Is anyone training for a marathon?

[imamearcat]

I'm training for a marathon in July, got a couple of halves coming up too.

Anyone else? It's my first so would love to get any tips?

[potatoes]

Thanks @AnnPerkins and @AOwlAOwlAOwl ! Just had the race briefing email and there will be aid stations at 17.5 miles and 22.5 miles so I think that will help give me something to focus on towards the end.

Sorry to hear about your knee @AnnPerkins - so frustrating when you get injured.

I don't know anyone who runs more than a few miles in real life so great to hear how everyone is getting on

[Tailrunner]

Hi, I am currently training to do Race to the Stones in July which will be my first ultra marathon- I'm bouncing between excited and terrified. I'm going with a group of friends, planning to run/walk over 2 days and just want to get round so theres not too much pressure but 100km/62 miles is a long way.

I did a marathon 2 years ago and swore I'd never do one again but since I am doing the long training runs anyway I decided I might as well do a marathon too. My first one took me 5hr 39min (I'm pretty slow) and I'd love to get round in under 5 hours this time but I dont know how realistic that is. I'd settle for a similar time but finishing stronger as I found the last few miles very hard last time.

[FellRunner94]

@Tailrunner That’s a great time! I’m sure you’ll smash it

[AnnPerkins]

I would love to do Race to the Stones. Please come back and tell us all about it @Tailrunner!

[Ringsender2]

Hi, may I join you?

I read upthread about an interval training app, which sounds great if you can plug it in and do what it tells you and when. Could you suggest good free ones?

Also, free apps for HM and M? I actually did a VM last weekend but it was all very unprepared, so I'd like to do it properly another time!

Thanks

[AOwlAOwlAOwl]

Hi Ringsender2 well done on your virtual marathon. Did you do it all in one go?

I did one in October as my official marathon was cancelled and got friends to pace me round a lapped course. Much prefer a proper race I have to say. Seeing the same hill five times got pretty old but every lap friends swapped in and out so always someone new to talk to.

I go old school on the training and just follow a pre-set plan, I don't have any training apps other than Strava. I try and keep an eye to make sure I'm consistent with it but that's it really.

[Ringsender2]

@AOwlAOwlAOwl thanks. Was pretty chuffed with myself. I sat on a bench for a minute at about the halfway point to have a quick drink, take in the view and pat myself on the back, and walked prob a km between 32 and 36 as my legs were running out of oomph into the headwind up a hill. My time was about 5.15, which included stops for low battery fitbit, needing to check directions etc, so completely inefficient!

So does Strava have a traininf plan then? I've seen lots of plans online but I really want an app to tell me what to do, rather than consulting a table online

[Teawaster]

I'm in for London in October this year . Did a local one in 2019. I feel as if I've been in constant marathon training since London was cancelled in April 2020 and then in October 2020. I'm doing quite a lot of miles weekly but haven't gone beyond 10 since last summer. I have completed quite a few halfs and know I could do one if I had to now. Need to start working on building up the miles in a few weeks

[AOwlAOwlAOwl]

I feel the same @Teawaster with Manchester for me. Only now I won't even get to run it in October as the date clashes with another race that also got postponed. It's a team race so I'd be letting people down if I didn't do it. I've trained twice for Manchester in the last year and haven't run it since 2019, it feels very Groundhog Day now.

@Ringsender2 I think there's training plans you can sign up to if you're a subscriber, I haven't tried them though or know how they work!

[Teawaster]

@AOwlAOwlAOwl . That's too bad. Hopefully you will get to do another one , but possibly have to travel . I was in for Belfast and London in 2020, London being first and I was going to wait and see if I felt I could do Belfast a few weeks later . Now both are deferred to September and October , with Belfast being first . I want VLM to be the main one as I have never done it before so I don't want to run another marathon a few weeks before . But if it's cancelled or restricted /no spectators then I will do Belfast , if it's on . Some races have commenced here again so I'm hopeful and I feel enthused about upping the training .

[Anonmousse]

I am planning to do an october marathon. It will be my 10th marathon, and whilst I'm not great at sticking to a rigid training programme, I do try to incorporate some intervals/speed and a long run into my week as well as 2 10k ish runs. My best time for a marathon was when I was on the waiting list for a place and found I had one with about 8 weeks to go. Luckily I had a decent base and was already up to about half marathon in training. I did a lot of the long runs on my own but I prefer to do with a training partner.

[AOwlAOwlAOwl]

@Teawaster it's the uncertainty of it all isn't it!

I'm not convinced the big races will happen in October. I hope they do, but I think there's too many variables at the minute to be sure.

