I just registered for a marathon next month. Help

_Waffle_

I'm not even doing a marathon or half marathon training plan but I was talked into doing a marathon next month. What should I do? How do I get prepared?

missiontofitness

A full marathon?

_Waffle_

Yeah. All 26.2 miles of it.

jkwolly

Pray.

Carrieendar

well...first things first. how far are you running right now? weekly mileage? long run?

if none or little, then you might survive on a galloway run/walk type plan...run easy a minute or so then walk a certain number or minutes...

jkwolly

But legit, what's your current running schedule?

Greenkiwis

A month is not enough time to prep for a marathon if you're starting from scratch, you can really damage your body. But if you're already running a substantial amount, I would make sure you do a "long run" that gets increasingly longer once a week before the marathon. Maybe 16 miles, 17 miles, 19 miles and 20 miles?

_Waffle_

I did a 16.6 mile run last weekend and 42 miles total for the week. I'm just running for fun. Also I've never done anything longer than about 18 miles. I'll do that again this weekend but am I really prepared? The race is December 14th.

w117seg

http://www.halhigdon.com/training/51143/Marathon-Novice-Supreme-Training-Program

Based on this I think you can do it.

aarar

I'm sure you can finish if you've done 16 miles recently; you can probably get in another good long run a couple weeks before the race (18-20 miles) but I'd make sure to take it easy and not run it too hard. You've got this!

jofjltncb6

The_Enginerd

bob108819

You've got this. I'm doing my first full Dec 13 and you are ahead of me. I ran 16 last week and am doing 18 this weekend. If you can do that now you will be fine. I'm just hoping for good weather on race day!

_Waffle_

aarar wrote: »

I'm sure you can finish if you've done 16 miles recently; you can probably get in another good long run a couple weeks before the race (18-20 miles) but I'd make sure to take it easy and not run it too hard. You've got this!

Yep. From here on out I plan on doing my longer runs nice and easy. This will be my first full. I think I can do it but I've never done it so it's an unknown.

skingszoo

I ran my 1st full last month and the longest I had ever ran before that was 14 miles and that was several months before. I was super slow but just go and have fun! I am hooked now!

athensguy

I'd increase your long run each weekend by a couple miles until three weeks before the marathon, so two weekends before the marathon without a really long run. Mid-week medium long runs can help a lot, too. I used the Pfitzinger book Advanced Marathoning to prepare before. You could get that and pick up the Under 55 miles plan and follow it until your marathon.

Carrieendar

yeah you are set. with 42 mpw and already a 16 mile long, you should be good. I would hop into a plan of your choice and continue on!

_Waffle_

I was planning on doing a 18 this weekend, then a 20, then a 16, a 20, and then taper. Only time will tell how this works out. It's that last 6.2 miles I'm worried about. It will be a new distance. I've never had a new distance on race day before.

Carrieendar

i never run over 20-22 in training. this past cycle, my longest was 21 I think and I had a 20 min PR on the course with 1000+ft climb over my previous best. you will be good! remember to start slow. I ran my halves at 1:37/1:35. I kept telling myself to slow in the first 13.1 and then got faster in the last half. 20 miles warm up followed by a 10k race!

_Waffle_

Carrieendar wrote: »

i never run over 20-22 in training. this past cycle, my longest was 21 I think and I had a 20 min PR on the course with 1000+ft climb over my previous best. you will be good! remember to start slow. I ran my halves at 1:37/1:35. I kept telling myself to slow in the first 13.1 and then got faster in the last half. 20 miles warm up followed by a 10k race!

Okay, I love this advice. I'll make that my motto.

ThickMcRunFast

Already dead.

_Waffle_

ThickMcRunFast wrote: »

Already dead.

hermann341

_Waffle_ wrote: »

I did a 16.6 mile run last weekend and 42 miles total for the week. I'm just running for fun. Also I've never done anything longer than about 18 miles. I'll do that again this weekend but am I really prepared? The race is December 14th.

If you continue with 40+ miles per week and can do a 20 miler or 22 miler 3 weeks before your event you should be fine. Keep in mind, your pace for the event should probably be a little slower than your long runs.

_Waffle_

hermann341 wrote: »

_Waffle_ wrote: »

I did a 16.6 mile run last weekend and 42 miles total for the week. I'm just running for fun. Also I've never done anything longer than about 18 miles. I'll do that again this weekend but am I really prepared? The race is December 14th.

If you continue with 40+ miles per week and can do a 20 miler or 22 miler 3 weeks before your event you should be fine. Keep in mind, your pace for the event should probably be a little slower than your long runs.

I thought you were supposed to do your long runs slower than the event pace.

BChanFit

You can do it, you're a super star runner! Go get it and have fun.

mitch16

If you're already doing 18, then you're most of the way there! Keep to your training plan and manage your expectations for the race, and you should be fine. Seriously--you say that the last 6.2 miles is what you are worried about--there is no shame in walking some of it. Make sure you test out fuel/energy drinks while running your long training runs.

Here's my other tip--not sure of your overall goals, but do not, I repeat, do not attempt to run a full marathon while cutting. You are going to need all of those calories!

Good luck!

glevinso

_Waffle_ wrote: »

I'm not even doing a marathon or half marathon training plan but I was talked into doing a marathon next month. What should I do? How do I get prepared?

Not a smart move... but what is done is done. Reco pulling up the novice Hal Higdon plan, and see if your currently weekly running approximates where the plan is with that number of weeks out. Make sense? Jump into the plan there.

However with only 4 weeks to go you are in the last build week before a 3 week taper. Now since you haven't been running that much, you don't need to taper for so long so you can conceivably get 2 weeks of real training. If you are at 45 miles a week now, perhaps a push to 50 with an 18 mile long run would be good.

I personally usually don't bother with anything more than 18 as my longest ahead of a marathon, but I also run 50-60 mile weeks in there.

glevinso

_Waffle_ wrote: »

hermann341 wrote: »

_Waffle_ wrote: »

I did a 16.6 mile run last weekend and 42 miles total for the week. I'm just running for fun. Also I've never done anything longer than about 18 miles. I'll do that again this weekend but am I really prepared? The race is December 14th.

If you continue with 40+ miles per week and can do a 20 miler or 22 miler 3 weeks before your event you should be fine. Keep in mind, your pace for the event should probably be a little slower than your long runs.

I thought you were supposed to do your long runs slower than the event pace.

Yes, but that assumes a full build schedule.

uconnwinsnc1

Are you religious? If not, you will be when you're 90% through the race.

_Waffle_

uconnwinsnc1 wrote: »

Are you religious? If not, you will be when you're 90% through the race.

Which religion?

wilsoncl6

Sounds like you already have the fitness in place, you just have to find a good prep plan to work with. I did one marathon in my entire life. I walked strange for an entire week and my feet felt like somebody beat them with baseball bats. Scratched that off of my bucket list and never want to do it again. Some people just love the high the get from it.