Marathon before I'm 40- what's your aim?

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imkegoal
imkegoal Posts: 156 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I have said it for 2 years now, since I first started running, but time is creeping on.... I want to do a Marathon before I am forty.
I'm 37 now, and only ever done a few 5 and 1 10 KM race before (although the latter was also with a 20 mile bike ride). My current 'practice' runs- 2-3 times per week are around 9 km and I aim to do a half marathon this year...

What are your fitness aims, what time scales do you give yourself, and what are you doing to make it happen?

Replies

  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 24,910 Member
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    I turn 50 this year. The se are my goals:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Machka9/view/goals-for-2017-907626
  • dewd2
    dewd2 Posts: 2,449 Member
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    I turn 48 in a couple days. The only meaning this has for me is I get to another age bracket in 2 years. Beyond that, who cares. Age is just a number...

    My goals:

    1. Qualify for Boston in the next 18 months.
    2. Run Boston
    3. If I BQ or if I don't, it doesn't matter. Next 'goal' is a triathlon. No idea of what that means just yet. I'll set those goals when I get there.
  • spiriteagle99
    spiriteagle99 Posts: 3,677 Member
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    I had the goal of running my first marathon by age 60. (I started running at 54). I did it when I was 58, then again and 59, and hopefully I'll do it again this year.

    Imkegoal - start building up your base now, so that you can do it gradually. Add another day or two of running. Increase the length of your runs. The stronger the base, the better your training will go and the better your races will go.
  • MountainHiker48
    MountainHiker48 Posts: 17 Member
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    I did my first Ironman at age 57. Next goal is to run up Mt Washington in NH. I completed this race in 1980, again in 2005 and now at age 68 I want to try it again.

    mtwashingtonautoroad.com/mount-washington-road-race
  • imkegoal
    imkegoal Posts: 156 Member
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    spiriteagle99 wrote: »
    Imkegoal - start building up your base now, so that you can do it gradually. Add another day or two of running. Increase the length of your runs. The stronger the base, the better your training will go and the better your races will go.

    Thanks for the tip, and for the inspiration!
    I do exercise 6 times per week, but the other days are gym sessions and cardio (Body combat). I recently moved from 5KM per running session to 9km, after having had a few months off in Autumn/ winter. I aim to up it to 11km next, but first want to get my speed back up. This time last year I did 10km in an hour, now I can only do 9 km in an hour... I heard interval training is good to help you up your speed. I really should give that a go.
  • 7lenny7
    7lenny7 Posts: 3,493 Member
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    I just entered the grand master age group (50+) last week.

    I started running in May 2015
    My first and only half marathon was October 2015
    My first and only full marathon was May 2016

    Now my goal is to complete my first
    50K ultra in April 2017
    50M ultra in April 2018
    100K ultra in spring 2019
    100M in spring 2020.

    If I DNF at any of those I'll try again the each year at the same distance until I finish, then move on to the next distance. I love to push myself to see what my limits are. When I started running a friend suggested that we run a half together in a year and I laughed because I thought it was an impossibility. Well it only took me 6 months to get there. Now I feel compelled to see what my limit is by pushing further and further. I have no illusions of ever being competitive, I just want to finish.

    I can only train for one big race each year, and it has to be a spring race. I'll likely try for new PR's in the half marathon distance and shorter during the summer and fall but the main thing will be to avoid injury.

    Ultimately my aim is to run until I'm dead.
  • BeeerRunner
    BeeerRunner Posts: 728 Member
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    I didn't even start running or working out until I was over 40. I started in January of last year, did a few 5Ks, a 10K, a 15K and 2 Half Marathons. My 1st marathon is less than 5 weeks away. Depending on how the marathon goes will affect my future goals, but I do plan to do 2 to 3 half marathon trail races in the spring / summer. I really like the half marathon distance.

    I use training plans I find online to ensure I'm ready by race day. I've used the Hal Higdon training plans for the 10K and up.
  • ThyPeace
    ThyPeace Posts: 16 Member
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    I started running last year, when I was 48. In August, I did my first 5k. At that point, I decided that my goal is to run a 5k when I'm 100.

    ThyPeace, has since added that I want to be able to do pushups then, too.
  • that_coolnerd
    that_coolnerd Posts: 31 Member
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    I might try to do another half marathon when I get some of this weight off... For now, I'm concentrating on my lifting and relatively easy cardio :smiley:

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