[Teawaster]

@Anonmousse .that's interesting about your best time . I am currently researching best marathon plans . I didn't really follow one for the one I completed in 2019 , I did a mix of Runners World and another one. Then for the cancelled races, I was using Hanson's Method which restricts the long runs to 16 miles and is based on the principle that they mirror the final 16 miles of a marathon because you have a lot of running in your legs from previous days . It's a lot of miles each week though. I'm reluctant to start it again and was always worried about the shortness of the long runs, despite quite a few people in my running club having had good improvements in their times using it .

[Teawaster]

@AOwlAOwlAOwl , yes the uncertainty is the worst . I feel VLM may go ahead but possibly restricted to UK runners and no spectators. I'm not doing it if no spectators . They are very slow here to lift restrictions so not convinced Belfast will go ahead either , at least not in the usual format . I am determined to find one somewhere in the autumn . I just don't want my first VLM to not be the full experience , especially as I have to travel across the water for it. I would prefer to wait until Spring 22.

[FellRunner94]

I’ve signed up for a second marathon this year why why why

Oddly excited though, my training is going quite well and I’m feeling positive towards the June deadline

How’s everyone else’s training going?

[potatoes]

Haha good going @FellRunner94!

I'm tapering and finding it really odd to not be running for as long after all the weeks of doing all those miles. I ran for an hour this morning and felt slow and sluggish for the first 20 mins and I was wondering how on earth I'm going to make it round a marathon a week tomorrow...I'm sure it will all come together on the day...

Hope everyone else is getting on well

[imamearcat]

I did my first half race today at Tatton park! Was kinda hard! Chip time 2.00.22. So close to sub 2 hours!

I'm not sure I have a marathon in me.

[Teawaster]

Well done @imamearcat . Great time. You have definitely a sub 2 in you if you can do your first half in 2 hours. Honestly , everyone finishes a half thinking 'there is no way I could do another mile, never mind another 13' . And you will say to yourself after you complete a marathon and then after you complete a half after that ' I don't know how I did another 13' . But you will do it . You will have built up the miles and 13 will seem like it's not much on the day , other than feeling the delight that you are half way !

[imamearcat]

Thanks @Teawaster I think I will need to take it more easy for a full, was quite quick for me today but I just went with the flow. Was so inspiring to see all the different shapes and sizes, and to see the super fast people lapping us after only a few K!

[AOwlAOwlAOwl]

8 weeks of training to go until taper for me. It's come round quick and I feel really unprepared ngl. Trying hard not to compare to how fit I was this time last year. It all went to shit over winter! Totally lost my mojo.

Need to do more hills. 2000m of elevation in my race. So hard to train for it when you don't live in a particularly hilly area. I try and max out elevation where I can and go hiking in hilly places. I loathe hill reps but they've got to be done. I hope it all works tbh.

[fellrunner85]

Well done @imamearcat - that's a really decent time for a first half. You'll definitely be taking the full marathon more steadily though. The rule of thumb is generally that your full marathon time is your half x2, plus 20 mins, with exceptions for elite athletes (who are quicker!) and absolute newbies (who end up walking a lot in the second half). So my advice for July's marathon would be to aim much nearer to 10 min miles from the start, rather than going out at 9 min pace and burning yourself out.

The "rule" doesn't quite work for me - I do a half in 1:35 and my full PB is just over 3:40. I don't think I've ever "properly" trained for the full though, at least not to the same focused level I have for my halves. I've already mentally written off this year's October marathon - I wanted between 3:30 and 3:35 but I don't think I'm at that level yet!

[imamearcat]

That's amazing @fellrunner85!! I can't imagine going that fast. I'm definitely more of a 10 minute mile girl at heart. Nearer 9 does take it out of me..

How long did it take you to get up to those kind of times?

[AnnPerkins]

That's a great time @imamearcat!

I haven't been out at all since my half two weeks ago. My knee still hurts even to walk on. It did seem a bit better when I walked downstairs this morning though so perhaps it's starting to mend.

[Teawaster]

That 2 times your half time plus 20 worked for me. Half in 1:34 and marathon in 3:27.

[fellrunner85]

That's brilliant @teawaster - sub 3:30 is a dream for me!! I think I just need to do more really long stuff. Every time I've done a marathon I've struggled to do enough long runs with marathon-paced segments in. Wondering if that's the key.

And @imamearcat - I'd say it was three years of "proper" training that got me to those times. Over 4 years or so I completed c25k and did slowish casual running (just sub 2hr half, 50ish min 10ks, etc) but I was pregnant/postnatal/etc twice in that time.

Then after DD was born in 2016 I started training "properly." I ran some better times in 2017 and 2018, and then got PBs over all distances in 2019. Then the world went to shit