To wonder if DH is kidding himself about running this marathon?

[SidseBabettKnudsen]

DH is going to run a marathon in a couple of weeks. It's quite far away from us, a 5 hour drive.

He's made no arrangements whatsoever for this - he's hoping he can stay with a relative, but hasn't asked her, has no one to take him to and from the marathon from relative's house (she doesn't drive) and will have no one there to support or cheer him on. I can't go because of lack of childcare for our two SN kids.

I made a casual enquiry about his plans and he got very shirty. He thinks he is going to be perfectly able to drive to his relative's house from the marathon himself (about a 20 min drive) and then drive the 5 hours home the next day (he needs to get back for a medical appointment). He's made no contingencies if this is not the case.

I should add that this is his first marathon and he's never run further than a half marathon, which was two years ago. He hasn't run at all for three weeks, and the longest he has run in training is 10k, though he can do about 25k on an exercise bike.

I'm not a fitness type so I have no knowledge about whether he has a hope in hell of completing this, but every time I ask any questions I am being horribly unsupportive.

I've done 5 marathons and finished them all in varying states of injury (and started them all in varying states of preparedness), but I wouldn't have had an issue with driving the next day

It is walking around that hurts, not driving! Tell him sparechange from the internet said for gods sake don't have a hot bath or shower when he finishes, and put a cold shower on his legs for as long as he can handle to avoid totally seizing up the next day

The only real issue is if he has a real accident/health issue that requires medical treatment, and he doesn't have anyone around to help, but this is probably a very small likelihood...

I run marathons quite often and he might well surprise you. If he's not aiming for a decent time and is decently fit then he'll probably manage to get around and be high as a kite afterwards.

Definitely tired / stiff the next day but it's more likely the day after that he'll want to cut his own legs off.

Let him get on with it.

The last time I did a half marathon - with training may I add - I had the next 3 days off work as I could barely walk.

My race was on a Sunday, I did it, drove nearly 100m - which I was able to do, but after a soak in a hot bath - then the next day which I'd booked off work, I went to a spa so was in the sauna/steam room, and had a massage, but then DOMS set in and I had to have the Tuesday and Wednesday off work too.

Just tell him what he does and arranges is all up to him, but you aren't going to be able to drop everything and drive over there to get him.

When i finished my marathon I was in more pain the following day than I was when I finished immediately. It was the resting that made it worse, or sitting down.

Driving wasn't an issue, but DH and I went shopping and I made him leave me in a shopping mall as I was so slow. I had some kind of limp shuffle going on but really that only lasted a day or so.

That being said, let him crack on. I know a fella that did a half marathon in 2.10 on 2 hours sleep after a proper skinful the night before. We told him not to but he was grand.

Your DH may surprise you. Or he may find it awful and decide to cut his losses at mile 17

Why would you bother getting involved? Surely it's up to him to sort it out. He'll be fine anyway. Most reasonably fit people can run a marathon slowly. If it was a 17 year old fair enough to be concerned but he is surely old enough to deal with driving with slightly stiff legs?

The day after I ran London my elderly neighbour offered to lend me her raised toilet seat!
The best thing I did was take the day off work and go for a very gentle couple of runs (3 miles each).
He'll probably be fine driving (unless he gets cramp which would be dangerous), he just might not be able to get out of the car!

Surely the main thing is for him to contact his relative? What is his plan if she can't put him up?

I ran one once, trained properly for four months and it was by far the hardest physical thing I have EVER done. I was in bits at the end of it and cried!
Me and DP did a half last year. He had only run 10k in training and he found the half very challenging. He certainly couldn't have run the same again!