UrbanUpdate

Distance running tends to inspire strong feelings in both its most zealous adherents and also its staunchest opponents. But even for those who under most circumstances would rather chug antifreeze than “go for a jog,” the idea of being Someone Who Ran a Marathon is an undeniably alluring one. Any athlete who does it gets to become part of the less than 1 percent of the population who can say the same, and for many people, this month’s Boston Marathon—the unofficial start of marathon season—will spark their grand ambitions of running 26.2 consecutive miles this year, too.

If you’re feeling inspired to find nearby races, good for you. But zeroing in on your specific fate—that is, which detailed training plan to abide by—isn’t the only item on the would-be marathoner's to-do list. Here are a few of the more practical things you need to know before you begin workshopping hilarious finish-line photo-op poses with your friends.

1. You have to do more than run.

Training takes about three months, during which runners follow a structured plan prescribed by a coach and/or gleaned from an easy Google search. But if you’re preparing smart—you do aspire to that, right?—that plan is going to involve a lot more than running. Strength and flexibility training are critical components of a pre-race regimen, especially for your posterior chain—a fancy term for the backside of your body.

“Running is a forward movement, so it's easy to forget the importance of a strong backside,” says Equinox precision running coach and group fitness manager Arthur Tang. In order to run efficiently, you need to invest in building your glutes, hamstrings, and core with movements like deadlifts and split squats. Also, if you've never given Pilates a try, now is the time. “Whether it’s on a reformer machine or a mat, Pilates strengthens the posterior chain, reduces lower back pain, and improves posture,” he says. “This cuts precious seconds off those miles.”

2. Your body is going to change.

Yes, racking up mileage burns calories, which means you can lose some unwanted weight in the process. But know that you will probably experience some unwanted loss of muscle tone, too.

“When training for the marathon, running becomes the feature of the week,” explains Michael Meliniotis, a coach at Mile High Run Club, a New York City treadmill studio. “For most people, the time that perhaps used to be spent gaining muscle mass is now refocused on running.” If your body starts to look different between six and ten weeks into a training program, don’t panic. You can’t do every kind of fitness at once. (At least, not well.)

Watch:James Marshall Takes on Marathon de Sables, a 140 Mile Race Through the Sahara Desert3. You will make sacrifices, and some of them will suck.

Just as you wouldn’t propose to a significant other without taking the time to get to know them, you don’t get up on race day to run a marathon without getting to know yourself. You learn a lot about your habits, likes, and dislikes when you’re logging double-digit-mile runs week after week. For instance, when your alarm is set for early on a Saturday, you’re probably not going out on Friday night. And since you’ll probably be tired come Saturday night from all that activity, you might not go out then, either. In short, the opportunity cost—the things you need to sacrifice and/or alter to make this one thing happen—is very high, especially when it comes to your social life.

Do not despair. “Sometimes you have to stop thinking about doing something and just do it,” says David Siik, founder of Equinox’s Precision Running program and Precision Running Lab. “The first step in making that commitment is to have some perspective. Remind yourself you aren’t getting any younger, and that the race isn’t getting any shorter, and that with a little training there’s a lot for you to gain.”

4. You will need some new stuff.

That old frat rush T-shirt you wear to the gym is epic. But just as it is not helping your dating game (whether you know it or not), it won't help your marathon training, either. Do yourself a favor and invest in some higher-end sweat-wicking pieces, and prepare to be blown away by the difference. Not only will they reduce the potential for uncomfortable chafing as the miles pile up, but you’ll feel cooler (both emotionally and physically) and smell less terrible. Same deal for your shorts and compression gear: Look for items that promote breathability.

As for sneakers: You almost certainly need a new pair. The ones you use for weightlifting will not cut it, because the demands placed on your feet vary wildly from one activity to the next. Try to put aside your feelings on aesthetics and buy running shoes based on how they feel on your foot—you’ll spend between 300 and 400 miles in these puppies before you buy new ones. If you see dramatic wear before this threshold, especially in the heel area, then buy sooner. Just never violate the most important rule: Don’t you dare sport anything unworn on race day, unless you love blisters.

5. You will be so, so hungry.

Remember that weight loss we mentioned? Don’t worry too much about it, or get too excited about it, because as your training progresses and you hit peak weeks of running 40-plus miles, you’re going be ravenous. Like, the I think I’ll have pancakes for breakfast, and a protein shake with peanut butter sounds good for a snack, oops I ate a bag of Doritos and now I’ve downed two cheeseburgers while thinking about all this sort of ravenous.

Don’t worry! That’s normal. That hunger is happening because your body badly needs fuel and is searching everywhere to find it. During this time, be sure that you’re fueling it with the right things. “It's important to listen to your body and develop self-awareness for what it needs, whether it's electrolytes, carbs, or fluids,” says Meliniotis. It’s not that you don’t deserve that Friday night pizza slice, especially after running God knows how much that week. But skip out on downing the entire loaded buffalo chicken pie by yourself—at least until after you finish the actual race. By then, you’ll need it.