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Original poster

Marathon help

28 replies

Upstairsdownstairs30 · 13/06/2022 15:11

I have a place in the VLM in October this year and am currently panicking about how I am going to do it!

I originally got my place in 2019 trained to marathon distance before it was cancelled, deferred my place to April this year.. prior to April around September time I was super fit and doing a sub 2 hour half...

When it moved for the second time I seriously lost motivation and have hardly been running since then.

I would do the occasional 5/10k but I started a 16 week training programme and am on week 2 and I am so broken! It says about running 5 times a week and I can't commit to this with working ft with a toddler!

So my question is... have I left it too late to start training? Is it possible to run a marathon with training around 3 times a week? I would also like to continue with some CrossFit sessions, is this just going to make me more broken?

Just looking for some help and general encouragement!

OP posts:
MrsBagshot · 13/06/2022 15:27

Try Hal Higdon for training plans. I found those plans to be realistic and sensible.

MrsBagshot · 13/06/2022 15:25

Definitely! I did it last year in the midst of late perimenopause and starting HRT halfway through training, plus an ankle injury! I did 3 runs some weeks, other weeks 4 runs. No intervals or speed work, but I did do my long slow runs.

It wasn't the best marathon time in the world, but I ran the whole thing and felt pretty comfortable throughout, and recovered quickly and easily afterwards too. I did take my nutrituon, fuelling and hydration very seriously though throughout training and in the race itself, which definitely helped.

Watchkeys · 13/06/2022 15:16

Yup, you can get a 16 week marathon training programme with 3 sessions a week. Some will be starting with no experience at all. You're in a better position than you think.

The best training programme is the one you can stick to. You're a google away from what you're looking for.