First-Time Marathoner Offers 26 Training Tips

LaTasha Lewis says to start by committing fully to the race.

Detroit Free Press writer and Fitness Trainer LaTasha Lewis recently doled out 26 tips that she’s learned while training up for the marathon.

The upcoming Free Press Talmer Bank Marathon will be her first 26.2-mile race, and Lewis explains that although she works out three times a day, she is still scared about what’s coming her way.

“While training for the upcoming marathon, I have learned that I can train with others, do research, read endlessly, eat right and do things by the book, but in order to really succeed, I also must be fortified with the will and determination to endure 26.2 miles,” she writes.

Her first suggestion, “commit fully,” may seem obvious, but all marathoners need to read it and hear it.

And not so obvious is a good lesson about foot care. “Buy your running shoes a half-size larger, trim your toenails, and keep your feet dry to prevent black-toe syndrome,” she says.