More ways to train for marathon than just hitting the pavement

  • Published
  • By James Baker
  • Skywrighter staff
The civilian health and fitness coordinator for the Air Force Research Laboratory used a different way to train for competing in the Disney Marathon Jan. 7 in Orlando.

Ray Szymanski said he did almost all his training leading up to the event on treadmills to reduce wear and tear on his legs and knees.

After running the U.S. Air Force Marathon at Wright-Patterson AFB in September, Szymanski said his knees started to hurt during the last part of the race, and he needed to come up with a new plan. He said research he did on the Internet and articles he read in different publications gave him the confidence that he could minimize road work and begin his alternate training method. The 84-degree, high-humidity day in Orlando made it difficult to breath and the heat eventually got to him, he said, but he finished the race, and he said his legs were 100 percent going into the race.

"I followed the workout regimen vigorously, and my legs held up great," he said. "I will clearly continue to use this method of training in the future.

"When you're training indoors, you get consistent weather, and you don't have to worry about traffic. Running on a treadmill is also a softer medium to run on, which lessens the impact."

Szymanski also is a big advocate of stretching whenever possible.
"I would recommend more stretching programs to help equalize the muscles so you don't get an imbalance, especially in the knee area," said Szymanski. "Stretching and working on your abdominal muscles is something you can easily do in your living room while watching television. The stronger your core, the less cramping you should have on race day."

Kirk Links, the base fitness director, said this workout plan might be the best way to go for certain people who are preparing for a major run.

"This shows people there are more ways to train for a marathon or any other running event than just beating yourself up on the pavement," said Links.

Szymanski will continue to gauge his progress and receive an indication of how his method is working when he runs in the Cincinnati Flying to the Pigs Marathon in May and the Columbus Marathon later this year.

"Running keeps me in shape, makes me feel much better and is something I can do as a solitary person," he said. "It is nice because it allows me to get away and do some thinking."

As a reminder, before beginning any fitness regimen, Szymanski said that people should have a complete check up by a personal physician.