How to Train for a Half Marathon when You have Fibromyalgia

Even people who suffer with fibromyalgia can do half marathons. They just have to take precautions and do things a little differently than the average person who sets out to accomplish this goal. The following tips will help you train for a half marathon when you have fibromyalgia.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Medical advice
• Good shoes
• A plan

1. Talk with your physician about your intention to train for a half marathon. He will tell you if he thinks you are capable of the training involved in getting ready for a half marathon. Go over any concerns and asked all questions, so nothing is left to chance. After you get the go ahead from your physician, you are all set.

2. Buy a good pair of shoes before starting to train. This is sound advice for anyone training for a half marathon, but especially someone with a health condition. You don’t want to add any discomfort to your body, so do what it takes to make the training easy.

3. Make a plan of action. Decide how many walks, and for what duration, you are going to do each week. Give yourself twice the amount of time a healthy person would need to train for a half marathon. This means you will break down your training throughout the next 20 weeks.

4. Start slowly. Anyone with fibromyalgia knows you can’t go full steam ahead right out of the gate. Your body will rebel and shut you down in a heartbeat if you don’t take care of it. The first few weeks should contain three walking days. You walks should only be one or two miles long during this time, so your body becomes accustomed to the activity.

5. Stretch before and after every walk. Stretching ensures the muscles are limber and ready for the walk. It also helps keep muscles from cramping and seizing up after a workout.

6. Increase distance the second month. To improve stamina, up one of your weekly walks by an hour during the second month. Stick to this schedule for the entire month.

7. Pick up the pace and add length to your walks each month. If you move up slowly, you can train for a half marathon when you have fibromyalgia without any problems. Listen to your body and do not move up until you are ready. Pushing yourself a little is good, but not at the detriment of your health.

8. Walk the entire half marathon if necessary. Nothing says you have to run a half marathon. You can just as easily walk the 13.1 miles. Pick a walk that doesn’t have a time limit, or that has a time limit you are comfortable you can achieve. Fibromyalgia sufferers do not need added stress, so only plan to do a half marathon you know you can do and don’t have to worry about.

Tips & Warnings

• Have regular checkups with your doctor during training.
• Get enough rest. Rest is just as important to success as physical activity.
• Extend training time if you need to. You are only in competition with yourself, so do what works for you.
• Stop at the first sign of serious pain. Slight discomfort is normal but pain is not.

[karileighk]

on 6/24/2009 Must be hard for them. *5

[bobbileder]

on 6/19/2009 Heck, I can barely run a mile! :-)