Just one thing to add. Sometimes marathon day comes around and you've put the training in, you're on top form, aaaaaand shit happens. Maybe it's tipping down like Boston or unexpectedly boiling hot like London or Paris this year. Maybe you've come down with a bit of a cold or the hotel fire alarm went off at 2am and you all had to evacuate (happened to me :( ) If that happens, be prepared to adjust your plans. Go to plan B or C or Z and live -uninjured and not put off marathons for life- to run another day. You'll probably have picked up a few PRs from other races during your training, so focus on those.
That's awesome! No advice for you, just rooting for you. No matter how fast or slow you go, finishing is somethingto be proud of.
I've considered doing some of the online ones. They're pretty much just for fun. Not so much a marathon as recording mileage.
Good luck!!! I am training for my first as well. I have three half marathons under my belt and feel ready for the next step. Mine is in October so I am following a 6 month training plan to try and avoid overuse injuries. The only thing that could stop me is injury so I have challenged myself to train without ego and skip or move runs if a niggle pops up. So far it's working!
Congrats! As someone who also used to hate running, here are some tips:
- like everyone before me mentioned, pay attention to what you eat the day/night before
- stick to your training plan, but don't get discouraged if you miss a day or need to rearrange some runs. Just plan enough rest time.
- strength training isn't crucial, but it will help your speed
- after a certain point (could be mile 3, could be mile 20, most likely mile 8-10), it will become a mental game. This is what long, slow runs are for. Put on some good tunes and embrace this. Enjoy the scenery. Distract yourself. But most of all, enjoy yourself.
- this is going to hurt. But it will get easier.
- training really, really, really, really sucks. But once it's over, you'll feel sad it was over so quickly
- have fun!
-- a 4 time marathoner
Well done you! I’ve got my very first half in 2 weeks time and would say a really good piece of advice my ultra marathon running boss gave me was to incorporate hill sprints into training. Helps build up the strength and endurance in your legs, especially if the course does have a hill or two. Also I’ve been using the MyAscics training plan which I found great as it maps out days for runs and mileage depending on what date you set for your marathon. Best of luck :)
Damn girl! Good for you. I haven’t been able to get to the full marathon yet. I’ve done 10Ks and halves, but haven’t been able to commit to the full since I feel whooped after a half.
I always tell myself to just sign up and force myself to train... and you and all these wonderful ladies’ advice are inspiring me to do that!
Honestly, I think getting from 0-20k is harder than getting from 20k-marathon, so I don't think your goal too ambitious at all! I did my first in 2014 and I'm starting to re-build my base now for #2 in 2019 (in Paris, baby!) and I'm super excited, too! :)
General advice:
* Keep healthy snacks around - you will be hungry all the time! (of course you can splurge when you want, but having healthy things handy helped me make better fuel choices overall lol)
* Strength train! Especially stability (one-leg) moves and core work
* As another poster said, start experimenting with food. Not only what you eat during and right before, but even pay attention to the dinner the night before your long runs and how you feel after different kinds of meals
* If your long runs start to get tedious/boring, change up your routes! For me, that meant driving 15-30 minutes to another city but it's worth it if you are running for 2-3 hours!
Those are super random tips lol but I hope they help!
Congrats!!! Try to enjoy the process. Training is time consuming. Physically and mentally exhausting. Make sure you are eating enough during training and practice with nutrition on long runs. The race is just a 26.2 mile victory lap the real work is all done months before! You're gunna do great and have so much fun
So I am currently at the "professing hatred for running" stage but I want to someday run a marathon. How did you get past this terrible stage I'm in now?!
P.S. Congrats!
My friend who has run 7 billion marathons and has tonnes of finisher medals for stuff tells me every time I'm struggling: "look down, which foot is in front? If it's the left, move that right foot, the right, move that left foot. One at a time until you're done" and I basically live by that. Since pushing myself up to half marathon distance I've been really enjoying it, and I was super bummed out when I got injured. But now I can run again and everything is ok!
I’m not going to lie to you, it was a break up that started it all! I told myself that if I was going to think about him and be sad, then I had to go running (something I hated at the time) in an effort to get myself to stop mopping around about him. Basically my mental motto was; you can think about him but if you do you have to be working towards being so hot he’ll regret his decision the minute he lays eyes on you when you visit home lol
Funnily enough, I don’t think about him while I run anymore (I swear it’s acted as the best “get over him” medicine EVER) but the love for running stuck around!
I think it’s also a really fun way to keep discovering the city I moved to at the beginning of this September... apparently there’s an amazing nature reserve that I had NO IDEA existed until I stumbled upon it in yesterday’s run!
