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Original poster

Marathon Chat Spring 2022

22 replies

BogRollBOGOF · 20/10/2021 19:14

Rather belatedly (you can guess why, obvious reason), I've signed up for my mid-life crisis marathon. Which is a bit scary and a bit exciting...

With the autumn race season being rather bunched up and races looking pretty normal again, I thought I'd take advantage of a late half marathon in November as a good point of base fitness and actually sign up after years of thinking about it

Next stage, work out training plans... I cross-train a lot. At present I'm up to 12mi long runs and often a second faster run per week, and my body is being pretty good on it. I've also been jeffing as I build my distance up.

I've guessed 5:15 for my time. I can reliably do a flattish road HM in 2:15, but I think marathon pace will be a fair bit slower...

So who else is fit or mad enough for a 2022 marathon?

OP posts:

Fellrunner85 · 20/10/2021 20:21

Ooh good luck! I'm already signed up for my next marathon in April 2022, and am hoping for sub 3:40... but we'll see.

If it's your first, don't worry about going for a time. You will get to 20+ miles and have no idea what's hit you, however many halves you've done. Full marathons are a completely different ball game. If you put no pressure on yourself, make sure you don't skimp on the long runs in the training, and aim to get to 20 miles on the day feeling fairly fresh, that's the best prep you can do IMO.

TheWholeWorld · 20/10/2021 22:08

Good luck OP.

Agree with @Fellrunner85 the race starts at 20 miles. You don't really have any idea what it's like until you do it for the first time, so don't get hung up on a time, just aim to finish and have fun

Hisashiburi · 21/10/2021 06:42

Me! I have signed up for the Paris marathon in April! First time doing a marathon so a bit scared but not afraid of putting the training in

GailLondon · 21/10/2021 06:52

Hurray! I’ll be doing Manchester in the spring

Original poster

BogRollBOGOF · 21/10/2021 22:36

@Fellrunner85

Ooh good luck! I'm already signed up for my next marathon in April 2022, and am hoping for sub 3:40... but we'll see.

I've heard that before. I suppose it's the same kind of ratio where I end to be happy running 10 miles, and then start chanting "one parkrun to go, one parkrun to go, e, i, e, i,o, one parkrun to go" to get through the moaning joints and muscles.

I did laugh to myself about buying crutches yesterday. They're actually for DS who's picked up an injury and struggling with walking, but they might be handy in the aftermath...

I've not forgotten the staggering after my first HM. I'm also trying to remember the advice that you're knackered after a HM because you trained for a HM...

I need to block it all out and work out milages, but before the serious training kicks in, I'd like to maintain being comfortable at HM as a base fitness. It's that balance of enough vs not overtraining...

OP posts:

Original poster

BogRollBOGOF · 21/10/2021 22:40

@GailLondon

Hurray! I’ll be doing Manchester in the spring

Manchester too

I don't want the aggro of ballots/ charity places for London, and Manchester seems to be the one of the best city marathons. The timing is quite good too. Shouldn't be heatwave season.

OP posts:

fellrunner85 · 21/10/2021 22:57

I suppose it's the same kind of ratio where I end to be happy running 10 miles, and then start chanting "one parkrun to go, one parkrun to go, e, i, e, i,o, one parkrun to go" to get through the moaning joints and muscles

It's not really like that, no ... but it's hard to describe.
I love marathons, but they are a completely different ask to a half, or even a 20 mile. It's not the same thing; not the same tiredness or soreness at all.
When the Wall hits, it's overwhelming and you have to have fuelled enough earlier in the race to be able to hold it off for long enough. If you hadn't, then by the time you're struggling it's too late. You think you'll just be able to "run slower" in that scenario, or grit your teeth through it, but again it's not like that!

I would recommend you make sure you're very, very, comfortable with a half before even attempting a full (unless you're prepared to walk lots of it and just enjoy the experience, rather than aiming to run). When I did my first marathon I was running halves most weekends, very easily, but slowly (2hrs or so). I then crashed and burned in my first full as had really underestimated it...

Original poster

BogRollBOGOF · 22/10/2021 17:27

I've lost count on halfs which is good.
I can believe it's 4x harder rather than a simple doubling. More that I get the concept of it being two different events together.

I've had plenty of times on a mountain hiking where I could happily stop and nap for an hour or so and it's been the knowledge that keeping my legs going is the only way out of the situation. I've survived a night in a survival shelter in a storm at this time of year. A very different kind of mental and physical exhaustion, and a long 12 hours of misery. We were on our feet at the first sign of daylight, and had about 4 hours of walking to go on the remnants of our emergency rations. We were sustained by the thought of getting back to the campsite, a shower and warm, dry clothing. With 30 mins to go the campsite came into view... and the sight of the shattered, flooded remnants of my tent. Everything was drenched. All shoved in the car for the 3 hour drive home.

If nothing else, I'm clearly a masochist with a faulty boredom threshold

OP posts:

AuntieStella · 22/10/2021 19:39

If nothing else, I'm clearly a masochist with a faulty boredom threshold

Love it!!!!

