to the infamous iron distance of a consecutive 3.8 km (2.4 mi) swim, 180 km (112 mi) bike ride, and a full marathon at the end. Several times. I even got a bit lucky to have managed to come first place in a few of the races. For way over a decade now, I have been writing about running on my blog at www.teesche.com, which has a global audience and receives lots of positive feedback for which I’m really grateful.

Sports haven’t played a role earlier in my life. I was never a particularly athletic kid and started to take up running in my mid-twenties only. And I have met many people who have started a lot later and are faster than me still. The point is, I’m nothing special. No huge genetic advantages here.

I am one of those people who don’t believe a thing somebody says until I’ve seen it for myself. That’s not always the wisest way to go, I know that, but it’s also how I have possibly made every single mistake you can make in preparing for and during running a marathon race.

Which, in retrospect, was perfect preparation for writing this guide.

As you might imagine, a person with my experience often gets asked for advice on how to train for a marathon. I always have some answers ready, so the smart thing to do is put what I know into writing to have a cheat sheet ready to point to whenever someone asks for my help. This might be the reason you’re currently reading this. Hi!

I do love helping people achieve their running related goals, so if you find yourself at an impasse and need some personal advice about something that’s not covered in this book, I welcome your email or message.

So what’s the objective here?

I am going to help you run your first marathon, yes. That’s what it says on the cover. But there’s more to it. In fact, there are several ways to run a marathon. At least as many as there are reasons for doing it.

My goal is to make you fit and smart enough so you get to enjoy that first marathon run of yours. I want you to cross that finish line smiling and remembering the day fondly until the day you will stop remembering things.

It’s inevitable that it will feel tough at points, that you will go through motivational lows during training and during the race itself. That’s just bound to happen.

Nothing in life follows a linear upwards trajectory without any dents. Embrace those, they are part of it! Without lows, there are no highs. You could even argue that the tough times are what actually make the achievement great.

A bit of suffering makes it more worthwhile in the end, that’s just how our brains are wired. Let’s use that to our advantage!

But, there’s another hidden objective.

You may have noticed, I’m writing “your first marathon” a lot. If all goes well and I do this right, your first marathon run won’t be your last. You might make it a tradition, a regular and continuous hobby which brings you joy. Maybe regular half marathons are going to be your thing, maybe you’ll dive into the triathlon or ultra trail running world as I have. It’s all good. It’s both an end in itself and a means to an end: to keep being fit and healthy and feel good doing it. Both elevates your mood and enriches your life.

Because that’s the end goal: living a good life.

In this guide, we’re going over all the most important points you need to know in order to start chasing that marathon finish. Feel free to skip around, but getting all the information into your brain will surely give you a head start.

Here’s what I’m going to explain, chapter per chapter.

1. Motivation
2. Starter’s Gear
3. Training
4. Your First Race
5. Improving Pacing, Speed, and Distance
6. Nutrition
7. Racing Gear
8. Mental Preparations
9. History of the Marathon
10. Race Day: Your First Marathon