THE LK BLOG
Welcome to
THE LK BLOG
Welcome to
So what’s it like to run a marathon? What would you need to accomplish such a goal? It’s possible with a good training plan, the right gear and some grit. How long does it take to train? Lots of questions today will be answered! I’ll break down how to accomplish your first or fifth marathon. Starting with the training plan I used, the treadmill I used, the nutrition and the gear. You can accomplish great things with the right guidance. You see runners seem to just know about these products that help tremendously, but as a first time marathoner I had no idea what I needed to accomplish such a goal. Years of advice are packed in to this 18 item marathon list! Let’s get started.
So how did I get started? Well I’ve been obsessed with my Peloton Bike ever for over a year now, the bike gives you a screen where instructors are guiding your through each bike ride. There’s somewhat of a cult following at peloton, the workouts are SO good. When you buy the workouts from peloton you get access to running workouts, yoga, bootcamps, etc. I came across the programs that they offered which are essentially a grouping of classes. I found a marathon training program and thought hey, if anyone can guide me through a marathon training program it was going to be these phenomenal peloton instructors. So I jumped in. The training program is 18 weeks long (4 1/2 months) which doesn’t really seem that long to think you will be ready to run 26.2 miles after just over 4 months time.
The classes each week consist of:
Day 1: Rest day consisting of a meditation
Day 2: Running: speed work
Day 3: Weight training
Day 4: Running: marathon pace work
Day 6: Weight training
Day 7: Long Run
Each class lasts about 30 minutes, the running classes do increase to 45-60 minutes toward the middle and end of the training program to build up your endurance. The long runs on day seven start with four miles in week one and build all the way up to 20 miles before the race. The increases seem gradual and doable, the instructors have this figured out!
The subscription to the app where the marathon training program lives is here https://apps.apple.com/us/app/peloton-at-home-fitness/id792750948 You can go the route I did and buy the peloton bike first https://www.onepeloton.com/bikes or (they have a treadmill but I havn’t tried this out) https://www.onepeloton.com/treads and you will get the programs included in the subsections. Use coupon code FT264C to get $100 off accessories when you buy the bike or tread
As a mom with little kids it’s not always easy to go on outside runs, I prefer to get my workout done in the morning while everyone is sleeping so I needed a treadmill to ensure I could get all my workouts in. I bought this treadmill 4 years ago when a friend told me how affordable it was and that she had trained for a marathon on it. This treadmill is BASIC, it literally folds up and can be stored in a really small space. It was durable and super affordable. If you like to adjust the incline a lot this isn’t the treadmill for you. If you want an affordable basic tread that you can put miles and miles of running on, this is the treadmill for you! Treadmill:
https://rstyle.me/cz-n/eqed2hczgmf
I have a warm weather training outfit and a cold weather training outfit. I wear these as much as a can while not working out too because ya know why not?! Lululemon is my go to, every item of clothing is so comfortable and lasts through hundreds of sweat sessions and washes. They still look brand new!
These shorts are the most comfortable shorts I’ve ever worn. They are comfortable on runs and weight training sessions, they aren’t tight, they don’t rub and are super lightweight. Shorts: https://rstyle.me/cz-n/enz8mbczgmf
These leggings make me feel like a million bucks, the material holds you tight and has a high waistband so they never fall down and give you an awesome silhouette, not that a silhouette matters much while running but they make me feel amazing when everything looks tight! Warm but not too thick so you can sweat and still feel good. Pants: https://rstyle.me/cz-n/enz8pwczgmf
This tank fits in just the right places, it’s contouring and so comfortable, the material is buttery soft. I could live in this tank. It doesn’t rub and stays in place while you run. Tank: https://rstyle.me/cz-n/enz8wiczgmf
This tank comes in bright colors, which I love when I’m running on the streets and it’s really comfortable and fits loosely https://rstyle.me/cz-n/eqd3y6czgmf
I wear this long sleeved shirt when the temps drop, it’s material is smooth and even has little thumb holes to keep the sleeve in place while you are running. I love wearing this as much as possible when I’m not running as well! Long sleeved: https://rstyle.me/cz-n/enz8svczgmf
I can’t say enough about these shoes, I ran a Half marathon in these and then trained the entire time for the full marathon and ran the full marathon in these shoes. You shouldn’t switch your shoes mid training so I really should have bought a new pair of shoes at the beginning of my training. Now I know! I have a neutral running foot and these worked well! They are way cheaper here than when I paid $160 when I purchased them a year ago! Shoes: https://rstyle.me/cz-n/enz863czgmf
These socks are thin and prevented me from getting blistered, if I tried to wear other socks on my long runs I would get blisters so I would have to switch back to these. Socks: https://rstyle.me/cz-n/enz9imczgmf
I originally had a camelback but could not run and suck water out of a tube so a friend suggested this running belt. It’s so handy to be able to carry your phone and little snacks and two bottles. It stays securely in place! Running belt: https://rstyle.me/cz-n/enz9g8czgmf
I use Gatorade as hydration while I’m running, it helps keep my hydrated and tastes great. Gatorade: https://rstyle.me/cz-n/enz9bvczgmf
These Gu Packets were game changers, when you have no idea how you will get through a 16 mile run these are how. They give you energy when running long distances. They pass these out at races and I see why! These flavors were great: https://rstyle.me/cz-n/enz894czgmf
Every single day I drank this magnesium after my workouts. My muscles were getting so sore and taking days to recover from long runs. When I started to drink magnesium I felt an enormous difference in how my muscles were more relaxed. This also helps with stress relief, bonus! Magnesium: https://rstyle.me/cz-n/en9jbmczgmf
Deodorant and glide. I didn’t buy special glide to prevent chaffing I just used the this deodorant. I love primally pure and this deodorant doubled as slid to prevent chaffing and bonus I had liberally amounts of deodorant on me. I applied this under my arms, between my thighs and down my arms. use code LaurenK10 for 10% off any of the products on the site: https://primallypure.com/products/charcoal-deodorant?gclid=Cj0KCQjwit_8BRCoARIsAIx3Rj4RkeNr78D0GL1zEKqnFHAWdNmZpzea0AzexPB5I6HSmFX_e3YQ3z4aAkwSEALw_wcB
These hair ties kept my hair back for hours: https://rstyle.me/cz-n/enz9neczgmf
When I completed my half marathon last year the swag bag before the race contained these sunglasses and they are phenomenal to run in! They are light weight and polarized, they even fit well on top of my head. I would run with them there if It was dark when I started running and then pull them down on to my eyes later in the run. Love them while running and casually as well. Sunglasses: https://rstyle.me/cz-n/enz9qpczgmf
This foam roller got me past running 2 miles! My quads were so tight that it caused knee pain for me. I made myself foam roll my quads after every long run and didn’t experience knee pain after that! I suggest this foam roller be used to break up muscle knots and help you recover from training faster! Foam roller: https://rstyle.me/cz-n/enz885czgmf
There you have it! You can crush big goals like marathons with the right guidance, equipment, gear and grit! I was not athletic in my childhood and only started jogging in college! I used running to relief stress and then like to chase big goals like running marathons.