training for a marathon... Where do I start..?

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1989lukemyers
1989lukemyers Posts: 158 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Ok so how do I go about training for a marathon..? I've only done half marathons before and well it's time...

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  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    When is the marathon, how many miles per week do you currently run?
  • sarabushby
    sarabushby Posts: 784 Member
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    Find a race and a training plan that suits you and your timescales. Depending how long you've been running for and how often you run you probably want to look for something that's minimum 16wks away, or up to a year even if you've not been running so long. There's so many free plans available online you just need to see which would suit you best not just in how many times a wk you run but also in how prescriptive the plan is, e.g is it done by time, distance, RPE, HR etc. Runners World and Hal Higdon are both popular examples.

    There is also a great app from Asics which you can download, tell it your current ability, PB, goals, timeframes and how often you want to train and it'll structure a plan to the data you give.

    Remember to be cautious about how you ramp up your training, suddenly jumping to running 5x a week instead of 3 could be a recipe for injury (it was for me and for many pals too). It takes the body a long time to make the structural adaptations that'll support a marathon and the training that goes with it.

    Good luck!
  • rsclause
    rsclause Posts: 3,103 Member
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    I have yet to run or train for a full but I am sure that you gotta get some miles in. I didn't realize I was going to run a half marathon until I opened the paper after my morning run to see one for the next day. I got lucky that my routine was almost the perfect training plan for that distance. After slacking off this winter I am working on getting my miles up to a level that will let me pick a full marathon soon. Good luck!
  • FatMomRun
    FatMomRun Posts: 28 Member
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    I hired a running coach, personalized running schedules to get me where I need to be. After my runs we talk and she makes adjustments to my schedule as need be. I've gone from barely walking 1/2 a mile to running 6 miles in less than 5 months.
  • smileymaxine
    smileymaxine Posts: 275 Member
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    Training plan ... If you have been doing halfs you'll do a marathon no problem but give it at least 16 weeks if not a little more . I used training plans from run keeper but you can find them everywhere . Same with your half you will have to pay attention to what you are eating, resting, maybe add in a few strength sessions.
    If I ever run a marathon again I will seriously focus on my diet more totally messed me up last year.
    It's a huge commitment but really worth it.
    Good luck

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