I recently came across this great PBS/NOVA documentary about what it takes—physically and mentally—for novice runners to make it through their first marathon. While it originally aired in 2007, its message continues to resonate.
Marathon Challenge
Here is part one of the five-part series. You can view the rest on the NOVA website.
Program Description
Can anyone run a marathon? How do you run 26.2 miles if you have trouble making it around the block? With good coaching, discipline, and lots of group support, as NOVA shows when it follows 13 generally sedentary people through a training regimen designed to prepare them for an ultimate test of stamina and endurance.
Produced in cooperation with the Boston Athletic Association®, which granted NOVA unprecedented access to the 111th Boston Marathon®, and Tufts University, “Marathon Challenge” takes viewers on a unique adventure inside the human body, tracking the physiological changes that exercise can bring about.
Learn More
On the original program website you can learn more about Team NOVA, read in-depth interviews, get Ten Tips for Novice Runners, and hear the running wisdom of Uta Pippig.
