If you have taken up the sport of running recently and now have developed a fairly strong cardiovascular base, you may be thinking it's time to set your sights a little higher and start preparing for a race of some sort. While many new runners will start off with a 5 or 10K race and ease their way into this culture, others might decide to dive right in and go after a half or full marathon. Note that if you wish to pursue a half or full marathon it is definitely advised that you aren't completely new to exercising and have been working out consistently for a few years now. Marathon training is quite demanding on the body and you must be willing to commit a fair amount of time to it if you hope to be successful.

If your body is not used to having that kind of training stress placed upon it then you might find yourself struggling as you progress through and start asking it to perform your long runs.

Regardless of which distance of race you choose to pursue, there are some general tips that you should know before you start out. Following these will ensure you get the best performance out of your body during your training and also find it most enjoyable.

1. Get In Shape First

As already touched upon slightly above, you must have a solid cardiovascular base before you being race training. This basically means that you are able to run for at least thirty minutes straight three to four times per week without too much difficulty. If you are not at this point yet, then concentrate on getting their first. Once you are able to do this then you can start in on the training which will likely include some speed work sessions, some tempo runs and then of course the trademark of the distance running training plan, the long run.

2. Increase Your Mileage Slowly

Some people may choose to follow a pre-determined plan with their training and if this is your first race it may be your best bet. These are tried and true plans that other runners have followed that allowed them to train their body so it was able to complete the race without severely over training it at the same time. You need to keep in mind of course that everyone handles stresses on the body differently so there is a small chance even a said plan wouldn't be right for you but the chances are much less than if you were to just 'wing it'.

If you are a little more advanced and plan to design your own training plan, maybe you prefer a different approach or need to accommodate another activity you do, then you still need to be particularly careful of your mileage increases. Only increase the intensity that run by about 10% per week. This includes speed too. If you increase the speed one week than you should keep mileage the same and vice versa. This will hopefully help the body adapt to the stimulus and still leave enough bodily reserves to account for recovery.

3. Vary Your Training

During your runs, try and use different paths on various occasions. This will not only help prevent boredom but it actually could prevent injuries too. If the terrain you run on for your usual run is very hilly or is curved on one side it could account for accumulation of stress on a few particular muscles. Over time this could lead to muscles strains, pulled muscles or even a stress fracture. By varying the route you help avoid this problem.

Also, along with varying your routes, vary the type of training too. Be sure to utilize strength training along with your running to keep your muscles strong and help retain lean muscle mass.

4. Decrease The Speed During Your Distance Run

It is very important that you pace yourself during your long run. This is not a time to see how fast you can go but rather a time to hold back slightly so you don't tucker out at the end. Generally you should aim to complete this run at a pace that is about 30 seconds to two minutes per mile slower than your usual running pace.

5. Do NOT Underestimate The Power Of Rest

Even if you are following a strict plan that is detailed out for you, if you find that for two to four days in a row you just cannot seem to work up the energy to really give a good effort, you should take a day off as this is a strong sign your body isn't handling the stress all that well. Nothing is worse than ending up overtrained halfway through a training prep program so it is absolutely essential that you prevent this from occurring. There is nothing wrong with rescheduling the run you were supposed to do for another day or just missing it altogether. Try not to let this be a regular occurrence (if it is that is likely a sign either the plan you choose is too hard or the race distance is too long) but if your body is screaming, listen to it.