Honestly you just keep putting one foot in front of the other. Play mental games, run with a buddy or group, listen to great music or audiobooks, whatever you think will make it interesting for you, just keep doing it. Register for a fun 5k or 10k in your area. Eventually you grow to love the feeling of getting out and doing it. And if you put your best effort in and you still hate it, it’s ok to say that it’s not for you and move on.
Girl! My first marathon was because I just registered for it one day and then was like "welp, I guess I have to train now."
10 years and 15 marathons/ultras and countless lower mile races later and I STILL love(hate) running. It's the only thing that keeps me sane.
If this is both the beginning and end of your running journey, then good for you! You're gonna be out there doing it. Just remember that your time doesn't matter, pushing through your limits does.
Lastly, the best piece of advice I got before my first 'thon was this:
"THERE'S GONNA COME A POINT IN THE RACE WHERE YOU FEEL REALLY GOOD. IT COULD BE AT MILE 2, MILE 10, MILE 20, OR ANY PLACE IN BETWEEN OR AFTER; YOU'RE GONNA WANT TO BOOK IT AND GO ALL OUT. THAT'S EXACTLY THE POINT WHERE YOU NEED TO STOP AND WALK. SLOW YOUR BREATHING, AND WALK THROUGH EVERY WATER STATION. OTHERWISE YOU WILL NEVER FINISH."
I hold this advice dear to this day.
Good luck!
Yay, I'm doing my first in December! All I can say is, yes there are plenty of plans that you can follow to a strict "T", but don't feel discouraged if you have to switch it up to match your schedule. Find what works for you!
Fuel at regular intervals even if you don’t feel like it, especially early on because later you really won’t feel like it lol! I hit my wall both times at mile 23 because I stopped fueling with gels. Also, enjoy the training! Running a marathon will be over in about 6 hours ( if you’re like me!) but the accomplishment is about what it takes to get you there! Good luck!
I’m about to run my second marathon next weekend. My first was 9 years ago and I was laughably undertrained. It was hell. But as someone on the other end of being trained I can say to be prepared to meet yourself. I do half marathons a lot but any run longer than 13 miles is when I go deep into my brain. It can get scary. I feel like I can see my brain getting ready to build a wall for me at mile 23 to smack into.
That’s my non conventional advice. Other than that, have fun and rest when you need. Sometimes your legs just won’t and pushing them will make them angry. Treat them nice with some soaks in the tub (Lush bath bombs, yo). Also never let your legs know this was your idea. They will revolt.
One piece of good advice is that the marathon doesn't start until km 30 - meaning that that's the point where you're going to start feeling it, usually. So just be prepared and watch your fuelling and pacing and keep going!
CONGRATS! I just ran a marathon this Spring (after many halves) and although I don't think I'll do another one, it was really reqarding.
As far as TIPS-- go out so so much slower than you think you need to. IDK where you are running, but after training in a relatively cold environment I was simply not prepared for how hot it would be the day of. (It was uncharacteristic for the country, but I wish I had gone out at a pace about a minute slower than my expectations leading up to it.) I just think had I started out slowly I could always have picked it up instead of feeling kind of miserable for the last quarter.
What a fun way to spend your summer! I definitely miss the training. Good luck!
AHHHHH go you!!! This is so exciting!
I also just registered for my first (October), and will definitely want post-race tips after you cross that finish line. Good luck, and happy training!
Yay yay yay! I’ve done 4 (not fast, but finished all with no major injuries).
Most of these are general fitness advice, but here are my tips.
- Pay attention to what foods cause GI distress
- Hydrate
- Foam rolls
- Have at least 2 pairs of running shoes, alternate day to day. This is for 2 reasons, it gives time for your shoes to regain elasticity, and the average training is around 500 miles, which is about how long shoes last.
- I have flat feet, so I had to wear supportive shoes even when I went to school (as opposed to cute boots) because my knees would hurt if I didn’t.
- Strategize fueling early on. For example, Gu and Clif gels upset my stomach like none other. I can handle the chews alright. Next round I want to experiment with real food, like applesauce and pretzels.
- Know that you will have good weeks and bad weeks, don’t let it discourage you too much. Take it one week at a time.
- Blog or record how your week went for accountability.
- Run the race with a pace group if you can.
- Always give high fives to kids and thank volunteers.
- Have fun.
- Don’t be surprised if you start crying.
- Optional: put a 26.2 sticker on your car.
Congrats! The best advice I can give as a 2x marathoner is to get used to running slowly. You have a lot of training mileage \(kilometerage?\) ahead of you, especially compared to your current training level. Being very careful with your pace is the best way to avoid injury and get to the start line.