BabbleBee · 22/10/2021 20:00

I’ve got Manchester in spring too, it’s marathon number 7 for me and the nervous anticipation doesn’t change! I want to do Yorkshire in the autumn and have thought maybe I’ll do a third to get me to 10 and done next year.

Fellrunner85 · 22/10/2021 20:52

Have you done York before, @BabbleBee? It's a funny one - should be flat, but isn't!!

BabbleBee · 22/10/2021 21:06

@Fellrunner85 no, but I’ve run my fair share of ‘slightly undulating’ races! I did see it advertised as flat and thought there’s no way it could be. I love the area though and wouldn’t be worried about time, just happy to have a day off from parenting and bimble around

Original poster

BogRollBOGOF · 22/10/2021 22:59

I live in an undulating county... my calves hate me.

Said I was a masochist!

I'll probably never want to see the river again by mid-March as I have to drive down there to get a flat run.

Normally I run about 3 HMs a year, Feb, June, Oct and that's nicely spaced for some down time and I keep a base of about 10k between times.

OP posts:

Fellrunner85 · 23/10/2021 09:26

I did see it advertised as flat and thought there’s no way it could be

Yeah, that's the strange thing! If they didn't advertise it as flat then it would be fine. It just feels like false advertising

I'm naturally a hill runner (as my name suggests!!) and very rarely run on the flat- in fact I only ever do it on the rare occasion I do road races, really. Most of the time I'm trogging through bogs and over hills. But if I choose a "flat" course it's specifically because I want to see how fast I can go on the flat..

BabbleBee · 23/10/2021 09:34

@Fellrunner85 I totally get what you’re saying! I run a lot of trails, I live right on the South Downs so although it’s not mountainous, it’s not flat either. Which gives me an advantage on the flat (not that anyone believes that hills do actually make you faster) and if I’ve entered a flat race it’s for a reason… usually because I’m going after a time! I’m a slow marathon runner though, my PB is 5:01 in Bournemouth, so I usually potter around that distance knowing full well I’m not speedy. My 10km pace is much better on the flat, but again if I’m on the trails I potter around it, enjoy the experience and view.

Original poster

BogRollBOGOF · 23/10/2021 14:08

"Flat" is a surprisingly subjective word
Around here, flat= the river valley
Hilly= is there a defribulator nearby.
Everything else is "undulating"

My running times are all over the place because I do a mix of flat by the river which shows my true pace and trail through fields which involves lots of gates, and calf crushing slogs uphill. This is not the hilly part of the county either

My body wasn't feeling the love yesterday. Ended up with a 10k country walk with a few bursts of running. Low energy time of the month, bit of cystitis pissing my bladder off, tired glutes from cycling the day before. I don't think it's so much the 10k race now. It was nice to just do it, admire the scenery and accept that it wasn't the day to force a run.

OP posts:

fellrunner85 · 23/10/2021 18:07

if I’ve entered a flat race it’s for a reason… usually because I’m going after a time

Me too! For example, when I wanted to run a GFA marathon to qualify for London, I wanted a truly flat course, just to make it easier. When every second counts, those little bumps make a difference.
Though as I live in pretty much the hilliest part of the Uk, and only run on trails, road running on the flat does feel weird. Usually, I would define a "flat" run as one with less than 100ft of ascent per mile... but that's pretty much impossible round by me unless you find the canal or river.

BabbleBee · 24/10/2021 20:21

I’ve entered Yorkshire for October ‘22. I need one more if anyone has recommendations please? Manchester is already booked for Spring. Road or trail is fine.

Fellrunner85 · 25/10/2021 07:22

So you'd want a summer one really, if you've already got spring and autumn. What about the Lakeland Trails in June? The course is beautiful and it's a hard one, but nothing like a proper Lakes fell run (ie no steep ascents/descents)

OhOneOhTwoOhThree · 10/11/2021 23:40

May I join please? I'm running a small local marathon in December, and booked for Edinburgh next year. I've got up to 20 miles in training and am heading into the taper zone. My last (only previous) marathon was 8 years ago..

Original poster

BogRollBOGOF · 20/11/2021 09:57

Did a 10mi race last weekend which went well. Ran steadily at roughly 10 min miles. I've got a Half next weekend so on having a non-leg twinge, I decided that rather than long-running yesterday, I'd walk it instead. It took 3 hours which was good for stamina as my typical HM time is about 2:15.

I've been doing long runs and am running well, but have been doing more cross-training than little runs. Not sure how long the open water swimming will last now... Actually that's great on tired muscles and is good recovery exercise.
The other logistic has been with bunched up races, I've had little time between one recovery and another taper.

My plan for December will be to keep a long run as a base, and pick up more little and often milage to put me in a better stead for the proper phase of training.

I could also do with reviving my yoga habit after a ropey year.

OP posts:

OhOneOhTwoOhThree · 28/11/2021 21:16

How did your half go BogRoll?

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