Virgin Marathoner

I've done a few.

tell us a little about your running background, where you are as a runner, what are your goals, how do you plan to get there?

I started running a few years ago and have finished a bunch on 5K's, a few 8K's, One 15K and three 1/2 Marathons. Two of the 1/2's I run walked with a friend and one we ran straight through...actually had better times on the two that we we run/walked...fastest was 2:40. Ran all the smaller ones (except for the first 5K) and my time is much better for those (average10 min mile). But now I feel I must move up and try the marathon. I don't think there is a chance in hell I can run it straight through and still feel good so I plan to train (just made my schedule and started this week) at a 3/1 Run/walk pace. Really nervous because I have not been able to talk my running buddy into training for a full yet and I hate to run alone. I need the distraction of talking to someone. So..may have to go the "virtual" training route with an app?? Anyone else here training for one? I am planning to follow the galloway marathon training schedule. It is 30+ weeks long.

Hey there! I'm doing my first full marathon the same day as you, Jan 19, the Houston Marathon. I am going to be using an 18 week Hal Higdon plan, so I'll be officially starting training in September.

Hi! I want runner friends too. I live in San Francisco and run many 1/2 marathons a year. Next up Nike and Berkeley.

I have a pretty faithful weekend running group and run a few times during the week at my gym - near work if I have a race coming up.

I am also about 10-11 min miler but would love to increase my speed by Nike. So I am on this to try and shed some weight I have been holding onto since I had my son.

Next time put "VIRGIN..." in the title and then start the opening paragraph with "....marathoner needs help and friends."

That will get attention, though probably not any serious answers.


Good luck though.

I ran my first marathon in May. The difference, especially in training, between a full and a half is hard to describe. It is hard to prepare yourself for everything that goes into training for a full. Lots of blood, sweat and tears. And well worth every minute of it! The sense of accomplishment is amazing! Good luck...and enjoy!!!

So I started running 2/2, have done 10 races to date and am working to my first 1/2 marathon (Memphis) in December. Then the 1/2 in New Orleans in February, then Little Rock for a full marathon in March.

For prep, one of my hard core/first place marathon buddies gave me a copy of Advanced Marathoning. He said not to worry about the distances, instead read and understand the lactic acid threshold stuff--and that it made the biggest difference for him. Basically, it means to not train fast. Instead, train slow, train at a pace that keeps you under your lactic acid threshhold which for most of us is still around 75-80% of your MHR. Those long slow endurance runs push up your threshhold so that you can end up running with a faster pace, you don't hit your lactic acid threshhold, and therefore you don't crash at 20 miles.

Anyway, the biggest difference I saw in my running food wise was eating food without labels/ingredients. So I eat a lot of vegetables and grains, make sure I get enough protein (beans, legumes, dairy, lean meat or fish). Give yourself a rest day at least once a week. That gives me such a killer time on the next run. Really listen to your body. Keep a running notebook, and read over it often.

Have fun, run with a smile, and say hi to those you meet along the way!

Ran my first marathon last October. Just signed up for another this year. I started running in Nov 2011 and had only run a 5k before my marathon. You are way ahead of me in terms of running experience.

Advice:
1.) Do NOT worry about walking. LOTS of people walk. I found walking through the water stations helped a lot. It gave my legs (and head) a break. During those final miles I kept saying "Just run to the next water stop and you can walk a little"...it helped tremendously.

2.) Hydrate. Every single water stop grab something (Gatorade or Water). I don't care if you're not thirsty, drink something. The worst possible thing you can do early on in the race is under hydrate. It will catch up with you later in the race. Make sure you time your gels or other energy supplements perfectly (I did mine at mile 7-14-21). I honestly ate half a PB&J around mile 9. I credit proper nutrition and hydration for pulling me to the finish line.

3.) Like the previous poster mentioned, train slow. There is not need to kill yourself during training. I did last year and was injured half way through....talk about devastating. If your body is telling you to take an extra day off, do so. I found during marathon training I became really "in-tune" to my body and it will let you know when it needs a break.

4.) During the marathon, take the focus off of yourself every once in a while. Look up. Encourage someone else, provide a "You're doing great" smile, tell someone that they can do this. When I stopped thinking about myself and started focusing on others, I was able to breeze through a few miles. Remember, you are all in the same position. You are all running the same 26.2 miles. Whether you're an elite 2:30 marathoner, or a newbie, it's still 26.2 miles.

5.) Those last miles are hard. Really hard. I don't think I ever hit "the wall", but I did find a point (around mile 22) where I thought "I would REALLY like to stop running right now." Those last 6 miles will seem almost impossible....it is NOT impossible. It will hurt....you're going to be wondering why you did this, but let me tell you....IT IS WORTH THE PAIN!!!!

6.) Soak in the experience. Keep your head up, take in the scenery, thank the volunteers (they are AMAZING!), and try to enjoy yourself.

I never understood people who ran marathons. I never understood the "runners high"...UNTIL I ran a marathon. The feeling that rushes over you when you cross that finish line is so beyond overwhelming. It is B.A.D.A.S.S.

I have so much more to say, but I've already wrote a book. You're going to be just fine!

You can do this. You are strong enough. Good Luck and enjoy it!