To think there is no way my SIL will manage to run the marathon?

[edsheeransgingerbeard]

This will probably make me sound like a horrid unsupportive cow, which I'm not, honest!
We were all hugely surprised yesterday when SIL revealed that she has secured a charity London Marathon place. She currently does zero exercise, refuses to walk anything other than short distances as she finds it too much hard work, and is fairly unhealthy generally. She hasn't done any kind of running / jogging for over 20yrs (and never a marathon)
It is obviously fantastic that she wants to start training, and has a goal to aim for. But to go from zero to 26 miles in 4 months is madness, is it not?
I'm a huge lazy glutton right now. I have run a few half marathons over the last few years and I think I could probably get round a half marathon course by the end of April if I started training next week. But not a whole marathon.
AIBU to think that a very unfit person who does not exercise in any way at all can successfully train for a marathon in just over 4 months?

Cohle or maybe they are the facts? Wish the OP would come back and enlighten us.

Indeed. That's why I said "may".

I haven't been able to update about whether she has started training yet because I don't know! I had really brief chat with her on the phone the day she told me she had signed up, and I haven't seen her face to face since. I'm hoping she's going to pop over this eve or tomorrow eve for a catch up so I can chat to her about it then.
I certainly wasn't aware of her doing anything before now but obviously she may have started without telling anyone, so she could see how she felt it would pan out before letting everyone know.
I'm going to offer to go out with her, depending on how much she's doing, as I could do with some motivation to get off my arse too, so she could be the motivator!
As I said before, I'll be her supporter and cheerleader, of course I will.

The cutoff pace is 16 min miles so she has every chance. Good luck to her!

She can do it, if she puts her mind to it and sticks to a training plan.
And you should be supportive of that!!!!

Justontherightsideofnormal Why doesn't your husband just run a sub 2:45 marathon. He'd get an automatic championship place negating the need to deal with the indignities for vying for a ballot place with lesser mortals. @Kirstenkl

Honestly I can't believe all the negativity on here. Either people who walk it aren't worth of sponsorship as that's an easy copout, or it's such an arduous impossible challenge that she'd never be able to do it and shouldn't bother!

She is brave for trying and putting herself out there and I hope she does it and proves all the miserable bastards wrong!

I'm going to offer to go out with her, depending on how much she's doing, as I could do with some motivation to get off my arse too, so she could be the motivator!
As I said before, I'll be her supporter and cheerleader, of course I will.

Well done, it only took 10 pages for you to share a more appropriate response, I'm going to assume your OP was the shock of the challenge.

Good luck

She can do it if she isn’t worried about time and sticks to her training plan. I did it a few years ago and most people I spoke to on the way round were not seasoned runners, it was just something they wanted to do (I was at the back of the pack though!!!). I have no idea if they finished, but it was great to see so many people giving it their best shot.

As for the ‘proper runners’ not being able to get places, there are plenty of charity places available. I got a ballot place first time, but had already decided that I was doing it no matter what and applied for places with several charities. I finished in 5hrs 10 mins, and raised over £6000 for my charity, even though I didn’t have to due to getting a ballot place. I was bloody proud of myself and did not feel in any way sorry that a proper runner missed out.

After we had eaten, I was heading back to the hotel with my family and we saw a girl, struggling and obviously in pain, walking the final section flanked by her parents. The race was long over and the crowds had gone. She most likely wouldn’t get a medal, or even a proper time, but she was finishing the race. What boils my piss is anyone thinking this determined young woman didn’t deserve her place.

@Justontherightsideofnormal I have been rejected for the London Marathon since it was Flora. Seven times is totally normal, many people I know have been rejected ten or more times. If your husband is a talented runner then he should apply for a good for age place. If he isn't fast enough then he needs to look for a charity place or run one of the many other excellent marathons this country has to offer.
I'm a 'serious runner' in that I have a club, I've done a number of marathons including London on a charity place.
My first ever race, the one that got me into running, was a marathon. I started training two months before having only ever run a mile. When I lined up on the start line I'd only ever run 12 miles. I finished in five and a half hours having run all the way. I'd suggest your friend joins a Facebook group called 'run mummy run' for support and training advice. Good luck to her.

Good for her! She will need to take her training very seriously though and probably walk quite a bit of it, maybe you can offer to help her train , encourage her? If she doesn't manage it at least she's given it a shot and has raised money for a worthy cause .I always find the non runners, not super fit ( thou they probably are by the time the run it!) participants inspirational, the serious runners that run all the time and do umpteen marathons are a bit boring!

@feelingverylazytoday

it was just that you referred to walking 4 miles a minute for over 6 hours

It tickled me the idea of a 15 second mile when walking 4 miles a minute. But then I am shockingly immature (and realised you meant hour, not minute)

Well you guys motivated me to get my lazy carcass round the park today. In the rain. Wasn’t a big walk but it was better than nowt! I’ve put on pounds over the holidays that I need to shift! So thanks!

