Finished my first marathon!!

Jhensley2011
Jhensley2011 Posts: 54 Member
edited September 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
Yesterday I finished my first ever marathon!!!! And other than the muscle soreness, extreme fatigue, blisters and feeling that my toenails are going to fall off....it was worth every bit of the pain. For those of you who participate in half and full marathons on a consistent basis, I have to give you props as it not easy. I've been told that once you get through your first one, you'll "catch the bug" and start seeking more and more marathons to get involved in. Well, indeed, I think that has happened to me. I know I need to give my mind and body a time to rest and heal, however, does anyone know how long to let the body rest and/or how soon I can participate in the next "adventure." Thanks for any and all help.

J

Replies

  • johannahooks
    johannahooks Posts: 23
    Congrats! I've figured by #3, I now know what to expect during a marathon. :)

    The standard I've heard is 1 day for every mile for recovery. Make sure to get plenty of sleep in the next couple of weeks.

    I took 2 months between my last 2, and I think 1 more month would have been good. I just wasn't that interested in doing long training runs between. But finishing sans training made me realize how much better I could have done with a little training!
  • EZGruv
    EZGruv Posts: 215 Member
    Congrats!
  • amandalc980
    amandalc980 Posts: 383 Member
    Congratulations!!! That is awesome! I am still a little scared of a marathon.
  • DanOhh
    DanOhh Posts: 1,806 Member
    Awesome job! Way to go!!!
  • fteale
    fteale Posts: 5,310 Member
    Well done! How did you do it? I really want to do a full marathon, but at the moment I am stuck at 10k, which is easy, but I can't seem to get past it. I am making myself do a half marathon in September. I am too scared to go for a full one! How did you train for it? How do you mentally prepare yourself?
  • Mindful_Trent
    Mindful_Trent Posts: 3,954 Member
    Congrats!! That's a huge accomplishment. I just did my first 10k over the weekend, and am running another one in a month. Running, in general, is indeed addictive. I'm considering a half marathon in the fall. :drinker:
  • rachel5576
    rachel5576 Posts: 429 Member
    Congrats!!!! I just did my first half yesterday and it was amazing!!!
  • jeffrodgers1
    jeffrodgers1 Posts: 991 Member
    Congrats on the Full Marathon! I know from experience how it feels! Despite what your legs, and feet are telling you, it is a fabulous feeling!

    Make sure you take a few days from running\training as your body needs this time to heal. DO get out and walk and stretch. It will help get the lactic acid out of the muscles and promotes healthy circulation. You need this.

    For a first full marathon, I wouldn't run at all for the next week (maybe start to jog next week) I would wait a few weeks at least before you resume any training (keep it to a light jog if you must run). There is no hard set rule on when to resume training. We are all built differently and we all heal differently. Use your best judgement, just make sure to start slowly...

    I ran a half marathon yesterday myself and plan to go for a 2-3 mile walk later today. I will probably do a light jog tomorrow and a LSR ( a recovery run) on Wednesday. But nothing beyond Slow and Easy this week as I have a 10K on Saturday.

    Hope this helps! And again Congrats... you have now done something that only 2% of the planet have done (Complete a marathon) !

    WTG!
  • Amanda_Runs
    Amanda_Runs Posts: 169 Member
    Fantastic work! I did my first Half Marathon two weekends ago and I am still on a running high!
  • shellbell1993
    shellbell1993 Posts: 315 Member
    Congrats!!! The feeling is amazing isn't it!! I still can't believe that I have ran one! Going to stick to halfs and smaller runs now. I just wanted to run one (for the Bucket List) LOL
    Be very proud of yourself! Like one person said very few will ever run a Full !!!!
  • iplayoutside19
    iplayoutside19 Posts: 2,304 Member
    Congrats, I myself have only completed a 10K. But I have big plans this summer, big plans!
  • Jhensley2011
    Jhensley2011 Posts: 54 Member
    Thanks for all the responses and support! I still can't believe I did it! However, the body is still cursing at me.

    Jeff, Thanks for the tips on recovery. Can and will definately use it.

    Fteale, alot of things went into preparing for this. First of all, I am turning the big 3-0 this month and wanted to do something outstanding in celebration of that. Secondly, I made a "resolution" if you will (hate that word since every time I've made a new years resolution, I've never followed through). This year my resolution was generally to become more healthy, both mentally and physically. I had (and still have) some weight to lose and have wanted to quit smoking for years. Dedicating myself to training for a marathon helped with both. Haven't had a cigarette since New Years eve and am 15 pounds down! This may be the bigger accomplishment in relation to the marathon itself. Physical training was basically to increase mileage each week with the longest stretch (20 miles) about two weeks before the marathon.

    The biggest thing is just to tell yourself you WILL do it. Great quote... "Do or do not. There is no try."

    And be prepared to cry when you cross that finish line. :-) It's a great feeling!
  • CakeFit21
    CakeFit21 Posts: 2,521 Member
    Congratulations on everything!!!
    I'm training now for the New York Marathon, (my first) and I am very nervous and excited! Hearing about your success is inspiring!
    Way to go!
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
    Big congrats on finishing & quitting smoking! Those are both great things to be proud of!

    I run my 1st marathon in just under 2 weeks and I could not be more excited.
  • kghamilton
    kghamilton Posts: 19
    Congratulations! Jeff has some good advice. Take it easy. Even though your legs might feel ok, there might still be underlying tissue damage. This can exist for a month. You'll definitely feel it if you try to go on a hard training run too soon.

    The good news is as you run more of them, the recovery is quicker. It also depends on your goals, whether you run for a certain time goal (racing) or just run to finish. I will do marathon distance training runs, but at a slower pace and I am really not sore the next day. However, when I race a marathon (only a few times a year) I will need to take it easy for a week or 2 after.
    It is definitely addictive. I am entering about 10 marathons this year. The races keep me motivated to keep training and I've met so many great people in the running community.
  • Jhensley2011
    Jhensley2011 Posts: 54 Member
    Good luck to you both! You will do better than you thought you ever could just because of the excitement and anticipation of the day. I can't explain the feeling of crossing that finish line. My first thought "I did it!" My second thought "Thank goodness it's over!" lol

    It's a big deal. Don't let anyone, even yourself, try to take it away from you.
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