Need tips on preparation for marathon

Iron_Feline

Errrm hon - are you doing a 5k or a marathon, because there is no such thing as a 5k marathon and there is a vast difference between the two.

Oh and regarding the stitch - I get stitches for two reasons

1) I run too fast, speed will come with time and distance - start slowly - very slowly and see if that helps.

2) eating to close to my run - some people can eat and run - I need to eat and wait 2 1/2 hrs before I run other wise I get the stitch, so maybe try experimenting with food timing if going slow doesn't help.

I'd guess one as most beginners start too fast. I know I did.

ZenInTexas

Its a 5K marathon that I have registered for. There were two more options of 10K and 3K. Now after reading your comments, I am thinking of shifting to 3K one.

And I understand that its very naive of me to sign up for a marathon being a complete non runner. But this I have taken up as a challenge to myself. I do not want to compare running with aerobics or zumba, but there was a time when I couldn't do these either. But now I do these ones daily without any feeling of passing out. All my life I had led a very sedentary lifestyle but for the past 6 months, I have completely redefined my priorities. And nothing comes before fitness.

Running was always on my to do list and signing up for marathon is a big motivation to me. I have one whole year to practice. So, I am gonna do it. And I don't care much about the final result. I am more concerned about the journey, i.e. getting myself prepared for the marathon.

Thanks for your tips. Would definitely check the sites that you all have mentioned and I hope, next year I will make a new post of 'how I felt when I touched the finishing line in the marathon.'

I'm really confused. Are you doing a marathon (26.2 miles) or a 5k (3.1 miles)? If you are in fact doing a 5k you are just fine and will have all the time in the world to conquer that challenge. You can definitely be more than ready for that in a year, get fitted for some good shoes, get the c25k program and you're good to go. But you might want to get your lingo straight. The word marathon only means a 26.2 mile race. Good luck to you!!!

lgrix

So you are doing a 5K run.

There is no such thing as a 5K marathon. A marathon is defined by a set distance and that distance is 26.2 miles.
You should consider correcting your terminology if you are going to participate in an event.

A 5K is totally doable for you.

Good luck

SLLRunner

I have been running on and off since I was in my twenties and running seriously for the last ten or eleven years. I've run shorter races, and I've run the Bay to Breakers in San Francisco twice, which is approximately 71/2 miles. In order to run any race, you must love running. You must be disciplined enough to stick it out through training. You will get side stitches, sore muscles, leg cramps, and water blisters and callouses on your feet. Some days you will feel exhilarated from running, other days it will wear you down to the bone. You just have to be prepared for the good and the bad.

Please also follow the wonderful advice in this thread about fitted running shoes and proper training, as well as joining your local runner's club. Find some running buddies who have the marathon goal too.

That said, how do you feel about running? If you don't run now you may not be able to properly train for any race a year from now. A year just seems to short of a time for a non-runner to train for a marathon.

Whatever you decide to do, the best of luck.

Hey,

Thank you for your valuable advice. You asked me how do I feel about running? Last year I started running. And I was absolutely in love with running. I think this is the only form of exercise which I enjoy the most. But why I stopped running was because after few minutes of running I would feel a sharp pain on my left abdomen, i.e. side stitches. And although I was regular in running, the pain would still persist. And thats why I stopped running and switched to other exercises. Do you have any solution for preventing side stitches?

You are very welcome. I have not gotten side stitches in years, but I think it's because I run on an empty stomach. When i did get them, I slowed down until they went away.

I'm glad you are running a 5k race instead.

RedBess

I have only run 2 marathons so far, but I went from never having run further than a 10k (training or races) to training for a marathon and was able to complete it. I started running about two years before that with the C25K program and would definitely recommend starting with that.

It also depends on your training; finding a plan that works for you and sticking with it. There are loads of plans on the internet for different levels. I did a basic beginners plan for my first marathon and then did a little more research for my second one. I really love the book "Marathon Method" by Tom Holland. It has great training plans for three different levels (beginner, intermediate, and advanced), strength training, but more importantly it talks a lot about what you can expect while training and while racing. I wish I had read this book before my first marathon because a lot of the stuff he talks about happened during my race (both positive and not so positive). Even basic stuff like wearing your "race day" outfit on all of your long runs to make sure things to don't rub where they shouldn't and cause chaffing.

Remember that there will be good days and there will be bad days. It is a lot of running and can be annoying at times. There will be days that going out for a 2-3 hour run will be awesome and relaxing and other days where you just want it to be over. Take the good with the bad and just keep running.

Just_Sha

Its a 5K marathon that I have registered for. There were two more options of 10K and 3K. Now after reading your comments, I am thinking of shifting to 3K one.

And I understand that its very naive of me to sign up for a marathon being a complete non runner. But this I have taken up as a challenge to myself. I do not want to compare running with aerobics or zumba, but there was a time when I couldn't do these either. But now I do these ones daily without any feeling of passing out. All my life I had led a very sedentary lifestyle but for the past 6 months, I have completely redefined my priorities. And nothing comes before fitness.

Running was always on my to do list and signing up for marathon is a big motivation to me. I have one whole year to practice. So, I am gonna do it. And I don't care much about the final result. I am more concerned about the journey, i.e. getting myself prepared for the marathon.

Thanks for your tips. Would definitely check the sites that you all have mentioned and I hope, next year I will make a new post of 'how I felt when I touched the finishing line in the marathon.'

I'm confused.

13suzie

Buy Richard Benyo's book: Making the Marathon Your Event

My suggestion is to follow the 20 week training program in the book. It's terrific and the book will walk you through all the running jargon and teach you how to approach this goal.

I am prepping for my 4th marathon. I went from a non-runner to a committed runner.
Having stamina is nice but you will need to commit to some serious training. It's incredibly rewarding.

Have fun!

jofjltncb6

Buy Richard Benyo's book: Making the Marathon Your Event

My suggestion is to follow the 20 week training program in the book. It's terrific and the book will walk you through all the running jargon and teach you how to approach this goal.

I am prepping for my 4th marathon. I went from a non-runner to a committed runner.
Having stamina is nice but you will need to commit to some serious training. It's incredibly rewarding.

Have fun!

Just to clarify, I think OP actually signed up for a 5k, not a marathon (42k)...which as nearly everyone knows is an entirely different race. Somewhere near the end, she mentioned changing to a 3k, not that that really matters since a 5k is completely doable for nearly everyone with an entire year to prepare.