IMAGINE IF RUNNING the equivalent of 4.5 marathons a week was the preparation for your ultimate goal? That is how Maria McCambridge gets ready for running a marathon and while it is an arduous schedule, it has been paying off for her recently.
At 39, McCambridge ran a personal best in the recent Dublin Marathon and was only four seconds off the winner.
She credited her preparation as a key factor to her recent success and shared her training regimen with TheScore.ie.
I run 110-120 miles a week usually. I do one run in the morning and then another in the evening. On Tuesday and Friday I have long sessions. Some of the lighter sessions would be interval running where I would do three sets of 5k runs but the distance varies. I do a lot of my runs in the Phoenix Park and I use UCD a lot too.
McCambridge is a veteran of Irish athletics having previously represented the national team in the 5000m at the Olympics as well as competing in marathons. Far from being tired at the end of the Dublin Marathon, McCambridge almost wanted it to go on a bit longer.
“It is pretty gut-wrenching to come so close,” McCambridge said.
“I have been reliving the race since and I sort of wish I could have put the foot down a bit earlier but the conditions changed during the race.”
You would think that after running 26.2 miles a runner would need to be carried to the nearest ice bath to soak in but McCambridge prefers to recover by running some more, albeit at a reduced pace.
“I actually wasn’t too bad afterwards,” McCambridge said.
“I was a little bit stiff but there were no injuries so I felt okay. The recovery days are key to keeping in good condition.
“I still run but I don’t run as hard as I would on a normal training day. You need to allow your body to recover.”
While McCambridge says the body needs time to recover, it’s a little surprising that her recovery program actually involves more running. When asked whether she ever takes a complete rest day to lounge around the house, she answers just as you’d expect a seasoned marathon runner to answer.
“I would never do that [take a complete day off],” McCambridge said.
“There is never a day when I don’t run at all. I would maybe take a day off after a marathon but I train everyday.”
Besides her training program, the other key part of McCambridge’s professional life is her diet. Her menu doesn’t have a whole lot of variation but it ensures she has sufficient fuel to tackle her gruelling workload.
I’m big into my porridge and would have it with some extra protein or topped with cheese for breakfast. Yoghurts are a big thing for the morning too. I try to eat quite lightly early in the day because I don’t want to have an upset stomach when I am training. Later on in the day I would have pasta or chicken dishes with a lot of vegetables. There would be a lot of pasta in my diet.
All athletes park their diet from time to time and indulge in their favourite foods – The Rock puts away about 5 large pizzas on his ‘cheat days’ – but McCambridge might be one of the rare athletes who doesn’t go on wild food binges now and again.
She allowed herself a treat after finishing the Dublin Marathon but wouldn’t be the kind of person to order a large Dominos and extra garlic dip.
“No I wouldn’t do that but I went out for dinner that night so that was nice,” McCambridge laughed.
“I don’t really restrict myself with what I can eat but I am lucky because I don’t really have a sweet tooth. When I was younger I wouldn’t allow myself to eat anything sweet but now I realise it is okay to have a treat now and again.”
