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Training for a Marathon
Kyougu
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
After running a half marathon last November (1:57:00 time) I decided to really challenge myself and do a marathon. This is something I NEVER thought I would even think of doing, but the same could have been said about the half. I'm doing the Walt Disney one in January, so it should be fun, and I have plenty of time to prepare.
So any tips for a first time marathoner? I'm thinking of going with Hal Higden's training plan, as that worked pretty well for my Half training. I am mainly shooting for completion, but a nice time (which I have no idea what it would be) would definitely be a plus.
So any tips for a first time marathoner? I'm thinking of going with Hal Higden's training plan, as that worked pretty well for my Half training. I am mainly shooting for completion, but a nice time (which I have no idea what it would be) would definitely be a plus.
Kyougu on
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I probably was somebody who pushed higdon's half mara on you, and i read his book and used his plan and liked it.
The other thing to keep in mind is calorie usage. Many people find it hard to eat real food while running, and your body will do funny things to normal food during a marathon, so you should find a calorie solution that works for you. I use Clif Shot Bloks, which are chewy and taste good (I use Margarita flavor which also has some saltiness along with the sweet), but others use Gu or other packets. You should incorporate them into any training run greater than 5 miles so you get used to eating while on the run.
Wear a watch to figure out your pace. To start, work out your average, and then move to keep a more consistent pace throughout the run. You're going to be faster at the start than at the end, but you have to make sure you don't start too strong. Starting a marathon is exciting and the adrenaline will take you to about mile 13, but afterwards it is mentally tough as each mile feels longer than the last.
If you ran a half marathon, you can definitely train and finish a marathon, but it's hard work and you definitely need to take it seriously. I think you have a history of good stick-with-it-ness, so I definitely think you can finish and with a good time.
-don't try and keep anyone else's pace; keep your pace
-a lot of people toss off sweatshirts (or even gloves) or whatever after the start... this might not be a thing for you in FL, but if you do it and you're not in the back of the pack, toss it well off to the side
-if you're using energy gels or beans or anything, try and shove the packets in your waist band; don't toss them on the course
-if you need to loiter at water spots, be out of the way
competitive time is up to you. a 20-something hobbyist who is trying for time would probably be happy with anything under 4. boston qualifying is, i think, 3:10. nyc qualifying is 2:55? maybe 2:45?
plenty of people finish in 6+, but i'd say if you want to put out a 'good' first marathon time anything under 4 hours would probably get a hearty pat on the back from other runners.
So I'm looking at Hal's plan, and apart from the long runs, the mileage during the week seems a bit lower than what I'm currently running.
My running schedule usually looks like this:
Tues: 7 Mile Run
Wed: 30min High Intensity Training
Thurs: 7 Miles again
Fri: 30 Min High Intensity
Sunday: 9-11 Mile run (Texas summer sap my will right now).
If I increase the long run, and one of the weekly runs as mentioned in the plan, will it mess me up?
You really need to train train train. I ran a Marathon and didn't train nearly enough and wound up walking about 9 miles. Which wasn't terrible but I really didn't want to dedicate 3-4 hours every weekend to running, and that bit me.
That actually looks perfect. Just up your Sundays regularly and you'll be doing 20 miles no problem. Honestly, for me the hardest part was staving off boredom. When you're out running for 4 hours every weekend, it gets boring really fast.
You have 6 months to double the Sunday mileage. You won't have any trouble finishing the marathon if you continue to train, but you'll have to have some 20 milers under your belt. Getting to 18-20 miles pushes your body into the bonk zone where you're running out of calories, which is why it's good to practice that shit. It'll get you into the habit of listening to your body, "eating," and drinking.
When I was training, I would do 4-5-4 with no high intensity and weekends would be one 12-18 miler. I did a single 21 miles before the marathon. I should've trained more, but I finished under 5 which is great for a first timer, and I console myself that I was also going through a divorce and a move at the time which made it a little daunting to get out and run by myself (my ex-wife and I had signed up for the marathon together but obviously stopped running together).
don't try anything new on race day. that's a big one. don't try a new tech shirt or vaseline in new places or tape somewhere you haven't tried it, or new shoes- nothing.
your last long distancer before race day should aim to emulate race day conditions exactly.
http://www.marathonrookie.com/marathon-training.html
Honestly it sounds like you would already be pretty far into it if you did this, but it's not a bad training schedule.
The Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer
Although I've also never done a marathon, jumped from 15k to a 50 miler so I may be wrong.
Either way, page 6 of this is where they actually show a plan although the book they mention on page 1 has much more specific plans.
http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-238-244-255-8257-0,00.html
My biggest recommendation on top of all the other good advise so far is to just make finishing your goal. The marathon is a really crazy distance and you really can't comprehend what it's like until you do it. Don't set a time goal for your first race because it's unreasonable to do so and for your first race just crossing the finish is a huge accomplishment.