Running a marathon is a commitment. It is not just a test of your physical strength but a mixture of mental, physical, emotional consciousness and stability. While a marathon is a fun and treasured adventure, athletes often fall prey to fitness myths. Let’s burst the bubble and catch the reality behind it.

Runners don’t walk: Well, runners, who are also humans, do walk. In fact, Olympian Jeff Galloway has created a whole training methodology that incorporates walking breaks. Adding walk- breaks reduces the chances of injury and also provides the much needed rest to a runner’s body.

You’re not a runner until you have the ideal body type: That’s not true. Anyone, with any body type, shape, age or gender is a runner. Go to the next running event and you’re likely to find someone with the exact body type like you.

Runners don’t need strength training: A race just requires running practice, right? Wrong. Strength training is crucial for boosting performance and reduces risk of injury.

Runners don’t need strong upper body: Upper body plays a very important role on the race day. A strong upper body helps you maintain good running posture and correct arm swing. Include exercises like alternate row work out in your cross-training session and the results will surely improve.

Stretch before you run: While stretching is a key aspect in a runner’s routine, it is not the best option just before the race. Static stretching can actually hamper your performance and may lead to injuries. It is preferable to add mild jogging or other dynamic movements like walking lunges, leg swings, butt kicks, high knees and straight leg kicks in your warm up session.

Miss one workout session and forget the race!: Training every day is just not necessary. It may lead to overtraining and overstressing. Plan your training, add diverse drills in your routine and most importantly, add a rest day. Missing a workout session, won’t make or break you. As we always say, listen to your body, if you need to rest, take proper rest until you think you’re ready to practice again. This will give you the essential recreation time and pump you up.

Stuff yourself with carbs the night before the D-day: Literally anything just before the race will have 0% contribution to the performance of the runner. A balanced diet weeks and months before the race subsidise the performance.