Marathon..first one. What to expect?

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  • carrie3083
    carrie3083 Posts: 30 Member
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    Lots of really great advice here. It's so great you are going to run a marathon! It's a tremendous experience. I've run seven and they are really wonderful memories for me. I would suggest picking up a copy of "Advanced Marathoning" by Pete Pfitzinger. Don't worry about the title, it's for everyone of every ability. It is like a running bible to me. Best of luck!!
  • kgumm
    kgumm Posts: 1
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    Training to run my first half in May. Trained last year but had to have unexpected surgery 4 weeks prior to the race. Just hoping to finish and run about a 10 minute pace throughout. I run with my husband most days and that does help tremendously.
  • GiddyupTim
    GiddyupTim Posts: 2,819 Member
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    Expect to be really sore. I think i trained fairly adequately prior to my marathon. But the next few days afterwards my legs were incredibly sore. We lived in a third floor apartment, in an old building with very tight, winding stairs. God, they were a killer.
  • scottb81
    scottb81 Posts: 2,538 Member
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    This is what goes through my mind when I am running one.

    1st 10 miles - "This isn't so bad"
    Mile 10 to 15 - "ok, I'm starting to feel it now, but I can hang with the pace"
    Somewhere around mile 18 - "this is getting hard and there is still 8 miles to go"
    Right around mile 20 - "what stupid fool talked me into doing this? Oh yeah, that was me. I really want to go home"
    Mile 23 to 25 - "I can stop and go hide in the bushes and nobody will know"
    Mile 26 - "this is really painful, but almost done"
    Mile 26.2 - not thinking anything because I am laying on the ground.
    1 hr later - "never again"
    1 wk later - "time to start training for the next one to get a big PR."
  • domino38
    domino38 Posts: 23 Member
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    This is what goes through my mind when I am running one.

    1st 10 miles - "This isn't so bad"
    Mile 10 to 15 - "ok, I'm starting to feel it now, but I can hang with the pace"
    Somewhere around mile 18 - "this is getting hard and there is still 8 miles to go"
    Right around mile 20 - "what stupid fool talked me into doing this? Oh yeah, that was me. I really want to go home"
    Mile 23 to 25 - "I can stop and go hide in the bushes and nobody will know"
    Mile 26 - "this is really painful, but almost done"
    Mile 26.2 - not thinking anything because I am laying on the ground.
    1 hr later - "never again"
    1 wk later - "time to start training for the next one to get a big PR."

    Love this!:happy:
  • mlb929
    mlb929 Posts: 1,974 Member
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    Cross train, my first marathon I only ran, per a training schedule, I ran, ran, ran. I finished in 5:50 hours with knee pain. My second marathon, I fell at mile 17 - someone dropped a disposable bottle in the path and I slipped on it and fractured my leg, I finished in 4:45, disappointing, but I"m good with it. I've slowly gotten back into my recovery, and decided I'm more a half marathoner, less time and commitment required, I've ran 11 of them and will stick with halfs myself. The key to distance running IMO is run less and cross train more, stretch and foam roll, get regular massages. Treat your body well in the process of training. I also had 2 pair of shoes I alternated in and out to avoid wearing out one pair training.

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