Future marathoner

ShinyDragonfly

I fit into the future category of this group and I'm wondering about marathon training programs? I'm hoping to run a marathon in April 2014 but I'm really a beginner runner. I'm using the C25K program currently- my first 5k in years should be in early July. I then plan to do the C210k program but I'm nervous that I won't be ready for a marathon by April. Any suggestions or training programs that will help?

Liz_Mfp

I'd suggest Jeff Galloway's training programs to begin with.

Part 1
8 weeks of walking the "Conditioning Program" all-walking, no jogging
http://www.jeffgalloway.com/training/condition.html

Part 2
8 weeks re-doing the "Conditioning Program" but do the Jog/walk. Buy a www.GymBoss.com
http://www.jeffgalloway.com/training/condition.html

That's your first four months.

Part 3
7 weeks of "5K training" plan, doing weeks #9-16 finish off with a local 5K
http://www.jeffgalloway.com/training/5k.html

Part 4
8 weeks of "10K training" plan, doing weeks #6-13
http://www.jeffgalloway.com/training/5k.html#10k

Find a 10K and run it after completing these approx. 8 months

Part 5
13 weeks of "Half Marathon Training", doing weeks # 5-17 - Find yourself a Half Marathon "just to finish"
http://www.jeffgalloway.com/training/half_marathon.html

That's about 11 months completed.

Enter your Half Marathon time into the MARCO training calculator
http://feelrace.com/marathonperfect.html

Part 6
16 weeks of "Marathon Training," doing weeks # 15-30
http://www.jeffgalloway.com/training/marathon.html

This completes about 15 months of Beginning Running
And if you trained easy you should be in good condition to complete a full marathon.

If you want to do another Marathon afterwards --->

Half Marathon - Hal Higdon
http://www.halhigdon.com/training/51130/Half-Marathon-Training-Guide

Full Marathon - Hal Higdon
http://www.halhigdon.com/training/51135/Marathon-Training-Guide

arc918

My $.02: honestly, April is likely too soon to be thinking about marathon. Take each new distance a step at a time. Your marathon training will be much more enjoyable if you have a couple half marathons under your belt already.

ShinyDragonfly

Thank you very much. The Jeff Galloway training sounds very similar to what I am doing and what I was planning to do so that's really reassuring that I can make it happen. Arc, I understand it isn't ideal training but I really want to make the Boston marathon, it means so much to me and I'm going to at least aim for it, only know for sure if you try, right?

Thank you both!

CarsonRuns

I agree with Arc. That's really too soon if you are just now doing couch to 5K. I suggest that a runner have 18 months of experience and be averaging 25 miles per week over a 2 month period before even starting a 12 to 16 week marathon training program.

Also, unless you plan to snag a charity bib, you need to run a qualifying marathon time to get into Boston. The time you have to run for your gender and age is 3:35.

I would suggest maybe planning for a half marathon next spring and then reassess after that.

jaxCarrie

check out Hal Higdon...he has several plans for marathons (super novice, novice, 1 and 2)....good place to start to get a handle on what the training will look like.
Personally - my goal for my first marathon was merely to finish...I am one of those mis-shapen gals that no matter how long I train there's no way I could qualify for Boston...it's pretty elite.
Get thru your 5K and them set your sights on a Half in the fall....I think you can build to a marathon by April....but realistically set your goals....qualifying for Boston is lofty (IMHO). Remember that only like 5% of the population runs marathons.....(I'm 100% making up that figure but it's gotta be close.) Just finishing 26.2 is a HUGE accomplishment.

DavidMartinez2

Carson and Arc are both very smart runners with a lot of knowledge and experience.

I am stupid and do dumb things. I went from Couch to Ultra Marathon in 10 months and so it can be done, but you have to be dedicated to the process. Don't focus on "OMG I only have xx months to get ready for my first marathon!!" instead look at the next step. Make sure you hit all the race distances as you progress; a couple of 5Ks, then a 10K, then a half marathon. At some point you may decide, "Wow, that sucked, I don't want to do it again". That is OK, not everyone likes spending hours running. Good luck!

scottb81

The Galloway training program will get you to the finish line of a marathon by next April without any problem. It is unlikely to get you a Boston qualifying time by then though.

I help train people in that program and the majority of first time women finish somewhere around the 5 hour mark. We have had several guys finish in under 4 hours but they generally do some additional training on their own.

If you can run 3 miles now the Galloway 1st timers program will get you prepared. If you want to run the marathon next year you could do it this way and if you decide you want to keep doing them and BQ you could then decide how you want to train for the one after that. By that time you will have a pretty decent running base and could continue using Galloway's more aggressive plans or move on to something else.

redredy9

Unless you are running for a charity - Boston is going to be a very difficult is not immpossible goal.

In order to qualify you'll have to run a fast marathon before their qualifying race deadline which is usually the first week of October. So you'll have to go from couch to sub-3:35 marathon by October 2013.

Boston is an amazing race and has been a source of inspiration for runners for over a hundred years. It's been the goal of countless marathoners and is as close to the Olympics as many of us can ever hope to get. After the bombing this year I know that this particular race has taken on even more meaning but there are other races. Unless you can get a charity bib - which maybe espeacially difficult this year - you will have to run another marathon first (to qualify) anyways.

I would suggest you keep running, keep upping your milage, run a few half marathons, then think about planning a marathon. You'll probably have until sometime in October 2014 to run a qualfying time for Boston 2015.

kkramey1970

I used the book "The Non-Runners Marathon Trainer". It's a 16 week training schedule. The only requirement the book asks is that you can run for 30 minutes non-stop. It's a training manual designed to get you to the finish line, not set any speed records. I've passed the book on to friends and it has worked for them too. Good luck!