London Marathon took place this weekend.
As always, an inspiring event to watch or participate in.
We are regularly asked, ‘what’s the best way to train for a marathon?’
It’s an interesting question. And a great example of a theme that applies to all elements of health, wellness and performance.
The honest answer is, there's no single best way. No one solution that will work for everyone.
The marathon is a 26.2 mile run, but every one of the 50,000 people who took part on Sunday will have arrived at the start line having followed a unique schedule of preparation.
They’ll all have done plenty of running of course, but likely will have followed very different routines when it came to other elements of fitness such as strength training, cross training, core work, flexibility and injury prevention / rehab.
Then there will have been different approaches to rest and recovery, sleep, hydration, nutrition, and how to fit in all the training around work, family and social commitments.
Even when we look at the run training, that will have been made up of very different combinations of long runs, speed training, interval training, hill training and recovery runs.
Marathon training is a great metaphor for the quest to optimise performance in every area of work and life.
It boils down to two simple steps
Keep things simple
Do this by being very clear on what you’re looking to achieve. It might be completing a marathon. It could be working with better focus to maximise your contribution at work every day. It could be ensuring you live a balanced and fulfilling life.
Whatever it is, review your wellness objectives regularly.
What are your wellness priorities for the coming weeks and months?
Make a plan that suits your current schedule, your lifestyle and your personality
Plot the most efficient pathway to achieving your objectives, taking into account ALL the factors and variables that are relevant to your life right now.
Once you’ve solidified your goals, been honest about the commitments you have each week, and established exactly the resources - time, energy, focus - you are able to commit to achieving your goals, you’ll be able to project a realistic timeline for when your goals will become a reality.
Knowing when you’ll achieve your goals is a great way to maintain motivation for consistent action, and taking a few moments every week to review your progress will allow you to make any adjustments relevant to your plan that will keep you on track.
There’s an endless combination of routes to healthy living success. And there are millions of examples of routines that work for people around the world, which is great for inspiration and research. It means there’s a detailed library of real-world success strategies for you to analyse and then adapt.
You are unique, your wellness plan needs to be too.