February Newsletter
February Marathon Training
Get to the Start Line Strong, Healthy & Ready to Run
February is where marathon training starts to feel real. The excitement is high, the fatigue might be creeping in, and the temptation to do all the things is strong. This month is about training smart so you arrive at the start line healthy, confident, and ready to run your best — whether that’s a PB or your very first marathon 🏁
Here are our top tips for getting there:
Follow a Plan… but Be Flexible
A training plan is your roadmap — not a rulebook.
Life happens. Poor sleep, work stress, heavy legs, low energy — they all affect how your body responds to training. Moving sessions around is not failure, it’s smart training. If you need to swap a hard session for an easy run or a rest day, do it. Consistency over perfection always wins. At Parklife our training plans are bespoke to you and with regualry catch up calls we adapt training to suit your lifestyle, to get you to the start line at your best!
Build Gradually (The 10% Rule)
Increase your weekly mileage slowly — around 10% per week is a good guideline. Big jumps in volume are one of the fastest routes to injury. Trust the process. Fitness builds when your body has time to adapt.
Prioritise the Key Sessions
You don’t need every run to be “special.”
Your two priority sessions each week:
One quality session (intervals, tempo, marathon pace work)
One long run
Everything else supports these. If you’re tired, protect the long run first.
Fuel Your Long Runs (Start Now)
Long runs are not the time to “see how little you can get away with.”
Practice fuelling during your long runs now — gels, chews, drinks, whatever you plan to use on race day. Your gut is trainable, and race day is not the day to experiment.
Also:
Fuel before training
Refuel after training
Under-fuelling leads to poor recovery, low energy, and injury risk. Eat to support the work you’re doing. Check out our runner’s recipes by Lizzie Marsh or sign up to our toolbox to have access to our sports nutritionist and dietician.
Strength, Conditioning & Cross-Training Matter
Running alone isn’t enough.
Strength & conditioning helps you handle training load
Cross-training (bike, swim, elliptical) adds fitness without extra impact
Supplement, don’t replace — especially if you’re feeling niggles
Strong runners stay healthy runners. Short of time for strength and mobility work, you can join us for our strength circuits at track. This month our strength sessions are on Friday 6th February and Friday 20th February.
Pain Is a Signal — Listen Early
Pain is not something to push through and “hope it goes away.”
If something hurts:
Rest when needed
Cross-train instead of forcing runs
Get in the gym
See a physio early
Small issues are easy to manage. Ignored issues become season-ending injuries.
Don’t Compare. Don’t Copy.
Someone else’s training is not your training.
You don’t know:
Their injury history
Their recovery habits
What they’re really doing
Whether they’ll be injured in a month
Comparison adds pressure and copying adds risk. Focus on what your body needs.
Avoid the “Do Everything” Trap
The internet is full of advice, hacks, and strategies. Trying to copy all of them at once is overwhelming — and unnecessary.
Pick one thing to focus on (fuelling, strength, sleep, consistency).
Build it in.
Then add the next thing.
Simple, repeatable habits beat complexity every time.
The Goal for February
Stay consistent. Stay healthy. Train with intention.
Get to the start line strong, fuelled, confident, and excited to run — not burnt out or broken.
You’ve got plenty of time. Trust the work. Keep showing up. If you need any advice or support in your marathon training contact us at katiebingle@parklifecoaching.com or on our socials @parklifeocaching