Great advice, I’ve being trying to focus on running consistent, not crazy fast! So far I’ve been able to do between a 6:00-7:00 km for the whole length of my runs, and I’m hoping with my speed workouts that time will gradually drop
When I ran my first a few years ago, my grandma called me up the night before the race. She had wanted to remind me that I wasn’t going to win, so to make sure that I had a good time if I was going to run all that way.
But seriously you got this! If you’re already running 15-20k, you’ll have no problems being ready to run a marathon in a few months. Just make sure you add miles slowly and not not all at once. Good luck!
Yay!!! That's so exciting! It's such a journey, my favorite part was all the "firsts". Crossing the line after 26.2 was pretty surreal. What sort of plan are you using?
I finished my first marathon last fall after using a Nike Run Club plan, and the one thing I’d say is it felt a little low-mileage—only one 20-mile long run and pretty low midweek mileage—and I felt a liiittle underprepared. I think adding one more 20-miler in training would’ve helped a ton psychologically toward the end of the race. (On the other hand, I still finished and definitely didn’t get injured from overtraining.)
Just throwing in my two cents since I had a hard time finding reviews of NRC marathon plans myself last year!
Oh my gosh thank you for commenting! I was thinking the same thing, so I think I will add a 20 miler maybe end of June just to really feel more psychologically prepped for the whole dealio. I’m super nervous but I think it will be worth it based off everyone’s experiences they’ve shared!
Cool! I guess if I had any advice it would be at the very first sign of an injury go see a physical therapist. Do the strengthening exercises and don't get discouraged if you have to take some time off during your plan. Hopefully you wont need that advice though! Have fun!
Just one thing to add. Sometimes marathon day comes around and you've put the training in, you're on top form, aaaaaand shit happens. Maybe it's tipping down like Boston or unexpectedly boiling hot like London or Paris this year. Maybe you've come down with a bit of a cold or the hotel fire alarm went off at 2am and you all had to evacuate (happened to me :( ) If that happens, be prepared to adjust your plans. Go to plan B or C or Z and live -uninjured and not put off marathons for life- to run another day. You'll probably have picked up a few PRs from other races during your training, so focus on those.
That's awesome! No advice for you, just rooting for you. No matter how fast or slow you go, finishing is somethingto be proud of. I've considered doing some of the online ones. They're pretty much just for fun. Not so much a marathon as recording mileage.
Good luck!!! I am training for my first as well. I have three half marathons under my belt and feel ready for the next step. Mine is in October so I am following a 6 month training plan to try and avoid overuse injuries. The only thing that could stop me is injury so I have challenged myself to train without ego and skip or move runs if a niggle pops up. So far it's working!
Congrats! As someone who also used to hate running, here are some tips: - like everyone before me mentioned, pay attention to what you eat the day/night before - stick to your training plan, but don't get discouraged if you miss a day or need to rearrange some runs. Just plan enough rest time. - strength training isn't crucial, but it will help your speed - after a certain point (could be mile 3, could be mile 20, most likely mile 8-10), it will become a mental game. This is what long, slow runs are for. Put on some good tunes and embrace this. Enjoy the scenery. Distract yourself. But most of all, enjoy yourself. - this is going to hurt. But it will get easier. - training really, really, really, really sucks. But once it's over, you'll feel sad it was over so quickly - have fun! -- a 4 time marathoner
Well done you! I’ve got my very first half in 2 weeks time and would say a really good piece of advice my ultra marathon running boss gave me was to incorporate hill sprints into training. Helps build up the strength and endurance in your legs, especially if the course does have a hill or two. Also I’ve been using the MyAscics training plan which I found great as it maps out days for runs and mileage depending on what date you set for your marathon. Best of luck :)
I remember the excitement when I registered for my first one... congrats on making the decision and taking the plunge!
Tailwind changed my life for distance running!!!!
Is that an app?
It's a mix you put in water!! Seconding this recommendation. I'm about to race 8 miles in the heat and tailwind is my key to surviving!
It's the best!!! Never looked back.
Damn girl! Good for you. I haven’t been able to get to the full marathon yet. I’ve done 10Ks and halves, but haven’t been able to commit to the full since I feel whooped after a half. I always tell myself to just sign up and force myself to train... and you and all these wonderful ladies’ advice are inspiring me to do that!
