Many of you might feel challenged by the snow and ice of winter. Yet it doesn’t need to stop you getting started on improving your fitness. Uta prepared for spring marathons with three weeks of cross country skiing, and you too can use this enjoyable sport to build a foundation of strength and endurance for the running season ahead.

Congratulations, fellow marathoner! You’ll return to full physical and mental strength quickest with a few wise choices. Here are some all-important recovery steps you can take from the moment you cross the finish line and also ways you can beat the Post-Marathon Blues (Hint: they include cheesecake!).

Now that you’ve done all the hard training for your marathon, it’s time to relax, treat yourself to a soothing massage, and try to rein in some of your nervousness! The right combination of light training, proper nutrition, sound sleep, and tried and true gear will play a big role in how well you perform on race day.

No matter what your training level or your running capabilities, you can take advantage of a marathon course’s geography and topography to run your best time possible on a particular day. Sean Hartnett, Professor of Geography and Anthropology at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and an expert on marathon courses, discusses the terrain of the five World Marathon Majors Marathons.

Love it or not, having a treadmill involved in your training is a wonderful strategy. When Mother Nature is kicking up a fuss outside and preventing you from your usual run, the steady hum and rhythmic impact of footsteps on the belt can be very satisfying. Let’s look at some ways to make your treadmill training as effective and fun as possible.

They have a long tradition and are popular all over the world: New Year’s Eve runs. Amongst them are classics like the one in São Paulo or Madrid, the spectacular race in New York or the run with a biblical atmosphere in Egypt. They all are a fun and active way of saying goodbye to the old year.

It’s a special world of fun and thrills that can also help maintain your fitness during the snowy winter months. Plus, it’s the perfect sport for all the family. Skiing and snowboarding are not without their risks, but they can be minimized by sensible planning.

Running styles vary whatever your level of performance. But you can use relaxation techniques to make small, specific changes in your style that can make a difference—in how you feel, in your results and in your enjoyment of running.

Want to move up in distance but aren’t quite ready to tackle the marathon yet? Maybe you would just like to challenge yourself with a distance that’s fun, gives great satisfaction and short enough to recover quickly from. With the right schedule, you could be ready in less than 3 months to be your best. The information provided in this article are suited for beginning and experienced runners alike.

You are capable of running a marathon! Equipped with motivation and a proper regimen, you can run 26.2 miles. Broken into four phases, this schedule and training process involve creating small goals, and moving from one to another. Together, these achievements add up to the ultimate desired goal: running a marathon to the best of your ability.