Star Gazer Posted March 17, 2009 Share Posted March 17, 2009 I've done 5Ks and 10Ks, and after attending a half-marathon last weekend, I've been inspired to do a full marathon next fall. I was training with a group for the CIM last year, but had to stop when my grammy passed - I just couldn't deal. I want to train again, but I don't want to do it with a group. Has anyone ever trained themselves for a marathon without the assistance of a training group (like Team in Training, or the like)? There are such groups in my area, but they meet during very awkward times, so I'd miss 75% of the group runs. Any input is appreciated. Link to post Share on other sites
MichaelKEH Posted March 18, 2009 Share Posted March 18, 2009 I dont have much good advice as i dont run marathons (I find running boring enough without doing it for a couple hours straight ) but alot of my friends do that kind of thing and alot of them really like HIIT cardio as one of the best ways to increase your maximal oxygen consumption. Also they say running outdoors is much nicer than running indoors -like if you have any trails or paths close to home you could run down. I assume most of my friends train by themselves (they havent mentioned group training too me) so i'm thinking it cant be that hard -you probably just have to get used to it. Good Luck! Link to post Share on other sites
burning 4 revenge Posted March 18, 2009 Share Posted March 18, 2009 My advice is not to do it as its bad for you Whats your current exercise routine? You must be in really good shape if you can already pull 10 k I know its a big achievement, but this kind of exertion comes at an expense to your joints Just keep up the good work of staying in shape and forget the marathon would be my heartfelt advice, but if you must run a marathon id do at least two years of consistent lower body weight training to prepare myself for that kind of endeavor Link to post Share on other sites
johan Posted March 18, 2009 Share Posted March 18, 2009 I assume "marathon" in this case is a euphemism for some kind of shopping spree or eating binge. I can't really help you there, but I wish you luck! Link to post Share on other sites
MichaelKEH Posted March 18, 2009 Share Posted March 18, 2009 I am assuming that as somone who has already been running for a while you probably already know what i am about to say: but Burning raised a decent point about joint wear, and just in case you didnt know. You can help prevent/limit joint injuries by running on grass or dirt trails rather than on hard concrete (just try to avoid running on concrete in general) also if you run on a treadmill i have always found it much more comfortable to run on a slight incline rather than having that shock on every step when running flat. And a good pair of running shoes (maybe gell sole or somthing? Sorry but im not a big runner) would probably go a long way to keeping your joints safe and happy. I disagree about the not doing the marathon thing -just make sure that you train for it safely and properly. Always remeber that if somthing hurts somthing is wrong (so if you go for a run and the next day have knee pains; somthing went wrong). But seriously if you want to do the marathon and its somthing that's important too you and would be a personal acheivement -then by all means do it! Side note on the gell/running shoes; you probably wont want to use them for weight training as its better to have a solid non-flexing sole and flat shoes for stability purposes. Link to post Share on other sites
Author Star Gazer Posted March 18, 2009 Author Share Posted March 18, 2009 My advice is not to do it as its bad for you Why do you say that? Whats your current exercise routine? You must be in really good shape if you can already pull 10 k I regularly run/jog 3-4x a week (typically 3-5 miles each time), plus do strength training (lower and upper body) about 2x a week. I also ski almost every weekend. A 10K is only 6.2 miles. That's about an hour of running. A half-marathon (last weekend) is 13.1 miles. That's...longer. I know its a big achievement, but this kind of exertion comes at an expense to your joints Hmm. Until recently I haven't had any problems with my joints that are related to running. I did, however, recently hurt my MCL skiing. That's the only thing I'm concerned about. I'm more worried about hurting myself skiing than running though. I am assuming that as somone who has already been running for a while you probably already know what i am about to say: but Burning raised a decent point about joint wear, and just in case you didnt know. You can help prevent/limit joint injuries by running on grass or dirt trails rather than on hard concrete (just try to avoid running on concrete in general) also if you run on a treadmill i have always found it much more comfortable to run on a slight incline rather than having that shock on every step when running flat. And a good pair of running shoes (maybe gell sole or somthing? Sorry but im not a big runner) would probably go a long way to keeping your joints safe and happy. All good points, thank you. I have done most of my running over the past few months indoors on a treadmill because of the weather. I do it at a 1% incline, and increase it occasionally to mimic hills. When I do run outdoors, I run in a residential neighborhood on the asphault, not the concrete. I learned that about a year ago after my shins wanted to kill me. I guess I should have tailored my question better: What can I do to motivate myself to go farther? Any training tips in terms of how many miles to run each day/week as the months get closer? Link to post Share on other sites
MichaelKEH Posted March 18, 2009 Share Posted March 18, 2009 You might want to find a forum specific to running or marathons to get better advice; i dont think many people here know very much about it. I did a quick look on the net and there is a "Runners world" forum out of the UK and also a "Canadian Runner" forum where you might find some solid advice. I am pretty sure you dont train for marathons by running marathons though -as i think marathons are designed to be extremely physically taxing on your body: so i dont think anyone actually runs say 1 a week or anything. If you are going to be pushing yourself to run really far you might want to consider mixing some dextrose sugar and water together to help keep your muscles burning glucose for energy rather than catabolizing muscle proteins, glutamine also might help. As far as motivation goes... um, bring an ipod so it doesnt get boring? Sorry i couldnt be more help! Link to post Share on other sites
