Going the distance

From not being able to jog 2km to nailing ultramarathons, Under Armour ambassador Marie Choo shares her tips on running the ﬁrst 42K.

Fitness trainer Marie Choo is a lean mean ultra- marathoner today, but it wasn’t this way just a few years ago. After a startling transformation, Marie now clocks long distances, dives and even ﬁnds the time to work with dog rescue groups.

he Under Armour brand ambassador who is part of the #UACelebrateWomen movement shares with us her top tips on how anyone can train up for her ﬁrst marathon.

TRAIN OFTEN
This is a no-brainer but hard work is involved regardless of whether it is speed, strength or distance you’re looking to increase. Frequent training will also improve your endurance and build muscles. But it’s also important to start at a manageable pace or you may lose steam or worse, overtrain. When Marie ﬁ rst started, she upped her running to three or four times a week from once or twice.
VARY YOUR WORKOUTS

To make sure that your body does not “get used to” your workouts, remember to switch them up. Marie says, “I learnt that I needed to do both short runs as well as long and slow runs to build my stamina and endurance.”

Marie also recommends doing body weight or weight training to strengthen muscles and ensure they will be able to withstand your running load. With stronger muscles, you are also less injury-prone. “To make it fun and varied, I also do boxing as it is a good way to improve agility, lightness on feet and focus,” Marie tells us.

RUN OUTDOORS

The scenery makes it less boring and more enjoyable. Plus, marathons are held outdoors so you should get used to the same terrain.

DO POST-RUN STRETCHES

Tight muscles cause pain, discomfort and poorer sessions. In extreme cases, it can also lead to misalignment, causing injuries to the knees and ankles. When Marie realised the importance of stretching, she started incorporating yoga and foam rolling into her routine. It helped her to feel balanced and prevented muscle contractions on her runs

BE DETERMINED

Mind over matter. This applies to many things, including running. When you hit a wall mid-run, crank up the music and think of the ﬁ nish line.

BE PATIENT

You have to set realistic goals. After all, it takes time to condition your body suffi ciently to tackle such a long distance. Marie had to train for 10 months before her ﬁ rst marathon.

BE KIND TO YOURSELF

When you fail to meet a session or don’t see any improvement, don’t beat yourself up. Instead, take things easy. Marie says, “I started by alternating running and walking. I would run a distance that I could manage and would break into a walk when I was tired. When I recovered my breath, I would start running again.”

FUEL YOUR BODY

You can’t feed your system with just any kind of food though. “Some people make the mistake of thinking that they can eat anything as long as they work out. I used to think I could indulge in all the food I like since I can aff ord it,” she says. While you do deserve a treat, it is important not to overindulge because it is impossible to out- train a bad diet. As a simple rule, try to avoid eating highly processed foods. Incorporate more whole foods and drink more water.

GIVE YOURSELF TIME TO RECOVER

Rest should be part of training because it allows your muscles to recover and prepares you for the next race. A tip from Marie: “I speed up my recovery process by applying supplements, going for regular massages, and taking at least one to two days off running a week.”

HAVE A WELL-ROUNDED SYSTEM

Marie has ﬁ ve core pillars in her training cycle – cardiovascular ﬁ tness, strength training, stretching and mobility, nutrition, and recovery. By catering to all of these, you will make ﬁ tness a sustainable lifestyle instead of a vanity project.

SHAPE MARCH 2019 | GET FIT | 67

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