I'm running a marathon...

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Replies

  • FeebRyan
    FeebRyan Posts: 738 Member
    Yes definitely looking to do a half in the Autumn, because if I'm not ready for that, I'm not going to be ready for a full in the spring!

    I am going to get my entry in as soon as I possibly can afford to. Which might restrict the ones I can do but that is okay, I will find one!

    What is the time limit?
  • runnerchick69
    runnerchick69 Posts: 317 Member
    Seriously perfect advice!
    I really wouldn't just 'wing' marathon training. You are likely to end up with an injury. You have to be careful about increasing pace/distance.

    Do you run at all? If not, I would start with the C25K programme and work from there. Book yourself into a 5K for after the plan (about 8 weeks), and then move onto a 10K programme.

    Also, make sure you have the right kind of running shoes. Go to a running shop and get your gait analysed. When I started running I just wore cheap runners and ended up with Plantar Fasciitis which is not nice at all and meant no running for 6weeks. Since getting my new running shoes I haven't had any problems.

    When you finish your 10k programme google Hal Higdon and follow his Half Marathon and Marathon Plans.

    Marathon training involves a lot of time and a lot of miles - its just so important you don't just suddenly jump into running 40-50miles a week. You need to build up to it and following some tried and tested plans is definitely the way I would advise going!
  • amandamurdaugh
    amandamurdaugh Posts: 138 Member
    I'm not trying to nit pick you in any way. I think your goal & reasoning is so admirable. But you said you think you'll be able to run/walk this marathon in 4-6 hours. Yet you said it takes you one hour to run a 5k. That's 3.1 miles in one hour. If you do the math, I think you'll find that you're more apt to finish this marathon in 8-9 hours. Many marathons have time limits. I don't think anyone is trying to discourage you either. I just think you might be underestimating the marathon. Good luck to you
  • FeebRyan
    FeebRyan Posts: 738 Member
    You seem to be ignoring the YEARS training I am going to do in the mean time. Right NOW I could run 5k (I am sure I have said all this) in an hour, but i am sure after a lot of training I would be able to do that much quicker. There is a 5k race coming up in 8 weeks, I intend on doing that in 40mins.
  • CarsonRuns
    CarsonRuns Posts: 3,039 Member
    You seem to be ignoring the YEARS training I am going to do in the mean time. Right NOW I could run 5k (I am sure I have said all this) in an hour, but i am sure after a lot of training I would be able to do that much quicker. There is a 5k race coming up in 8 weeks, I intend on doing that in 40mins.

    Honestly, if you are running 5K in a hour right now, or even in 50 minutes, your goal of a 4 to 6 hour marathon is unrealistic even with a full year of training. The marathon is unlike any other race distance. It takes people years of consistent running (like 1500+ miles per year over the course of several years) to attain the fitness to run a marathon in the 4 hour range.

    If you are dead set on doing this for your friend, you need to have realistic expectations going in. I feel you should use Galloway and prepare yourself to be more in the 6 to 7 hour range.
  • FeebRyan
    FeebRyan Posts: 738 Member
    I'm not really worried about how long it takes me, more thinking about finishing it!

    Thats why I asked whether there are time limits? I suppose the best way would be to find one that is either for walkers or for runners.
  • FeebRyan
    FeebRyan Posts: 738 Member
    Can I just reiterate AGAIN that i have NO TIME GOAL my only goal is to FINISH IT

    I am going to go back and read my posts now to understand why people are talking about things I am fairly sure I haven't actually said.
  • CarsonRuns
    CarsonRuns Posts: 3,039 Member
    He is looking at a lifetime of being confine to a chair, he is stuck in a random part of the county because of the ridiculous stipulations of the local council and he has all these battles to face, mental and physical... I think that in light of that, me running/walking/crawling 26 miles in a years time is pretty doable.

    So I am going to do it. I am starting this evening (eek) by running/walking for 20 mins and I will gradually build myself up, really I need to be able to run for at least 2 hours and feel I can keep going in order to run for the 4 or 6 hours it will take for me to run the marathon. There is a marathon in Paris on the 15th April next year, I am thinking of entering that one.

    OP, the 4 to 6 hours came from your post right here. Having a goal of just finishing is much more realistic. I, and some of the other posters on this thread with lots of running experience, are just trying to give you an idea about how long that is actually going to take you.
  • FeebRyan
    FeebRyan Posts: 738 Member
    Ah I see, well I got the 4-6 hour figure from the equation that it takes 15mins to walk a mile so

    26.2 @ 15mins = 6.5 hours.

    Which I do think is doable, I think at a push I could probably walk that now (I like walking)

    But yes, time is not an issue, finishing is the issue
  • You seem to be ignoring the YEARS training I am going to do in the mean time. Right NOW I could run 5k (I am sure I have said all this) in an hour, but i am sure after a lot of training I would be able to do that much quicker. There is a 5k race coming up in 8 weeks, I intend on doing that in 40mins.