sb129 Posted March 18, 2009 Share Posted March 18, 2009 Argh! My idea of torture! Good for you SG. My personal trainer did me a training diary because I was going to do a mini duathlon last weekend, but then obviously Wonderbaby has been growing and upset the training somewhat so I didn't do it. She basically gave me a calendar with what I should be doing each day on it- I am sure you could find something similar for a marathon online I did a quick google search and found a pdf you can download and a local marathon website that has training tips on it. here here Link to post Share on other sites
sb129 Posted March 18, 2009 Share Posted March 18, 2009 oops the pdf didn't work, I will email it to you or you could try http://www.healthandlifestyle.co.nz and search their e-books, there is one called marathon training. Here is another site. New Zealanders love running. Link to post Share on other sites
Author Star Gazer Posted March 18, 2009 Author Share Posted March 18, 2009 Got your mail - thanks, SB. Michael - you're right that I should look at other forums. I just felt like I'd be cheating on LS. I'm a one-forum kinda girl. I'd do that though... Link to post Share on other sites
burning 4 revenge Posted March 18, 2009 Share Posted March 18, 2009 Theres no health benefit to running a marathon. If youre running 20 miles a week thats a good amount and youre also doing strength training twice a week, fantastic Youre in good shape, you can only adversley effect your health by training for a marathon by wearing down your joints and exposing yourself to potential injuries Youre in great shape shape, your exercise routine is perfect so why rock the boat? Link to post Share on other sites
MindoverMatter Posted March 18, 2009 Share Posted March 18, 2009 I did one when I went to college, and never again after that. A half marathon is the perfect distance, imo, you will feel great, but you will not have to literally fight every step of the way. You can train for one yourself, get a diary, plan regular running sessions. I ended up doing 10k twice a week and 5k twice a week, and a half hour pilates session at the 5k days as well. Important to me was a day off between running, but I think everybody is different in that. If you're not used to running 10k, then build it up slowly. Take a stop watch and find out what your average speed is. Later, when you're used to 10k, you might want to check every 5k how your speed changes. It is imporant that you do not run too fast or too slow at any point or you will break down. Get a doctor involved. A colleague of mine had his doctor give him a portable cardio thingy (yeah, I don't remember the name, but it was recording his bio signals for 24 hours or so) and they checked this. He also went to the sauna a lot to get his body in shape. I didn't, but it worked well for him. Also, I stopped running one week before the marathon and did more pilates instead. The hardest part for me was between 30k and 35k. I hated it, I hated myself, I hated my feet, it was just pure hatred and pain. At around k37, I think, I got over it. Mind you, I still wanted to curl up and die, but I didn't feel so desperate. Good luck. edit: It took me about a year to be able to do it. Link to post Share on other sites
burning 4 revenge Posted March 18, 2009 Share Posted March 18, 2009 If you want to shake it up why not do some heavier leg weight training with a view to improve your time on a 5K by a minute That would be way healthier than a marathon IMO Link to post Share on other sites
sunshinegirl Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 Gosh, good luck! I have personally decided I will never run a full marathon for a few reasons: training becomes very time-consuming; I don't think I'm mentally up for it; and I'm worried about long-term injuries and damage to my joints etc. I do run half-marathons, though, and think it's the perfect distance...for me, anyway. As others have said, you can find plenty of training schedules online. I really wouldn't rely on LS forums for the kind of tips, advice and support you'll want as you get into training... Link to post Share on other sites
janey815 Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 Good Luck!! My mom ran the L.A. marathon twice... I really want to run it at least once, i dont have time right now but anyways, just saying good luck:) Link to post Share on other sites
You'reasian Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 I've done 5Ks and 10Ks, and after attending a half-marathon last weekend, I've been inspired to do a full marathon next fall. I was training with a group for the CIM last year, but had to stop when my grammy passed - I just couldn't deal. I want to train again, but I don't want to do it with a group. Has anyone ever trained themselves for a marathon without the assistance of a training group (like Team in Training, or the like)? There are such groups in my area, but they meet during very awkward times, so I'd miss 75% of the group runs. Any input is appreciated. I ran a full marathon without any real preparation other than single digit mile distances. Hit a wall around mile 20 and it set me back a bit, but finished strong for a first timer. Link to post Share on other sites
burning 4 revenge Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 Star dont run a marathon, it may hurt you Link to post Share on other sites
O'bama Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 Star dont run a marathon, it may hurt you That's not the American way!? Look - I'd do it, if I could find enough Secret Service guys to keep up with me. Link to post Share on other sites
You'reasian Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 Marathons are going to be tough on the body for decent runners - we're not designed to run 26.2 miles (~45 km), but its a good test of endurance and mental tenacity for those who normally don't run that distance. I would recommend some information online about training for a marathon if you want to do well but if you just want to see where you are at such distances, give it a shot. People who are extremely gifted runners with monster stamina run ultra marathons, which are up to 50 miles (80km) and sometimes more. PS - get a physical checkup with your doctor beforehand. If you decide to run an ultramarathon and finish it your body will be severely broken. Link to post Share on other sites
Author Star Gazer Posted April 2, 2009 Author Share Posted April 2, 2009 I ran a full marathon without any real preparation other than single digit mile distances. That is... insane. Link to post Share on other sites
Trojan John Posted April 2, 2009 Share Posted April 2, 2009 No, this is insane. I have a couple of friends running the Marathon des Sables. Both have run about 30 hours total already (13.5 h is the fastest so far). Link to post Share on other sites
SuiteRapture Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 just try to increase milage weekly ... Link to post Share on other sites
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