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?

I’m actually doing London myself on GFA. I’ve also run ultras and am a multiple ironman. We all joke that the Ironman marathon is a stagger. Lots of people are not in a fit state to run a marathon by the end of that but you can get around in some shape six hours. That scenario will be her marathon. It’s a long walk, she will struggle massively if she’s not fit to start, nobody would recommend it as agreed she might hurt herself but she will get there and have run a marathon just like me. Usual cut offs are six hours exactly for this kind of entrant.

I’ll fully admit I thought the same as some people here when I moved areas and turned up to a new running club. There were people there who told me they had run or were planning to run marathons and judging by weight alone they didn’t look like the kind of people who should be running anywhere for the sake of their knees. But they had and they did. True it was more of a shuffle in some cases and that was reflected in the time and probably not the least bit enjoyable but they still did it. And we’ve all injured ourselves on marathons. I’m old hat to running and hurt myself quite badly at Chester the year before last because I was cocky. It’s a challenge for everybody.

I did it! Exactly the same scenario as your sister. I signed up at Christmas being a complete non-runner (struggled to even run for 30seconds) and completed the marathon in April. The most I "ran" in training in one go without stopping was 8 miles. I did one 21 mile training "run" but after the first 6 miles or so would run then walk, run then walk.

On the day I managed to run to the half-way point and than I ran/walked, ran/walked the rest. I finished in 5 hours 50 minutes.

I was very proud of my achievement. My goal was just to get round.

I'm sure your sister can do it!

Surely unless she resides on another planet ,she realises all this? She needs encouragement and a pat on the back for giving it a go! My Cousin is 80 and regularly walks 13 miles or more on hikes with her walking groups !

I'm doing my first half in March after having run on and off for about 6 years. I have done one 10k - in 2014 and currently run about 9 miles a week. I'm in my mid 50s and still terrified although I think I will probably manage it. The thought of a marathon is totally beyond my comfort zone - maybe in 2 years time!! It really is hard work even doing 5 miles at my age to be honest. I was never sporty but mentally this is the best thing ever.

Grobagsforever I am sorry to hear about your DH .I think you are very brave to take on the marathon under such circumstances .Sending hugs your way xx

She's doing it as a charity thing and presumably to get fit. Stop bitching about her and be supportive.

dottiedodah key word in your post is 'regularly'.

Like the OP I know loads of blow hards who get to the age of 50+ and really truly believe that if something looks easy, it must BE easy - without ever even attempting it. Amazing self belief or totally delusional, either way I wish I had a little bit of it.

Anyone without medical issues can walk a marathon in six hours or so
Are you sure about that? That would mean walking 4 miles a minute for over 6 hours.
I'm a very quick walker, and I can easily walk 12 miles a day without getting tired, but that's because I've always walked a lot (I've never learnt to drive). This lady isn't used to walking at all.

Makes my piss boil !! My husband (triathlete, competed various marathons and ironman 2x ) has tried to get into London 7 yrs running and has not been successful. Then there are others who get a bloody space and walk the friggling whole lot

So? Unless your DH has a passion for charity raising which can only be satisfied by running a London marathon, what’s the problem?

Those who get the loudest cheers - at least at the 10 mile mark where I watch it - are those who are not the competitive fit triathletes but those struggling but trying and who will somehow come it, come what may

@feelingverylazytoday

I think your maths may be off

Average walking speed is 3 to 4 miles an hour. At the lower end of that, assuming she can stay constant, she'll be done within nine hours, but I remember last year's coverage about the treatment the last people to finish got. Hopefully VLM will clear up their act for this year.

Anyway, to be done in 6 hours, you need to cover 4.37 (to 2 d.p.) miles per hour and keep it up. When it comes to power-walking/quasi-power-walking lengthy distances, I can't reasonably speculate on what constitutes a reasonable goal, so I won't comment on that aspect!

Or she could bring her average speed up with walk-walk-run-walk-walk-run and so on. I think she's got enough time to train for that, so long as she aims for that. (My concern is that if she initially aims to run the whole thing, she'll injure herself in panic-training.)

Moonwalk guide suggests she definitely has sufficient time to get herself sorted out for walking the marathon.

walkthewalk.org/training/training-plans

Ariadne how is my maths off? 6×4 =24. To walk 26.2 miles in 'six hours or so' means you have to walk at that pace, which is pretty quick and would require a lot of stamina to sustain over that length of time.
I'm saying this as someone who walks a lot every single day. I can certainly walk 4 miles in an hour (and often do) but I'm not sure if I could walk 26.2 miles in 6.5 hours.

Wish the OP would update on whether the participant has actually started walking/running yet!

I had a relative who was like that. Ended up getting pulled out of the event.....not a charity/marathon though but on those adventure long hikes around Patagonia.

feelingverylazytoday

Aridane's making a joke about a typo, so no it's not your maths that's the issue! You absent-mindedly typed minute when you meant hour in the previous post.

"Moonwalk guide suggests she definitely has sufficient time to get herself sorted out for walking the marathon."

Careful with that - the average time for completion of the Moonwalk is 9 hours 45 which is 1:45 hours after the course closes at VLM and is 2:45 hours after finish shuts.

Adequate training does however make a massive difference to whether you finish at all, and whether you finish in reasonable shape.

I think this thread is pretty mean spirited from the OP.

I run and have never walked in a race but I would rather see people trying and having to walk than precious 'athletes' who think that unless you can run a decent time then stay away. I left two running clubs due to this attitude it stinks. The best club near me encourages couch to 5k and beyond runners all sorts of shapes and sizes larger folk who actually run well and others who's fast running is my walking pace they all just get off their arsed and try.

Good on her for trying and for anyone slating her get over yourself.

I think this thread is pretty mean spirited from the OP.

I don't think so it does sound completely unrealistic that she'll complete the marathon. It's fairly unfair to take up a space too when others will have been training hard and been turned down.

@Insideimsprinting

Yes I'd agree for a 5k-10k but you can't just walk a marathon because the course will close and running it without proper training is dangerous. To enter a marathon you do need to have a decent shot at completing it not necessarily in under 3 hours but before the course shuts.

I did a 26 mile walk for charity last year (not moonwalk) on trails + road. It took just under 8 hours and that was with me going at 3.5mph the whole way which is a fair clip if you have average length legs! It's not impossible for her to do a marathon in April, but how enjoyable she'll find it is questionable

I also think it's worth bearing in mind that the OP may not have the full story.

If I knew this was my SIL's view of me:

"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"

She probably wouldn't be the first person I'd tell if I began a marathon training programme. She may well have been doing some training behind the scenes without telling OP because she knows full well how judgmental OP will be.