    Honestly, if you are running 5K in a hour right now, or even in 50 minutes, your goal of a 4 to 6 hour marathon is unrealistic even with a full year of training. The marathon is unlike any other race distance. It takes people years of consistent running (like 1500+ miles per year over the course of several years) to attain the fitness to run a marathon in the 4 hour range.

    If you are dead set on doing this for your friend, you need to have realistic expectations going in. I feel you should use Galloway and prepare yourself to be more in the 6 to 7 hour range.

    Carson is giving very sound advice here. The wear and tear training for and running or run/walking a marathon is a very daunting task. It took me almost 4 years before I built up enough stamina and trained my ligaments and muscles to endure 26.2 miles. I am not saying it can't be done faster, all I am saying is that Carson is someone who knows what he is talking about and giving solid advice here. Your goal is very admirable, however taking just 1 year to prepare for a marathon is not as long as you think. Heck, when I am training for a marathon, my training schedule is 12 weeks long. And when I am not training for a marathon, I usually do about 25 miles a week. It still takes me 12 weeks to get my body ready for a marathon from there. Galloway is a great program. Using it and guidance from people like Carson will pay big dividends.

    I wish you nothing but the best and truly admire your goal to help your friend. Good luck.
  • bimpski
    bimpski Posts: 176 Member
    I did the jimmy fund walk last year to raise money for cancer patients. it was the boston marathon route. it was a walk not a run. I trained for 6 months. every weekend I went a little further. it's a big commitment. I had to forgo a lot of family events on weekends to get ready for it. it took 10.5 hours to complete the 26.2 mile course. it was a fabulous experience. and i'll be doing it again this year. good luck!
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Ah I see, well I got the 4-6 hour figure from the equation that it takes 15mins to walk a mile so

    26.2 @ 15mins = 6.5 hours.

    Which I do think is doable, I think at a push I could probably walk that now (I like walking)

    But yes, time is not an issue, finishing is the issue

    I did a 30 mile walk last summer... I had done insanity before that, so thought of myself as reasonably fit, and we did practice walks, and it was still TOUGH... it took 10 hours, (20 minute mile which is 'average' walking pace) and by the end it hurt...

    I admire anyone who wants to do a marathon, I know I couldn't do it! But the other posters who are seasoned runners are just trying to show you some realism.
  • badbcatha05
    badbcatha05 Posts: 200 Member
    Ah I see, well I got the 4-6 hour figure from the equation that it takes 15mins to walk a mile so

    26.2 @ 15mins = 6.5 hours.

    Some races do have time limits. I think you will see that that equation is a bit simple to calculate finishing time. I am currently training for a half marathon. I know that on a long run of 10-11 miles my early miles are a much faster pace than my last few. You will need to account for slowing down as you burn through fuel and get tired.

    I do think your goal of raising money to help you friend is a fantastic one. I haven't read anyone on here responding that has said otherwise. I think that we all just want to make sure you don't underestimate just how far a marathon is, and that it is much more than just physically going the distance. Though, having your friend as your motivation should certainly be a big morale boost along the way.

    From reading the responses, folks I think don't want to see you end up getting yourself hurt in trying do this.

    As I said before, I really do hope you are able to achieve this goal you have set out for yourself and that you stay healthy of the course of it.

    Best of luck.

    ETA- I think it was Carson who mentioned using Galloway... I am using his training plans now for my half. I would definitely recommend that as well.
  • Collier78
    Collier78 Posts: 811 Member
    I admire your spirit! Yes, the seasoned runners are giving you GREAT advice, but I get what you are saying. Your goal is only to finish and raise money for your friend. Train for the year, do the BEST that YOU can do, and see where you finish at. I don't think your goals are unrealistic, but they will take your full focus and dedication for the year.

    For all the seasoned runners, (I'll probably get shot saying this), I don't think she is setting unreasonable goals, I think she is well aware it will be A LOT of work, but if she tells herself now that she can't accomplish it what kind of impact will be negative about it have on her goals. I'm not saying we should embrace any unsafe behavior, but clearly she realizes she may be off on the times, and realizes it is quite the undertaking. So OP test your limits, see what you can do, be conscious of the possibilty of injury from going too far too fast, but in the end if you do your best and you meet your fundraising goal it's a win!
  • fleetzz
    fleetzz Posts: 962 Member
    I admire your spirit! Yes, the seasoned runners are giving you GREAT advice, but I get what you are saying. Your goal is only to finish and raise money for your friend. Train for the year, do the BEST that YOU can do, and see where you finish at. I don't think your goals are unrealistic, but they will take your full focus and dedication for the year.

    For all the seasoned runners, (I'll probably get shot saying this), I don't think she is setting unreasonable goals, I think she is well aware it will be A LOT of work, but if she tells herself now that she can't accomplish it what kind of impact will be negative about it have on her goals. I'm not saying we should embrace any unsafe behavior, but clearly she realizes she may be off on the times, and realizes it is quite the undertaking. So OP test your limits, see what you can do, be conscious of the possibilty of injury from going too far too fast, but in the end if you do your best and you meet your fundraising goal it's a win!