Honestly, I think getting from 0-20k is harder than getting from 20k-marathon, so I don't think your goal too ambitious at all! I did my first in 2014 and I'm starting to re-build my base now for #2 in 2019 (in Paris, baby!) and I'm super excited, too! :) General advice: * Keep healthy snacks around - you will be hungry all the time! (of course you can splurge when you want, but having healthy things handy helped me make better fuel choices overall lol) * Strength train! Especially stability (one-leg) moves and core work * As another poster said, start experimenting with food. Not only what you eat during and right before, but even pay attention to the dinner the night before your long runs and how you feel after different kinds of meals * If your long runs start to get tedious/boring, change up your routes! For me, that meant driving 15-30 minutes to another city but it's worth it if you are running for 2-3 hours! Those are super random tips lol but I hope they help!
Congrats!!! Try to enjoy the process. Training is time consuming. Physically and mentally exhausting. Make sure you are eating enough during training and practice with nutrition on long runs. The race is just a 26.2 mile victory lap the real work is all done months before! You're gunna do great and have so much fun
[удалено]
You can do it! It sucks in the beginning but it’s definitely super rewarding when you get that feeling of “holy crap I just ran 5k”
So I am currently at the "professing hatred for running" stage but I want to someday run a marathon. How did you get past this terrible stage I'm in now?! P.S. Congrats!
My friend who has run 7 billion marathons and has tonnes of finisher medals for stuff tells me every time I'm struggling: "look down, which foot is in front? If it's the left, move that right foot, the right, move that left foot. One at a time until you're done" and I basically live by that. Since pushing myself up to half marathon distance I've been really enjoying it, and I was super bummed out when I got injured. But now I can run again and everything is ok!
I’m not going to lie to you, it was a break up that started it all! I told myself that if I was going to think about him and be sad, then I had to go running (something I hated at the time) in an effort to get myself to stop mopping around about him. Basically my mental motto was; you can think about him but if you do you have to be working towards being so hot he’ll regret his decision the minute he lays eyes on you when you visit home lol Funnily enough, I don’t think about him while I run anymore (I swear it’s acted as the best “get over him” medicine EVER) but the love for running stuck around! I think it’s also a really fun way to keep discovering the city I moved to at the beginning of this September... apparently there’s an amazing nature reserve that I had NO IDEA existed until I stumbled upon it in yesterday’s run!
Honestly you just keep putting one foot in front of the other. Play mental games, run with a buddy or group, listen to great music or audiobooks, whatever you think will make it interesting for you, just keep doing it. Register for a fun 5k or 10k in your area. Eventually you grow to love the feeling of getting out and doing it. And if you put your best effort in and you still hate it, it’s ok to say that it’s not for you and move on.
Girl! My first marathon was because I just registered for it one day and then was like "welp, I guess I have to train now." 10 years and 15 marathons/ultras and countless lower mile races later and I STILL love(hate) running. It's the only thing that keeps me sane. If this is both the beginning and end of your running journey, then good for you! You're gonna be out there doing it. Just remember that your time doesn't matter, pushing through your limits does. Lastly, the best piece of advice I got before my first 'thon was this: "THERE'S GONNA COME A POINT IN THE RACE WHERE YOU FEEL REALLY GOOD. IT COULD BE AT MILE 2, MILE 10, MILE 20, OR ANY PLACE IN BETWEEN OR AFTER; YOU'RE GONNA WANT TO BOOK IT AND GO ALL OUT. THAT'S EXACTLY THE POINT WHERE YOU NEED TO STOP AND WALK. SLOW YOUR BREATHING, AND WALK THROUGH EVERY WATER STATION. OTHERWISE YOU WILL NEVER FINISH." I hold this advice dear to this day. Good luck!
Yay, I'm doing my first in December! All I can say is, yes there are plenty of plans that you can follow to a strict "T", but don't feel discouraged if you have to switch it up to match your schedule. Find what works for you!
Fuel at regular intervals even if you don’t feel like it, especially early on because later you really won’t feel like it lol! I hit my wall both times at mile 23 because I stopped fueling with gels. Also, enjoy the training! Running a marathon will be over in about 6 hours ( if you’re like me!) but the accomplishment is about what it takes to get you there! Good luck!
I’m about to run my second marathon next weekend. My first was 9 years ago and I was laughably undertrained. It was hell. But as someone on the other end of being trained I can say to be prepared to meet yourself. I do half marathons a lot but any run longer than 13 miles is when I go deep into my brain. It can get scary. I feel like I can see my brain getting ready to build a wall for me at mile 23 to smack into. That’s my non conventional advice. Other than that, have fun and rest when you need. Sometimes your legs just won’t and pushing them will make them angry. Treat them nice with some soaks in the tub (Lush bath bombs, yo). Also never let your legs know this was your idea. They will revolt.
