February is fast approaching.

With Christmas just around the corner, the Marathon seems closer than ever.

Our training schedule becomes more intense and long runs become longer and longer. Whether you have applied for the walkathon, the half-marathon or marathon, training should have started to increase and many important factors have to be kept in mind when increasing mileage.

Mileage should increase slowly. Too much too soon is the worst thing a runner could do.

Don’t be tempted to get away with the feelgood factor and therefore skip an important part of the programme.

Gradual increase in mileage is important not only to avoid injuries but also to improve one’s training fitness slowly. The gradual rise in mileage will enhance one’s fitness level and such improvement will be felt mostly on the ‘The Day’.

It is also important to follow a programme because they are designed to avoid injury.

Whether you have downloaded it from the internet or paid for a tailor-made one from a trainer, the most important thing is sticking to every session and not inventing any of the sessions or deciding that this run felt too easy so that you add another 5km and, by the end of the session, you end up overdoing it.

If the training goes well in the months preceding the marathon, then all the training done, track sessions, tempo, long runs, hills, fall into place like a jigsaw puzzle and any runner will then feel that running the marathon or walking the 21km is not impossible.

In addition to the above, and if one really wants to monitor one’s training, one can participate in a number of runs organised by the various clubs in the months leading up to the marathon.

These races help one gauge how one’s training is progressing. Improvement in 10km races usually guarantees a good half-marathon.

Secondly, proper nutrition at this point in the training phase is crucial.

This helps one feel strong enough to face a whole week of training. Without proper nutrition, muscles do not recover well and the feeling of lethargy kicks in.

It is best to eat small meals often instead of starving oneself all day and then eating a big dinner, as the small meals keep blood sugar levels constant and help one avoid binges.

Protein is considered of importance for recovery, whereas carbohydrates give us the energy to run/walk.

Eating plan

Getting a proper eating plan from a proper nutritionist might help. One word of advice... do not leave it to the last month.

Proper nutrition is as important as a proper training programme. They work hand in hand and usually good results are achieved when both are maintained and are in balance.

Thirdly, correct running shoes are of great importance. As a walker or runner, one must always have their training shoes checked to make sure that they are wearing the proper footwear and also to check whether the said shoes need to be changed as they are too old.

This is what avoids injury.

Do not economise on shoes, a shoe that looks good may not give you the right cushioning that you need. The weight and the running/walking style, the number of kilometres as well as the build of the shoe itself will determine how long it will last.

Just think of the number of times these shoes pound the ground with its owner’s weight. Obviously a runners shoe lasts less than that of a walker. Looking at the sole may give you an indication of how hard your shoes have been working.

Good luck with your training. Keep in mind that balance is the key but the most important thing is to enjoy the training and the races as much as possible.

Enjoy your training and never push too hard, leave that for race day. If you have not yet applied for the Malta Marathon yet, you should do so now to avoid disappointment.