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Original poster

Marathon help

28 replies

Upstairsdownstairs30 · 13/06/2022 15:11

I have a place in the VLM in October this year and am currently panicking about how I am going to do it!

I originally got my place in 2019 trained to marathon distance before it was cancelled, deferred my place to April this year.. prior to April around September time I was super fit and doing a sub 2 hour half...

When it moved for the second time I seriously lost motivation and have hardly been running since then.

I would do the occasional 5/10k but I started a 16 week training programme and am on week 2 and I am so broken! It says about running 5 times a week and I can't commit to this with working ft with a toddler!

So my question is... have I left it too late to start training? Is it possible to run a marathon with training around 3 times a week? I would also like to continue with some CrossFit sessions, is this just going to make me more broken?

Just looking for some help and general encouragement!

OP posts:
Original poster
Upstairsdownstairs30 · 13/06/2022 21:02

ReviewingTheSituation · 13/06/2022 17:21

I'm with you - had a place for 2020 and finally doing it this year! I really really didn't want to do an October marathon as I hate training in the summer, but hey ho, here we are.

Firstly - you absolutely can do it. It's 16 weeks from now, so that's plenty of time. You've been there before, so you know you can do it.

It sounds like you don't have the right training plan for your lifestyle. Whilst many are 5x per week, that simply doesn't work for some people. Have a look for a different one, and don't be afraid to tweak/tailor it.

The key is the long run. This is the one thing you really do need to do, so work out a way to get this done each week. For most people this is early on a weekend (or non-working day), but in the summer, with lighter evenings, you might be able to get away with evening (if you can get away without doing bedtime one evening). Ideally it would be roughly the same day each week, so your body has a week to recover before the next one. To make sure you avoid injury, build the distance up slowly, ideally with a drop-back week every few weeks. Put them in your diary now, so you know what's coming.

If you're feeling broken already, I'd be willing to bet you are trying to run too fast. 80% of your running should be 'easy' - a pace where you can chat, feel comfortable, and feel like you could go a bit further after you've finished. If you need to go back to run/walking for the first couple of weeks, then do that. It will soon come back.
If you only have time for 3 runs a week, you need to be smart about it. A long run, a medium run at a slightly faster pace, and some form of interval work (fartlek, hills, timed intervals). Ideally some form of cross training would be handy too - some strength/conditioning (can easily be done at home, without any special equipment) and your cross fit class.

The other thing that may really help you is company. Find a local running group - there are bound to be other people there who are training for it. Having a running buddy on those long runs makes ALL the difference.

In terms of on the day - whatever works for you, BUT - test it out beforehand. NOTHING NEW on race day. No new kit, no new gels, no new drinks. You've got 16 weeks to experiment with gels, blocks and bars, and to decide what kind of kit you like to run in.

Thanks for the advice! Some really good stuff in there! How is your training going?

Yes that is a very good point, I may well be going too fast on the long run! I will tweak an existing plan and just stick with 3 runs minimum! I was planning on trying to do some of the long runs on a Thursday evening with my friend so that I don't take up hours of family time at the weekend, thank god for the lighter nights!

I would absolutely love to join a running group; there is one really locally but I can't commit to the times, I think my long run time will be set in stone but may have to be flexible with the rest of the runs with a young child, eg do some in the morning, maybe the odd lunchtime run etc so I'm not out a few evenings a week!

My issue is my hips being super tight but really don't want to end up injured so should slow down! That is a very good point!

OP posts:
Original poster
Upstairsdownstairs30 · 13/06/2022 21:07

LoveItOrListIt · 13/06/2022 17:25

Agree with Hal Higdon…I used his 18 week training plan three times…you are only 2 weeks off…if you have a decent base then you should be able to slot right into week 3 relatively easily.
also agree that the long runs are the important ones not to skip.
good luck!!

Thankyou for this! I’ve never heard of him before this thread! I’ll check it out, There’s so many out there it’s hard to know where to start.

OP posts:
fellrunner85 · 13/06/2022 23:35

Yes you can do it on 3 runs a week, but 4 would be better. What's really important, though, is fitting in some strength work too, even if it's only 5-10 mins a day of core/glute work or yoga. Your CrossFit is great for that, so keep that up for sure.

For your first marathon, the hardest bit will be making it to the start line without getting injured in training, and working on core and glute strength will really help keep injury at bay.

Buy a hydration pack and get used to running with it - one with pockets you can stick your gels/blocks/keys in is good. You don't want to be running holding a bottle; that's nuts enough for short runs, but for 3hrs plus it would drive you mad. Even the cheap ones from Decathlon are good.

I've done lots of marathons. They're hard! And when people say the race starts at 20 miles, they're not kidding. On the day you're aiming to get to 20 miles feeling good, so you can dig in for the last 10k. That means making sure you get up to 18-20 miles enough times in training, so don't skimp on the long runs.

Good luck and let us know how the training goes.

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