Big marathons can pay out huge prizes if you can put in the times.
You'll have to give up a great deal to become a professional marathon runner. Making the jump from keen amateur to the ranks of the pros will mean giving up your social life, not seeing much of your family, changing your diet and training full-time. But if you can make it to the very top, the rewards are plentiful.
Instructions
1. Buy professional running shoes, shorts, vests, tracksuits and the clothing for adverse weather conditions.
2. Join a sports club or hire a personal coach to help you with your training. All professional runners have a coach who helps them manage their training schedule. It's a good idea to use an ex-professional marathon runner or somebody who has studied sports science. If you can't afford a coach, join a running club to get you started.
3. Change your diet. Increase your intake of complex carbohydrates and protein, but cut down on fat and refined sugars. Plenty of fiber-rich fruit and lean fish and white meat is the order of the day. Eat little and often, and always have some food after you've finished training to help you recover. If you're really serious about making it to the top and your budget allows, hire a nutritionist who can study your metabolism and come up with a diet plan. Obviously, smoking will be out of the question and alcohol will be but a rare treat.
4. Train. This is what's going to get you to the top. You've got to be in prime physical condition to make it as a professional marathon runner. Pro runners at the top of their game can run hundreds of miles during training every week. A daily program of running, combined with gym work, will be necessary on a full-time basis if you're going to be able to compete at the very highest level. Again, you should work with your nutritionist and coach to come up with the best training program for you.
5. Enter marathons. As soon as you feel you have the speed and the stamina to compete, start entering races. To start earning the top prize money you'll need to finish in the top three of major races. This can run into six figures at some of the bigger races. You can also earn money by running fast times and breaking records. As it's expensive paying for your support team and traveling to races, marathon running won't pay well unless you're consistently finishing high in the rankings.
6. Hire a sports agent to get you sponsorship deals. If you start winning big races, your profile will grow. Capitalize on this by securing sponsorship from companies keen to exploit your image.
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