Half or Full Marathons??

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ken_hogan
ken_hogan Posts: 854 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I was looking for 5K's coming up in my area this summer and it made me curious....I was hoping to get a little inspiration/motivation from others here on MFP that may have started using a C25K program and eventually started running half or full marathons after getting to that point? Just wanted to throw that question out there....:glasses:
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Replies

  • ken_hogan
    ken_hogan Posts: 854 Member
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    Bump
  • BarackMeLikeAHurricane
    BarackMeLikeAHurricane Posts: 3,400 Member
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    Neither, I'd rather have muscles.
  • dgoradia
    dgoradia Posts: 109 Member
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    Neither, I'd rather have muscles.

    High-five!
  • ThickMcRunFast
    ThickMcRunFast Posts: 22,511 Member
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    Never did C25K, but I have run a lot of marathons. Feel free to shoot me any questions.





    And ZOMG I have muscles!!! I must be a special snowflake.
  • StaceyN8R
    StaceyN8R Posts: 6 Member
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    I started running (very slowly!) about a year and a half ago at the age of 50. I ran my first 5K a few months after that, then ran a few more over the year. On Memorial Day, I just ran my first 10k race. This morning I ran 10 miles for my second time ever. I have been asked by a high school friend and my daughter to run a half marathon with them and am considering it. I don't think I'd ever be interested in running a marathon. I think that may be too hard on this old Grammy! :smile:
  • Remark13
    Remark13 Posts: 1
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    Try P90x + Hal Higdon marathon training. All the cardio, plus the muscles. You need to throw some supplements in to get to your goal protein levels.
  • Razzlebari
    Razzlebari Posts: 29 Member
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    I was slow to start, and went through the C25K process (for the second time) starting in January. Today, I finally registered for a Half Marathon in July. Since I've worked up to 9 miles, I'm feeling pretty confident I can add four more and rock out in a month and a half! Good luck, friend!
  • dpollet2
    dpollet2 Posts: 68 Member
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    I didn't use a C25K program when I first started running, but since I haven't run regularly in a year I've started with the Zombies, Run! 5K program. It's pretty good as far as increasing stamina and endurance. I ran a half a couple years ago and had only been running about a year at that point, and this program is pretty much what I did on my own. Walk, run, walk, ruuuun, etc. lol

    My only critique would be the advice my long-time running friend gave me when I first started training for the half. Try not to walk, just learn to run really slow. For me, once I start walking during a race, it is over. It's so hard to start back and run any distances without walking again. But when I learned to run slow (like not much faster than a walk, but still "bouncing") it was much easier to speed up later and continue. When I follow the program now, I do walk when they tell me too, but I run during all the free style periods and just go slow when I need to.

    Good luck!
  • FUELERDUDE
    FUELERDUDE Posts: 150 Member
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    I completed c25k a couple of months ago and I have ran 2 5k events since then. I have also graduated to the novice 5k plan from Hal Higdon. In doing the novice plan, I have begun running distances of 6 miles +. I am looking to complete a half marathon sometime in the fall!
  • maddymama
    maddymama Posts: 1,183 Member
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    I did C5K, ran a ton of 5Ks (maybe 30) over the course of a year and a half. Last fall I did a 10K, and then did a half marathon this past spring.

    C25K was a great program to use to get into running. I took my time upping my mileage from that to longer distances so as not to risk a lot of injuries.
  • magerum
    magerum Posts: 12,589 Member
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    Never did C25K, but I have run a lot of marathons. Feel free to shoot me any questions.





    And ZOMG I have muscles!!! I must be a special snowflake.

    Clearly.
    Butterfly_zpsbaf1e4a5.gif


    I do hard cardio 3 days a week, 7-10 miles each session, I'm able to make gains in lifting.
  • ken_hogan
    ken_hogan Posts: 854 Member
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    I started running (very slowly!) about a year and a half ago at the age of 50. I ran my first 5K a few months after that, then ran a few more over the year. On Memorial Day, I just ran my first 10k race. This morning I ran 10 miles for my second time ever. I have been asked by a high school friend and my daughter to run a half marathon with them and am considering it. I don't think I'd ever be interested in running a marathon. I think that may be too hard on this old Grammy! :smile:

    I was hoping to be able to do a 10K by this time next year. There is a triathlon that I would like to try fall 2014...5K run 20K bike & 400M swim. Can only try for it I hope!!
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
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    I'm still waiting for the question
  • bonjour24
    bonjour24 Posts: 1,119 Member
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    I started off with C25k. Then I did B210k. Then I did Hal Higdons novice half marathon training. Then I did my 1st full training.

    Took me 18months between wanting to die after jogging for 1 minute, to running my first full. My first full was 1 year ago. In total I've run about 9 halves and 2 fulls, and have another 3 halves and a full planned for the upcoming year.

    Feel free to ask any questions you want. It was all a steep learning curve for me- I was so unhealthy and overweight when I started, and not used to exercising at all. Determination and consistency are the key i think.

    ANd FWIW, if you follow the programs to get to your 10k goal (or just do c210k) then it should not take any more that 14 weeks or so. C25k was 9 weeks (but I did it in 5 or 6 i think, just by going out 5x a week instead of 3), and B210k is about another 6 weeks. I think.
  • BeachIron
    BeachIron Posts: 6,490 Member
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    Never did C25K, but I have run a lot of marathons. Feel free to shoot me any questions.





    And ZOMG I have muscles!!! I must be a special snowflake.

    ^ Thank you for saying this. I've never run a full but I have run halves. It probably would have been smarter to use a program but I just ran more and more until I got there. I'm unfortunately having to start all over again with 5Ks because of non-running related knee injury. Good luck with your training!
  • ken_hogan
    ken_hogan Posts: 854 Member
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    I'm still waiting for the question

    Yeah, I didn't word that last line very well....lol!
  • ken_hogan
    ken_hogan Posts: 854 Member
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    I started off with C25k. Then I did B210k. Then I did Hal Higdons novice half marathon training. Then I did my 1st full training.

    Took me 18months between wanting to die after jogging for 1 minute, to running my first full. My first full was 1 year ago. In total I've run about 9 halves and 2 fulls, and have another 3 halves and a full planned for the upcoming year.

    Feel free to ask any questions you want. It was all a steep learning curve for me- I was so unhealthy and overweight when I started, and not used to exercising at all. Determination and consistency are the key i think.

    ANd FWIW, if you follow the programs to get to your 10k goal (or just do c210k) then it should not take any more that 14 weeks or so. C25k was 9 weeks (but I did it in 5 or 6 i think, just by going out 5x a week instead of 3), and B210k is about another 6 weeks. I think.

    Cool....thanks for sharing your story!!


    And of course, thanks to everyone else!
  • kelsully
    kelsully Posts: 1,008 Member
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    Neither, I'd rather have muscles.

    I have muscles and I run marathons and half marathons
  • flexdirectcpr
    flexdirectcpr Posts: 103 Member
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    I started a C25k program in March. But I found that I was able to progress faster on my own after I stopped smoking, so I just pushed myself to see what I could do. I finished my first 5k April 27(Ran the whole thing). I did a 2.62 fundraiser Run For Boston and a 5k last week. My next race is a 10k coming up in 1 week. I also booked a half marathon for November. I booked all of these races two days after I completed my first 5k. I was hooked, and I figured that having these set goals would push me to continue my training and progress. I wish you the best of luck!
  • kelsully
    kelsully Posts: 1,008 Member
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    To OP...run for a year at least and make sure you can complete a 10K comfortably then move to longer races. Enjoy running for all that it can be for you.

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