    I am not a seasoned runner, having only run for one year or so. Running is great for cardiovascular fitness and many people, including myself, have pushed too hard once the heart pounding, chest pain and the heavy breathing is behind us, only to find out that our muscles, tendons, ligaments, and bones haven't adapted to the stressed of running, and have been in pain or actually injured due to ignoring this.

    It takes the body time to adapt. The bony adaptations to the stress of running can take years. Sprains, strains, stress fractures: these happen regularly.

    Good luck OP! Don't get hurt.
  • SonicDeathMonkey80
    SonicDeathMonkey80 Posts: 4,489 Member
    Ah I see, well I got the 4-6 hour figure from the equation that it takes 15mins to walk a mile so

    26.2 @ 15mins = 6.5 hours.

    Which I do think is doable, I think at a push I could probably walk that now (I like walking)

    But yes, time is not an issue, finishing is the issue

    That's great and all, but mile one and mile 20 are two completely different animals :wink:

    Familiarize yourself with the sweep crew rules of engagement as most marathons have a 6-8 hour time limit. If you don't meet the time limits you will probably get the option to get hauled off in a golf cart by the crew, or simply be on your own with no official marathon support (police, aid stations, etc).
  • Shropshire1959
    Shropshire1959 Posts: 982 Member
    Yes definitely looking to do a half in the Autumn, because if I'm not ready for that, I'm not going to be ready for a full in the spring!

    I am going to get my entry in as soon as I possibly can afford to. Which might restrict the ones I can do but that is okay, I will find one!

    What is the time limit?

    Really depends upon the event.. some sell out over night, I'm afraid.
  • FeebRyan
    FeebRyan Posts: 738 Member
    I think I am going to look for a marathon that is walking or runnable, so will make the time-limit less.

    Who would have thought finding a marathon would be one of the difficult bits!

    No point signing up for London, I am sure
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
    I am currently 17st and very out of shape, I intend on doing a marathon in exactly a year.

    Given the dual challenge, quite a lot of weight to lose and go from non-running to completing a marathon, you'll need to do some research on an appropriate race, and there are a few stages that you can use to work towards that. That said, you're on the edge of Salisbury Plain and there are a lot of good trails around that will help your training.

    In part it depends how far you want to travel, there is a run in the New Forest later in the year, and that'll be fairly flat, Bournemouth is in October. Brighton is already programmed for April of next year.

    I would suggest combining the suggestion from Carson to use a Galloway walk/ run plan with one of those, with New Forest probably being the flattest of the three.
  • aswearingen22
    aswearingen22 Posts: 271 Member
    I'm almost afraid to post, as it seems you really only want encouragement to do it, and aren't really listening to the advice of experienced runners that are worried for you. Carson has given you fantastic advice, go back and reread every one of his posts. Your REASON for doing it is the only thing that is keeping me from telling you not to even try it.

    Here's what it comes down to. Expert advice will be you've been running for a year, of 25-30 miles every single week, before you even start training for a marathon. So if you want to run an April 2015 marathon, a marathon training program is about 4.5 months long, so that would start in early December 2014, so you should have been running 25-30 miles a week since December 2013, which means you should have started the c25k program in early fall 2013 to get to that point in December. You are already about 7+ months behind where I suggest you should be. That doesn't mean you CAN'T do it, it means you are at a very, very high risk of injury. All the pounding of training takes a toll on your body and you need that base under your belt in order to strengthen your bones, muscles, ligaments, tendons, and joints. It is very likely you'll get hurt and not even make it to the starting line of the marathon. I know you don't want to hear that, but that's the truth. I ran casually for 11 years, and had a base of 25-30 miles a week for 2.5 years (and had run 8 half marathons) before I started training for my first marathon. Thankfully I made it through injury free, but it hurt. Those last 6.2 miles of the marathon is no joke. The training is no joke. I felt like all I did was eat, sleep, work, and run. No energy for much else. You give up a lot to train. I know you're willing to do that, I get the passion for WHY you're doing it. I think all the experienced long distance runners are just concerned you really aren't grasping the difficulty of what you're about to undertake and are underestimating it, as we've all done it, and we've all done it with far more running base than you have. And honestly, just planning to run when you can, and walk when you can, will probably be a more painful way to complete a marathon than those of us that run the entire thing, as that implies you aren't properly trained and it's even more time on your feet. You'll hear world class runners say their 2.5 hour marathon times seem easier to them than those of us that are on the course for 4.5 hours, as it's so much harder on your body. If you're talking 6-8 hours, that is a lot of time on your feet and will be so much harder than you might think.

    I will highly recommend Galloway as others have. It's a way to train that is dedicated to run/walk intervals and I think will be a great way for you to train from the beginning, being an inexperienced runner and as you build your mileage. It will also help by not being so hard on your body and help you to try to stay injury free. Also, the $ price of the shoes doesn't matter if you didn't go get fitted for them. And yes, you are asking for even more injury by not running in the shoes that are right for you. Again, experienced runners talking here.

    I think you're going to do it no matter what anyone says to the contrary, so good luck.
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