Am I Insane or Not? (Read 934 times)

I agree with spaniel and ken. If you haven't already, run some 5k's. Maybe 3 or 4 (or a dozen) of them. Then try a 10k or two. Then a 15k if you can find one. Then a half marathon or several. Throughout all of this, keep gradually increasing the number of miles you're running each week. After a year or two of that, you'll be much better prepared for a marathon, and will enjoy it so much more, not to mention you'll be WAY faster. Personally, I ran my first and only marathon on inadequate training and know I would have enjoyed it much more if I was better prepared. I am planning to run a marathon next year and I will be ready for it! That said, there tend to be two different approaches to racing: there are those who want to finish and those who want to race. It sounds like your goal is to finish a marathon. There's nothing wrong with that. Just be aware that if you run a marathon this April you will be slower, suffer more, risk more injury, and be more likely to quit running altogether than if you wait another year. So I'll repeat...what's the rush? You've made a tremendous change in your lifestyle and come so far from where you were. Congrats for that, and I hope you continue to enjoy the process for many years to come.

Concerning runnin a marathon, its your call, but you want to take your time and go into Marathon training with your eyes WIDE OPEN, because there is a HUGE difference between a 1/2 M and a full M...... You can definately work your way up to the 26.2 distance, but dont push it......take your time and savour your accomplishments..... You are doing really well.......keep it up

John A hit the nail on the head. You're doing great in meeting the goals you have set, and running is a lifetime event. I just completed my first marathon last month, and prior to that I ran 2 1/2 marathons, as well as the numerous 5K, 10K, etc races that get sprinkled throughout the training runs. I think that I had the same mindset as you - to be able to say that I ran a marathon - but I wanted to make sure that I was prepared, as there is definitely a huge difference between the two. The good news is that planning and preparation pay off. I had a great first marathon experience, and I'm planning more for the future. Take your time, build your base, find a training plan that fits your life,train for (and enjoy) a 1/2 marathon or two, or more... and pick that marathon that you really want to be able to train for, complete, look back on with pride, and say "Yeah... I did that. I'm a marathon runner." Best of luck and happly holidays! Jeff