How To Prep For A Quarter Marathon In 12 Easy Steps

Rachel Grunwell and Ciaran Faherty reveal fitness, running, healthy eating and nutrition advice for runners entering the John West 12KM Traverse at the Auckland Marathon.

Running over the Auckland Harbour Bridge may seem like an impossible challenge, but once a year, more than 10,000 people manage to make this a reality at the Auckland Marathon. The John West 12KM Traverse, akin to a quarter marathon, is the shortest race that lets you run over the bridge, offering you an easy way to tick off this bucket list experience.

To motivate people to enter the race and kick start their training, John West has teamed up with Rachel Grunwell, one of NZ’s top wellbeing bloggers, a mindful runner, and yoga-for-runners instructor, and Ciaran Faherty, a celebrity chef and winner of this year’s Christchurch Marathon.

As experienced marathon runners, Rachel and Ciaran have competed in more than 50 races between them, and have fine-tuned their training to help them achieve the best possible results on race day.
“Every marathon, half marathon, and quarter marathon is a huge challenge, no matter who you are and how many races you’ve run before,” says Ciaran. “Training always starts the same, by getting in shape fitness-wise, mentally preparing for the challenge, and sharpening your diet up so that you’re ready to go on the day.”

“Choose to be the best you by signing up for this event,” says Rachel. “Preparing for this challenge can help you to get fitter, healthier - and likely happier! You can do this. Ciaran and I are so excited to help you on this journey. He’s the hare, I’m the turtle. Together we can help you no matter what level you are at.”
Rachel and Ciaran’s 12 tips for training:

If you’re a beginner, start with an easy walk/run around your neighbourhood for 10-20 minutes in the early weeks. Walk for two power poles, run the next two, then repeat. Over time you will run more and walk less. Do this two or three times weekly. Keep it fun.

Try not to run on a full stomach as this can give you cramps or make you feel uncomfortable.
Don’t run too fast too soon as this can lead to injury. Take it easy as you warm up.
Run with good posture. A trick is to imagine a string above your head pulling you upright.
Boost your diet with protein to help with muscle recovery. Tuna or salmon are both great protein choices your body can use to repair itself after a run.

Plan your route and how far or how long you will run – there’s nothing worse for your motivation not knowing where or when the end point will be.

Try to keep your arms by your side. Flapping them wastes precious energy.
Look both ways before crossing any roads or train tracks and don’t have your music up too loud. Safety is important and be particularly watchful if you have little ones with you.
Drink water, not sugary drinks to stay hydrated.

If you’ve pushed yourself or had a particularly challenging run, stretch afterwards so you don’t look like a lego man i.e. sore and tight.

To gear up your training, try running 2-3 times weekly. Remember strength and stretch work is great to incorporate too if you have time. The distance, time and pace are all up to you.

Try not to run out too fast too soon on race day. This is one of the most common and biggest mistakes. You don’t want to hit the wall, but rather run steady at the beginning and then if you have juice in the tank near the end you can run as fast as you want to cross the finish line.

Rachel and Ciaran will share further advice in a series of videos, delving into topics such as how to stay focused and positive when training, how to improve fitness levels, how to prepare healthy nutritious recipes, and what to expect on race day. The videos will be released on John West’s Facebook page and YouTube channel weekly, starting next week.

Sign up for the John West 12K Traverse at www.aucklandmarathon.co.nz. The sustainable seafood brand is proud to sponsor this race for the second year. The event will take place on Sunday 29 October 2017.