Looks like she'll be doing a Katie Price

I think she can do it! I started training for the London Marathon after Christmas a few years ago and surprised everyone by completing it.

I then went on to run the Brighton Marathon last year.

The first marathon I ran I was in pretty bad shape but trained hard and found it manageable. The second was much easier as I had lost a lot of weight and knew what to expect.

Support her through this. She can always defer if she feels that she genuinely can't do it. But that has to be her decision.

@LuaDipa want boils my piss is when people get a place then do hardly any training and struggle for the last however miles. The stewards are volunteers and have homes to go to.

I've seen it on Facebook. A guy I know got a place and it was excuse after excuse as to why he couldn't train, it's raining, I have a cold, my back hurts so I've had to cut today's run short. He walked the last 13 miles because he couldn't be arsed to train.

Do not underestimate 26 miles, it's a bloody long way. I've don't 7 marathons, currently training for my 8th and they don't get any easier. Respect the distance!

Do not underestimate 26 miles, it's a bloody long way.

This! Before I ran a marathon I had no idea what people really meant when they say the race doesn't start til 20 miles. I also had no idea just how different 20 or 22 mile training runs are from the full 26.2 at race pace.

Instead, like so many others, I banged my half marathon time into a race time calculator and thought it looked about right. Ha ha. My first marathon chewed me up and spat me out the other side - and that was after years of running, plus a dedicated training plan.

I've since learned what's coming from the 22-26 mile horror section, and know how to try and beat it. But they don't get easier. You just get better at coping with it.

That said, I imagine it could be easier if you're walking large sections and not pushing for a time, as you can catch your breath, take on more fuel and keep The Wall at bay. It's not easy though, whether you walk it or running it. It's a long old way - and feels a LOT further than 8.5 parkruns!

@Looobyloo, I absolutely agree. Of course one shouldn’t undertake a marathon and not train.

But everyone has to start somewhere, and it is a ballot system. Everyone has the same shot. And if someone gets a place, fair and square, and chooses to walk, skip, hop or crawl the distance it is absolutely their prerogative. Races have cut off times for this reason.

I think it’s quite sad that you assume your acquaintance was making excuses. If he is a novice he could quite easily have been injured/run down.

I've done halfs when I've trained for it, was hard it a doddleand when I didn't was hard and hurt lots.

You need to train for about 12 weeks at least for a marathon and that's coming from running, if not it's about 18 weeks.

If she can do it I'm.fine

I'm not bothered bout her place as it's a charity one and she hasn't stole it from anyone, the charity thing has ruined London marathon I'm sorry but it has.

Unless she has already started I think this is batshit

@Justontherightsideofnormal oh wind your bloody neck in

There is a 7 hour 30 min pacer and they call it "the party at the back" and #sexy pace.

But fair play to anyone who even walks 26 miles. It's probably harder than running it because it takes so long. However, it would probably be better if they actually targeted a walking marathon like the Moonwalk.

I find a half marathon more than long enough so I won't ever be trying to get into the VLM.

I actually disagree no one should be walking it take it seriously or not at all.

There was controversy last year about them clearing up , but there is a time limit.

I fully respect running for 8 hours but you really need to decide if event is for you.

@LuaDipa believe me he always makes excuses. He was an excellent runner when he was younger and took it up again in his fifties. He is full of excuses I've followed him on Facebook for years and it's always the same old crap. When I'm training for a marathon I run in the rain, I run when I'm tired, I run when I'm a little under the weather because you have to develop mental and physical toughness or it will chew you up and spit you out.

@justatrunning84. yes I think that's it. You learn that it will hurt but you also learn that the hurt won't last forever and if you just keep going you'll get there.

Watching runners during the last few miles of a marathon is like watching zombies.
Watching people during the last few hundreds yards is just amazing! So much happiness.

@blaueLagune walking a marathon is not harder than running one. I'm a bit sick of people celebrating the slow people at the back. To train for a fast marathon takes a lot of time and dedication. I am not fast by the way but I train to be as fast as I can.

I wouldn’t want to run a marathon with just four months training. I did my one and only one two years ago when I had been running regularly for over three years and ran around 15 miles a week. I did my long training runs, but even that didn’t prepare me for just how tough a marathon is. I don’t think it’s impossible but it will be tough.

I don’t think it’s judgemental to wonder how she’s going to manage it. It’s hard work. I get why she maybe wants to do it though although it’s likely she’s bitten off more than she can chew. I’m also in my 40s overweight and sedentary and I got fed up last year never doing anything so signed up on a whim for a charity walk, rather than a run, and at a lengthy distance but one I knew I had a chance of completing!

I hope she does well but being realistic I imagine the best she will do is walking round most of it in a slow time. Of course that’s an achievement in itself but it would be gutting to do all that and then possibly get no medal.