If you had not been able to run for 2 months, due to an injury (injury to the heel fat pad, or possible stress fracture of the heel), and you were able to resume running 12 weeks before the Fall marathon you are already registered for, would you go ahead with your training and run the marathon or would you cancel your trip? The race is Chicago and I will lose $400 now if I cancel my hotel and lose the race registration fee. On the other hand, it will cost me a lot more if I go, and I know I will finish far behind my PR.
Also, what kind of marathon training can I expect after two months of no running and only 12 weeks to train?
PRs: Boston Marathon, 3:27, April 15th 2013
Cornwall Half-Marathon, 1:35, April 27th 2013
18 marathons, 18 BQs since 2010
I think if you want to, you could train and run it. However, knowing how you felt when you ran that other marathon for fun, will you be OK to finish slower than your PR? Sort of like a post-injury PR?
If you are OK with coming to Chicago and run it and see how fast you could, I think it's doable. You have not lost all your fitness and you've been busy doing other XT. If so, the Pfitz 12/55 might give you guidance.
Good luck! Hope I get to meet you in Chicago, if you decide to go for it.
Damaris
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KillJoyFuckStick
This is one of the problems with the "big" races (big entry fee, big hotel fee, big travel fee).
pssst... I registered last week for a well organized, local $35 marathon February 2014. If for some reason I have to bag it, I've only lost $35.
You people have issues
Thanks Damaris. Of course, being me, there are days when I picture myself jumping into something similar to Pfitz 12/85. Then I walk a bit and realize how ridiculous it would be to do that after my injury. 12/55 is probably all that I could handle in reality. If that...
FSocks, most of my marathons are small $50 affairs. So far, Boston and Chicago are my only two "big" ones, out of 12 marathons.
I'd run it anyway and let the pieces fall where they may ... though I'm a bit hard-headed and don't follow the conventional wisdom on training weeks for a race. (Does that sound like anyone else?)
Ultimately, I think it's up to what your body is telling you. I like the idea of doing the 12/55 Pfitz lead-up to the race with the caveat of backing off or bailing if something goes really wrong during training. I think that your base fitness level is phenomenal and even with taking 2 months off running you really haven't lost all that much ... don't you recall those Olympic Stationary Bike aspirations?
Besides, I'll be one week post-race from Lakefront by that time and I might just make the drive down to Chicago to watch the race as a spectator...mmm, I wonder what sign I could make as RecoveryBruce to make you laugh at the 22 mile mark?
Train smart ... race smarter.
That's a tough sell Lily- it will probably take you 2 weeks to get the kinks out- 3 more weeks to feel like you're back in the groove, and then maybe a few more weeks to feel like you're close to where you were before you took a break. It sounds like 12 weeks of being mindfked.
Drink up moho's!!
Back in 2011 I had a stress fracture in June, was off until August and the trained up to finish the Chicago Marathon in October. My logest run was 15 miles in getting back up to speed.
I went into the race knowing I was not going to be running to my full potential and to just have fun.
Zero to marathon finish in 8 weeks is not something I would ever recommend but I can say for a fact in can be done but it will be a bumpy ride.
Walk-Jogger
If you had not been able to run for 2 months, due to an injury (injury to the heel fat pad, or possible stress fracture of the heel), and you were able to resume running 12 weeks before the Fall marathon you are already registered for, would you go ahead with your training and run the marathon or would you cancel your trip? The race is Chicago and I will lose $400 now if I cancel my hotel and lose the race registration fee. On the other hand, it will cost me a lot more if I go, and I know I will finish far behind my PR. Also, what kind of marathon training can I expect after two months of no running and only 12 weeks to train?
After 8 weeks or more off on several occasions in recent years, it has taken me about 6 weeks of intervals on the track to get my 5K time back under 20:00. But I've never run a marathon, so I can't really offer you any advice.
Retired & Loving It
You have a solid foundation of running this year so there's no reason you could not put together a mini cycle to get you from the start to finish line. A PR is likely out of the question but you may be able to have a decent race otherwise if you are able to lower your expectations.
I did something similar for Detroit last year and was happier than a proctologist in an exam room full of divorce lawyers when it was over. I focused on hitting my weekly mileage totals spread out over a period of days, and not necessarily in one long run per week and it worked out okay.
I am barely a sub-4:00 marathoner though, so there is that.
Are we there, yet?
I'd be hesitant to try a marathon that soon. Back in the early 70s I had a soft tissue injury, tendons and ligaments in my left ankle, that kept me from running for a long period. It might have been 4-6 weeks. Again in the mid-70s I had a knee injury that kept me out about 6 weeks. While I was back racing shorter races in a few months, it was at least 6 months before I felt ready to attempt a marathon. It was one of my slower efforts, though two month later I was back to at least BQ level though still well off my PR.
2024 Races:
03/09 - Livingston Oval Ultra 6-Hour, 22.88 miles
05/11 - D3 50K 05/25 - What the Duck 12-Hour
06/17 - 6 Days in the Dome 12-Hour.
Jess runs for bacon
I don't think I am able to give advice in this situation, but can I just say that I hear Chicago has really good pizza? Pizza that could possibly be worth $400?
The c word is repulsive
I was an official pacer in the London marathon in 2010 off a 6 mile long run. It's a true story and I was crapping myself, I was offered the 7mm, 8mm or 9mm pace group and I went for 9 because I was seriously worried as I'd been injured on and off and really hadn't run long in training.
However I knew that I had the mental fortitude not to fuck up on a huge public scale, your mind CAN drag your body to limits you don't think are possible. It really can.
However, I've just seen the pizza post and yes, I prefer pizza to running; there goes my mental fortitude.
Here's an idea. Just throwing it out there. I think you can definitely train to finish and actually I don't think you'd be that far off of your PR, but what about training to pace someone slower who would love the guidance? I'm looking to run under 4:10 which is WAY slower than you, but maybe you know someone looking to run 3:50 or looking to break 4 hours? That way you aren't stressing your body too much and are helping someone else achieve their goal, while getting to enjoy the crazy fun that is the Chicago Marathon.
Go to Chicago and enjoy the run. Hop in with a slower pace group and have a good time. Dress up in a funny Canadian outfit and chat with people.
”Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.”
“Whether you think you can, or you think you can't--you're right.”
Tomas