1. Step Out of Your Comfort Zone
Everyone has at least one fear or insecurity. For many people, running a marathon seems like a huge undertaking, in fact, it might even seem impossible. It’s true that running a marathon is a challenge that requires commitment and perseverance. That being said, every time you step outside out of your comfort zone and accomplish something new, you grow stronger and become more confident.
2. Make New Friends
The running community is amazingly tight knit, welcoming and diverse. Training for a marathon with friends is always easier and many fellow marathoners welcome newcomers with open arms. Once you make the commitment to the marathon, reach out to your local running club or other runners in your community. The chances are that you will find someone to train with and also make some new and long lasting friends in the process. It’s hard not to bond when you run over 20 miles together.
3. Get Fit
Training for 26.2 miles will help increase your endurance. It will help make your heart stronger, improve circulation, and strengthen your muscles. You will probably also see mental improvements as well, such as feeling less stress, being more upbeat, and experiencing the “runner’s high” on a regular basis.
4.Eat more carbs
Who doesn’t love a pasta dinner? Now there’s an excuse to slurp up more spaghetti. During intense training like preparing for a race (sorry, channel surfing doesn’t count) increasing carb intake might help running performance and boost mood during harder runs.
5. Slip into skinny jeans
Running is one of the best calorie burners out there. For a 160-lb person it can burn more than 850 calories an hour. Not like we’re counting or anything.
6. Run stress away
Ready to pull your hair out? Instead of tuning in to a reality TV marathon, try running a real one. Not only does running boost the brain’s serotonin levels, regular exercise might actually remodel the brain, making it calmer and more stress resistant
7. Boost memory
Exercise has been shown to help keep the mind sharp and could even reduce symptoms of dementia. Hitting the track might also protect the brain against Alzheimer’s, even among those with a family history of it
8. See the sunny side
Active folks see the glass as half full not only while they exercise, but for up to twice as long after hanging up their kicks than their less mobile counterparts . Talk about “Happy Feet!”
9. Improve self-esteem
Need one more excuse to go green? Runners who ran outside and snagged a good view of nature showed increased self-esteem post-workout than those who had only unpleasant scenes to gaze at