2 . How to Prepare For a Long Distance Run

A long distance race will leave you sweaty, sore, and deeply satisfied.     1    . However, working your way up to that long run is a challenging process that requires both mental and physical preparation.

Identify your goal

    2     Long distance runs span a range from a 3K (three kilometers) all the way up to a marathon (over 40 kilometers) or an ultra-marathon (over 60 kilometers). Think about your previous athletic experience and how hard you want to push yourself.

Figure out a training plan

You probably don’t want to wait, but it’s important to give your body time to adjust to long-distance running. Depending on your fitness level, it takes a new runner about 3 to 6 months to prepare for a half marathon and about 6 to 12 months to prepare for a marathon. If you’re running a very long race, like a half or full marathon, make use of a professionally developed training plan.     3     , or you can turn to an experienced coach for advice.

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This sounds surprising but is essential. You can’t keep a quick run for ten miles, so don’t try. Pace yourself ——you can always build up speed later in your training. The most important thing right now is learning to cover a lot of ground.

Find a runner’s group

If you want to get feedback, motivation, and potential new friends, locate a runners group near you. They’re all over the place and they exist for all different levels and events.     5    .

7 . It’s common nowadays for people to schedule a fitness plan. Whatever the drive behind it, whether health-related, performance-related or just plain vainglory (虚荣心), it is not uncommon for people to take regular exercise.

But if you’ve never done it before, what’s the best way to go about it? Well, many people make use of a PT — that’s a personal trainer. This might be because they’re wet behind the ears or maybe they just don’t want the trouble of designing their own workout plan. A PT will create a plan based on the aim of an individual. They will tailor it to your current abilities and, better still, they will teach you how to move in a proper way.

However, the trade-off with a PT is the price. Each hourly session can be steep considering the double whammy of having to pay both the PT and membership of the gym. If you are at all strapped for cash then regular sessions might be out of your budget.

So what’s left? Well, if you have the grit for it, you can make your own plan. It’s relatively easy to do if you have the know-how. But before you do, here are some basic pointers.

First, keep your fitness goal in mind. Are you looking to slim down, bulk up, or get shredded? Whatever it is, make sure you choose to be in pursuit of that goal. Next, do your research. Social media is full of fitness videos and advice. Watch as many as possible, but make sure to be critical of them — everyone has a different body. Finally, keep your feet on the ground. Be patient with yourself and set realistic goals — it takes at least three months to see realistic body changes. A good workout is difficult and challenging, but never painful. Pain means you are damaging yourself.

9 . Jacky Hunt-Broersma, a native of South Africa, set her goal in mid-January. And since then she has been running 26.2 miles every day, about the _______of a marathon. On Saturday, she completed her 104th marathon—a (an)_______she expects to be confirmed by Guinness World Records. If so, she would then_______a world record for 104 back-to-back (持续的) marathon runs, two more than her previous_______. The current world record of 101_______was set on April 10 by British runner Kate Jayden. The 35-year-old Jayden does not have a/an_______.

Hunt-Broersma _______ half of her left leg to a rare form of cancer in 2001. “The biggest _______was accepting that part of my body was gone,” she said. “Until five years ago, I was not very_______.But after looking into running, I ________ to give it a try.” The sport ended up being quite________.Currently, she keeps running on a false________made out of carbon fiber. The carbon fiber blade (刀锋) she uses, designed specifically for________, costs about $10,000.

But Hunt-Broersma says her________has been well worthwhile. “Running really________my life,” she said. “It gave me a sense of freedom. I fell in love with the process of________my body further just to see what I could do.” However, she faced both physical and mental ________ .On one recent day, Hunt-Broersma said she felt near collapse (崩溃) at 24 kilometers. In that moment, she felt like her planned goal might not________at all.

Hunt-Broersma is hoping to ________ a single thought in others——“You’re ________ than you think and you’re capable of so much more.”