When training for your first marathon, you don’t just go out and run the 26.2 miles (42.2 km) the first day. It’s understood that this kind of learning takes more than simple repetition. To teach your body to run that distance requires bursts of training and rest. Practice, practice, practice is often the mantra when we are learning something new, but it turns out that how we practice matters and the process depends on what we are learning.
