Why You Should Run A Marathon

Running a marathon is a major life challenge. It requires a huge investment in time, energy and commitment. So, if you’re going to do it, you need to have a pretty compelling reason to do so. In this article, I’ll provide you with 5 of them to help you nourish your marathon mojo.

1. It’s a Major Life Challenge

Running a marathon is one of those life’s ambitions that many people have but few actually achieve. Yet, when you actually do it, you experience an amazing sensation of accomplishment. You will have knocked a major item off your bucket list!

2. Travel Opportunities

If you’ve got an itch for travel, combining that urge with running a marathon makes for a great holiday. Most of the major cities around the world hold an annual marathon. So, why not plan a trip around that event? You can train all year for the event with the reward of a great holiday to follow. 

3. Improved Fitness

If you are training for a marathon you will seriously enhance your overall level of fitness. Your cardiovascular endurance will go through the roof. That will make you far more functional in everyday life. Running for a bus will be a piece of cake for you, as will almost any other emergency. 

Marathon training will dramatically reduce your key markers for cardiovascular disease. Your blood pressure, resting heart rate and LDL cholesterol levels will all go down. 

4. Weight Loss

If you have a goal to lose weight, running a marathon is a great form of exercise to get you to your goal weight. Your weekly marathon training will burn off several thousand calories. So long as you’re not overeating to compensate for the greater energy demand, you can lose between one and two pounds of body fat every single week. If you are training for six months for your marathon, that is going to add up to a lot of dropped pounds.

5. Better Memory

Long distance running has been shown to significantly increase memory. In a study that was published in the journal Cell Metabolism, long distance runners were seen to have a 16 percent improvement in their memory following their training sessions. 

Researchers believe that the improved memory that comes from long distance running is due to increased brain activity and enhanced blood flow. People who experience high levels of stress will benefit even more from the relaxing and calming effects of long distance running. 

Wrap Up

Now that you’ve got some compelling reasons to get serious about your first marathon, what are you going to do about it? Why not take the initiative and commit by signing up and paying your registration fee. Believe me, you won’t regret it!