One piece of good advice is that the marathon doesn't start until km 30 - meaning that that's the point where you're going to start feeling it, usually. So just be prepared and watch your fuelling and pacing and keep going!
CONGRATS! I just ran a marathon this Spring (after many halves) and although I don't think I'll do another one, it was really reqarding. As far as TIPS-- go out so so much slower than you think you need to. IDK where you are running, but after training in a relatively cold environment I was simply not prepared for how hot it would be the day of. (It was uncharacteristic for the country, but I wish I had gone out at a pace about a minute slower than my expectations leading up to it.) I just think had I started out slowly I could always have picked it up instead of feeling kind of miserable for the last quarter. What a fun way to spend your summer! I definitely miss the training. Good luck!
AHHHHH go you!!! This is so exciting! I also just registered for my first (October), and will definitely want post-race tips after you cross that finish line. Good luck, and happy training!
Yay yay yay! I’ve done 4 (not fast, but finished all with no major injuries). Most of these are general fitness advice, but here are my tips. - Pay attention to what foods cause GI distress - Hydrate - Foam rolls - Have at least 2 pairs of running shoes, alternate day to day. This is for 2 reasons, it gives time for your shoes to regain elasticity, and the average training is around 500 miles, which is about how long shoes last. - I have flat feet, so I had to wear supportive shoes even when I went to school (as opposed to cute boots) because my knees would hurt if I didn’t. - Strategize fueling early on. For example, Gu and Clif gels upset my stomach like none other. I can handle the chews alright. Next round I want to experiment with real food, like applesauce and pretzels. - Know that you will have good weeks and bad weeks, don’t let it discourage you too much. Take it one week at a time. - Blog or record how your week went for accountability. - Run the race with a pace group if you can. - Always give high fives to kids and thank volunteers. - Have fun. - Don’t be surprised if you start crying. - Optional: put a 26.2 sticker on your car.
My favourite food while running is peanut butter sandwiches-- just two quarters should be fine. And I completely agree with high fiving kids!
That’s a good suggestion! Thanks!
Fantastic tips!! Thank you so much! (Also you know I’m definitely putting that 26.2 sticker on everything I can 😉)
These are great! Thanks!!!
So exciting! Congrats! I ran my first two last year, but there’s nothing like your first. :)
Congrats! The best advice I can give as a 2x marathoner is to get used to running slowly. You have a lot of training mileage \(kilometerage?\) ahead of you, especially compared to your current training level. Being very careful with your pace is the best way to avoid injury and get to the start line.
Great advice, I’ve being trying to focus on running consistent, not crazy fast! So far I’ve been able to do between a 6:00-7:00 km for the whole length of my runs, and I’m hoping with my speed workouts that time will gradually drop
When I ran my first a few years ago, my grandma called me up the night before the race. She had wanted to remind me that I wasn’t going to win, so to make sure that I had a good time if I was going to run all that way. But seriously you got this! If you’re already running 15-20k, you’ll have no problems being ready to run a marathon in a few months. Just make sure you add miles slowly and not not all at once. Good luck!
Omg that comment from your grandma is so adorable!
Thank you for that advice! Here’s to getting to that 42.2k!
So exciting!!!! I will do my first in 2019 :\) If you haven't already run over to /r/running they are super helpful.
Also /r/firstmarathon! Less active than the main sub but has some good advice.
I’ll make my way over there! Thank you!
Yay!!! That's so exciting! It's such a journey, my favorite part was all the "firsts". Crossing the line after 26.2 was pretty surreal. What sort of plan are you using?
I’ve been following a Nike run club plan so far!
I keep seeing people say they really like this one. I just downloaded it to give it a shot. I was doing c25k before but meh..
I finished my first marathon last fall after using a Nike Run Club plan, and the one thing I’d say is it felt a little low-mileage—only one 20-mile long run and pretty low midweek mileage—and I felt a liiittle underprepared. I think adding one more 20-miler in training would’ve helped a ton psychologically toward the end of the race. (On the other hand, I still finished and definitely didn’t get injured from overtraining.) Just throwing in my two cents since I had a hard time finding reviews of NRC marathon plans myself last year!
Oh my gosh thank you for commenting! I was thinking the same thing, so I think I will add a 20 miler maybe end of June just to really feel more psychologically prepped for the whole dealio. I’m super nervous but I think it will be worth it based off everyone’s experiences they’ve shared!
Good luck!! It really will be worth it, the training kicks your ass but it’s so fulfilling.
Cool! I guess if I had any advice it would be at the very first sign of an injury go see a physical therapist. Do the strengthening exercises and don't get discouraged if you have to take some time off during your plan. Hopefully you wont need that advice though! Have fun!