First Time Marathon Training (Read 1097 times)

Hi, First of all greetings from Ireland! I am just wondering if I could get some advise/tips for running a marathon. For the last 3 years I have said that I will run the Dublin City Marathon (October) each year. I always leave starting my training until it is too late and of course pick up injuries because of that! This year I am determined that I am going to run the Dublin City Marathon on the 27th of December. I have been running 3/4 Miles twice/three times a week (easy level) for the last while and now I am ready to step up my training. Can anybody recommend any training tips such as frequency and rest days etc. I am 6ft 1inches and 14Stone. I am thinking about running every second day for the next six weeks to try and get my average weekly miles from 11 to 15 miles. All slow pace. After six weeks I will go to four days a week and build my mileage from 15 to 22 Miles over the following 8 weeks. All slow pace. As you can see I am concentrating on building up my weekly miles all at a slow pace. When is the ideal time to bring in speed work??? Do you think that weight training (squats, core training) is beneficial??? Would you do the weight training on a "rest day" or on a running day (weights in the morning & running in the evening)??? Sorry for all the questions but any feedback would be brilliant. Thanks so much, James

As Nick said, lots of ways to approach this. Pfitzinger, Daniels, Higdon, Galloway and any other popular coaches/authors have much to offer. Your training plan has as much to do with what you want as a runner and what fits your life as it does with tempo running and VDOT. I will say that 15-22 miles per week is very VERY low mileage for a marathon. I would highly reccomend waiting to do Dublin until 09. In the meantime, build your base mileage untill you're running 25-30 miles per week. During that time, pick up copies of Daniel's Running Formula, Marathoning for Mortals (don't know the author) and Pfitzinger's Advanced Marathoning. Do some research on Galloway and Higdon. Read up while you build your base. You'll be well prepped for Dublin next year.

It's difficult to give you specific answers without a peek at your log. Especially in regards to your time goal. We have no idea how long you've been running your 2-3 times a week or at what pace. It would definitely benefit you to spend a year building consistency and base mileage, turning that 2-3 times a week into 4-5 (or more). However, with all that said - if you're determined to run Dublin, you have plenty of time. If you're really going to build steady base mileage and be at 20+ miles per week before you even start your program in June - and then spend 5 months in the program actually preparing - you're well ahead of most first timers. I ran my first two on basically no training at all. Not a recommended approach. Plenty of folks go from the couch to a marathon in six months. Or less. If you do the training you say you'll do, you'll be fine to finish the marathon and probably have a good time, too. Now another however: however, your time goal complicates things. Depending on your current ability and speed, four hours could be a pretty lofty goal. (Or it might be easy for you - who knows?). If I were you, I'd worry about nothing except lots of slow, easy miles - and forget that time goal. Run your first to see what you can do. A time goal will make things much harder. Any idea what program you're using or what mileage you'll peak at? Hopefully you're shooting for at least 35-40 at some point. If you're starting at 22 in June, sounds like you're on the right track. I'd skip speed work altogether. You don't need it and you'll probably get hurt. If you insist on doing it, just run a little faster once or twice a week for a few miles. Nothing fancy. Especially if you skip the time goal. Plenty of time for interval training and specific tempo paces for your second marathon. Weight training is controversial amongst runners. Very controversial. My own anecdotal experience has me biased: the only time I did any pre-marathon strength training I ran a completely unexpected 10 minute PR. But that may be nothing but coincidence. I'd say that if you know what you're doing and you've been lifting for a while, fine. Use it as cross-training 2-3 times a week. If you DON'T know what you're doing, I wouldn't start now. Again, for your first marathon, keep it simple. The bottom line: sure, you can do it. You've got plenty of time. But it wouldn't hurt to wait and spend this year just building mileage. And the fact that you're "desperate" to go under four hours could cause you some trouble. So be careful. Not too much, too soon. Have fun. And make sure to take some good pictures. I want to see them at the end of December. P.S. Give yourself a profile and make your log public. People will watch your training and give you all kinds of helpful advice. Whether you want them to or not.

Actually sorry one more question? I know everybody is different etc but does anybody know what the targeted weekly mileage increase (min/max) should be??? i am starting from 11ish miles a week. i am going to improve my consistancy but what should i be looking to add, mileage wise, each week??? or should i increase every second week etc??? what has worked for you?

Cheers for the feedback lads thanks so much! I have a 21 week programme starting on the 2nd of June so I was planning to get up to 22 Miles per week base over the next 14 weeks before that. Mr Inertia - do you think that it is actually too late for me to do the marathon in 2008??? Do you think I should keep training and wait until 2009??? I was really hoping to do it in 2008 but then again I do not want to injure myself through ill preperation. I desperately want to do the marathon under 4 hours!

I might have misunderstood. If you're going to base build until early June, hitting mid 20s per week consistently, that would be fine. Two things to consider: The first is regarding your 4 hour goal. It is CRITICAL that you base your goals on what your fitness level can handle, NOT what you would like them to be able to handle. There seems to be for many (myself included) some sort of line of demarcation at the 4 hour mark. More than 4 is slow, less than that is decent. It's great to have a goal. However, if you try and hit a 4 hour marathon and your fitness level is only ready for a 4:20 marathon, you'll end up with something like a 4:52. Overextending yourself for the marathon sucks more than I have words to describe. Secondly the key to marathon success is consistency. There are a lot of components to a good marathon training plan - LT, long runs, base mileage, nutrition and a score of other factors. But when all is said and done, all of that hinges on consistent training. You've said that you've been an on again/off again runner for some time. If you're going to commit to the marathon, you need to develop consistency and make it integral to your training.

Hi James, It sounds like you are in exactly the same boat as me. I am planning on doing Dublin this year. am averaging 15/16 mile p/w at the moment but looking to build more base until the program begins in June. What I would suggest you do is to sign up to the 10k in April Phoenix Park and aim for achieving that for now and then build on from there for the two months up to June. I'm also going to the 1/2 Marathon in Longford in Aug as it fits perfectly into my schedule - 9 weeks in. So those are two milestones on the way to the Marathon in Dublin on October i'm using so that I can assess my progression along the way. What I will say is make your log public and search/post to this forum for info as its an excellent source and the people are experienced sound bunch. If you really plan on doing it, we'll keep each other on track man. Out of curosity, what plan are you looking at? Good luck with it. J.

Hey James, Looks good, you have a firm plan in place there. About the weights, there are many thoughts from both corners on whether this is beneficial or not. Personally, I dont do any resistance training at all. I hope others can add to this and let you know what they do and where the benefits are. I would imagine that low weight / high reps would be the most beneficial way to go. I do some light cross training in the pool when I can as its non-resistance based and is generally a good workout. Yeah the adidas race series is a good 3 race buildup to guage you level before October as well...

I say go for it. I think there is PLENTY of time -- IF you are committed and stick with a plan, whatever decent plan that may be (see above.) I don't know why you vowed to do it before and didn't follow through. That's something you and you will have to sort through. My wife and I (we live in the states) ran the Dublin Marathon last year. It was a blast. It was her first marathon and mine first in 7 years. She was 39 when she ran it. I just turned 40. At the time she declared "let's run a marathon," we had just finished a 10 mile race in May. And I don't think she ever ran further than 10 miles before. If so, it was in high school cross country. So that's when her training really started. She'd essentially been training for the 10 miler from January, after a several month running layoff and only really picking it up a couple years ago. I was so proud of her.