Marathons...I do the stupidest things...

bonjour24

it took me about 18 months to go from couch potato and completely unfit, to marathon. i started with c25k, then bridge to 10k, hal higdons beginners half training, then hal higdons beginner marathon training.

if you just want to walk it then there's no reason you couldn't just do it. it would suck and the most miserable 8 hours of your life, and your feet would never forgive you. my mate did that last weekend- just got up and walked 25 miles. *kitten* he was miserable and had to take time off work. there are walking plans you can follow too- just google it.

good luck. hope you win your bet.

CarsonRuns

I waited about 6 years before I ran my first full. I had a handful of half marathons under my belt and a good base. I went out at a VERY conservative pace and maintained it through 20 miles and STILL bonked. It wasn't until the next year, when my mileage went over 2400 miles for the year that I was able to run the marathon and finish strong. It's a daunting distance. You can train half *kitten* and get through a half. You try that with a full and you are doing the death march for 2+ hours over the last 10 miles.

jturnerx

Plus I have to ask, am I the only the only one that wonders why people take the goal of a full marathon so lightly?

I'm not sure either. The distance seems to have gotten trivialized and yet, as arc918 has stated, it is a long *kitten* way to go. Sometimes I get in my car and note how far 26.2 miles is and where it gets me and I'm amazed because even that feels like a long *kitten* drive.

I had 18 months of consistent training before I attempted my first marathon. It wasn't a slog and it wasn't painful and I wasn't held together with duct tape (before, during or after). It was hard, yes, but I was well trained and ready for it.

CarsonRuns

Plus I have to ask, am I the only the only one that wonders why people take the goal of a full marathon so lightly?

I'm not sure either. The distance seems to have gotten trivialized and yet, as arc918 has stated, it is a long *kitten* way to go.

From long-time running and race announcer Tony Reavis commenting on the NYC Marathon debacle, but can be applied to the Rock 'n' Roll franchise marathons and their ilk:

The New York City Marathon is seen as a one-off event staged on public property mainly as recreation for citizen athletes raising money for charities. And part of why the marathon is seen that way is because that’s the way it’s been sold. For better or worst, running abandoned racing as its centerpiece ten to fifteen years ago in favor of participatory fund-running. We haven’t been selling action, we have been pedalling herding competence with a charity swirl. The tail began wagging the dog.

HMVOL7409

I waited about 6 years before I ran my first full. I had a handful of half marathons under my belt and a good base. I went out at a VERY conservative pace and maintained it through 20 miles and STILL bonked. It wasn't until the next year, when my mileage went over 2400 miles for the year that I was able to run the marathon and finish strong. It's a daunting distance. You can train half *kitten* and get through a half. You try that with a full and you are doing the death march for 2+ hours over the last 10 miles.

I always love reading your experience and advice. It's a very daunting, terrifying distance and while my goal is 2 yrs away, I have 2 yrs to change my mind. But yes I don't see this as something to go into half assed trained for.

ixap

Wish I would have waited (from a training perspective) as my first was a nightmare, but it gave me the bug.....and 18 marathons later, still glad I slogged through that first one. Now, if I could only catch the bug again....

This is pretty much me too. I think it's become kind of a "bucket list" thing for people. Rushing into it is a pretty good guarantee that it will be a miserable experience, but honestly I think that's okay if you just want to do it once and then move on to some other sport. Some people know they don't like running and don't have any desire to be a runner long term, but want to be able to say they've done a marathon; nothing wrong with that I guess.

Happily, my awful first time didn't squelch my love of running but inspired me to try again and do better. I think quickly moved on to ultramarathons. Now I'm working backwards and really training for 5Ks for the first time after 15 years of running, LOL.

BamsieEkhaya

Plus I have to ask, am I the only the only one that wonders why people take the goal of a full marathon so lightly?

I'm not sure either. The distance seems to have gotten trivialized and yet, as arc918 has stated, it is a long *kitten* way to go. Sometimes I get in my car and note how far 26.2 miles is and where it gets me and I'm amazed because even that feels like a long *kitten* drive.

I had 18 months of consistent training before I attempted my first marathon. It wasn't a slog and it wasn't painful and I wasn't held together with duct tape (before, during or after). It was hard, yes, but I was well trained and ready for it.

I'm don't really plan on running it as a race, more to prove a point to myself (as well as race money for charity) and tick it off my bucket list, I'll probably be one of the last...I can't really explain it, but for me its not about the how fast I was etc.

shannysgirl

Since the time issue has already been answered, I'll say this - in addition to the foam roller previously mentioned, buy The Stick. That's the name "The Stick". Pretty much the best thing I ever got for my training. It's amazing in how quickly it makes pain go away. I'm pretty sure that they infuse the plastic with the blessings of angels, unicorn wishes, and sparkly rainbows.

The reason I purchased mine was because I went from barely being able to walk without wincing in pain after running a 5K WAY faster than I should have the day before a half marathon and about four total minutes with The Stick had me not feeling a single inkling of pain in either leg. I was buying the thing before the rest of my second leg was even rolled out. lol

^^^ This...The Stick is amazing!