I want to be a marathon runner!

I am running my very first half marathon in November. Need to look at this later...

Allyson - ever thought of running NYC??? Should we pinky swear to doing it someday?! lol

Running is awesome, my therapy and my ME time... it is honestly a love/hate, but mostly a love relationship...

Distance running is tough, especially since I've had kids... my joints don't particularly like it, nor does my back. The training is long. But like a previous poster said - you never regret it!!!

Run sistah! If a marathon is what you want, I have absolutely NO DOUBT you can DO IT!!! :flowerforyou:

Congratulations!

I've completed over 20 marathons (or longer) in the past 5 years. I'm 46 now. My recommendation is to build milage slowly to avoid injury. So, the path that you see of going from 5k to 10k to half marathon is an excellent model. Make sure you have good running shoes. I'd recommend finding a LRS (local running store) and having them help you buy your first pair. After that, you might buy some cheaper on line but check back with the LRS occasionally as models change and if you have any pains they may be able to help through the right choice of shoes. Hydrate more as you run more. Learn to hydrate during runs, as they get longer.

And come race day, don't do anything new. No new foods, shoes, bras, shorts, etc - use what you've used in training to avoid unpleasant surprises of chafing, GI issues, etc.

From my experience, I ran a half about a year after I started running. Then I figured I'd try a full 6 months after that. My body had other ideas. I got plantar faciitis (foot pain). I completed the marathon, but I only ran the uphills (less impact). Since then I haven't had many running injuries. As long as I listen to my body, I'm OK. When I decide that will go a certain speed without listening to my body, I get injured. I'm slowly recovering now from a hip injury from trying to go faster on a marathon in March.

Oh, if you want a training plan, I'd suggest going to Runners world magazine website and searching for an article on running your first half (and then a plan for your first full sometime after that). They have a 'smart coach' app for free that I use to create training plans.

Enjoy the journey. I absolutely love running now. I'm off to a trail 5k tonight - just for fun. The people you meet, through a running group at a LRS or local races, also tend to be great. I volunteer a lot at races - which is another great way to learn from fellow runners.

p.s. I see you're from Chicago. I've run NYC, Marine Corps, Flying Pig, etc. I was born in NYC, so of course I loved the experience of running the NYC marathon. But the logistics of getting to the start (subway to ferry to bus and then walk) took as long as the marathon. I'm probably not running NYC again. But I'm running Chicago again this Fall. The logistics there are fantastic (although this year they are having two waves of start, which is a disappointment to me). Chicago is a fantastic marathon. If you really are IN Chicago, there are some great training groups specifically for the Chicago marathon that I'd recommend you check out. You can probably find them through the Chicago marathon web page. They probably start training in late Spring for the marathon (and assume you are running at least 15-20 miles a week for a while to have a good base). Don't worry about your pace - most training groups have paces ranging from walking 15 min/mile to uber speedy and everything in between.

I trained with a local running group for both of my marathons, the support is amazing! If you truly want to train alone, the Hal Higdon training plans online are great and free, just google Hal Higdon Beginner Marathon training. Good luck!