Forums >Running 101>1st marathon planned, big problem!!
HI all -
New here, just over from the RW boards. Please bear with me as I try to explain my issue!
I have been running half-marathons, one per year, for the past 5 years. After my most recent time (1:53:20) I finally felt ready to commit to a marathon. I want Chicago to be my first - I'm from the area, don't want to travel, good time of year for me among other reasons. The problem? A very good friend got engaged over the holidays. The date of the wedding - yep, October 12. The day before Chicago. I'm devastated! But now I'm beginning to think I should just do it anyway. The wedding is more of a cocktail party/small plates kind of affair, not a full sit down dinner. I can easily abstain from the cocktails. I'm just worried that I'm going to be a ball of nerves the day before my first. Will going to the wedding help me keep my mind occupied or just make things worse?
Obviously a rookie here - I guess I'm just looking for a few opinions from more seasoned runners. What would you do?
Thanks in advance-
Tracey
I'd attend the wedding and reception, try to stay off my feet and not dance the night away, and just join in the celebration. Then run Chicago and have a great time.
"I want you to pray as if everything depends on it, but I want you to prepare yourself as if everything depends on you."
-- Dick LeBeau
Doesn't sound like a problem to me.
be curious; not judgmental
not bad for mile 25
Yep, go on with life. Better to be doing something and fretting than to be sitting around and fretting. But get your race stuff all prepared before the wedding.
sugnim
Lay out what you will need for the race the morning before the wedding. Go to your best friend's wedding. Have a good time and congratulate the couple. Don't stay up all night drinking and dancing, but get home in time to rest. The next day, enjoy your 1st marathon. Sounds like you have a wonderful weekend to look forward to.
an amazing likeness
Goodness, isn't the 2013 Chicago Marathon something like...10 months away? So much could change by then...this is something to worry about in October.
Acceptable at a dance, invaluable in a shipwreck.
Old , Ugly and slow
Go to the wedding don't be so selfish
first race sept 1977 last race sept 2007
2019 goals 1000 miles , 190 pounds , deadlift 400 touch my toes
What would you do?
Run one of the 8475 kajillion other fall marathons not on the weekend of October 13 (fixed typo,originally I typed Oct 20).
http://www.marathonguide.com/
On October 19-20 you have Detroit, Indianapolis, Grand Rapids, Mount Desert Isle (OK that one you have to travel a ways from Chicago for), Des Moines, Columbus, and the list keeps going. St. Louis is one week later. I won't suggest any Wisconsin marathons as they seem to like to cancel races there. If you would rather move up a week rather then back, Milwaukee and Twin Cities (very highly rated) have marathons on October 7. Of all those I have personally run Detroit, and highly recommend it. Chicago marathon happens every year, Hopefully unlike your friend's wedding.
Personally I have not decided on a spring marathon yet, let alone fall. Marathons really are not as important as weddings. One of them we hope only happens once, the other many times.
I'm just worried that I'm going to be a ball of nerves the day before my first.
You're going to be nervous?! Isn't that the groom's role?
I wish this hadn't made me laugh, but it did. With a lot of people, I think the marathon would only happen once and the wedding many times.
Wedding will probably help take your mind off it. I fretted so much about my 1st Marathon I couldn't sleep the night before and couldn't eat anything the morning of. Needless to say it was one of the worst runs I ever had.
Sorta sucks you can't have a couple of drinks to celebrate though. I may have one glass of wine toast them but that would be it.
"The drops of rain make a hole in the stone, not by violence, but by oft falling." - Lucretius
Thats useful advice right there ... dont tire yourself out the day before .. like Pfitz says in his book .. you dont see Ryan Hall helping his neighbors move the day before his marathon ... something along those lines ...
I dont sweat. I ooze liquid awesome.
Proboscis Colossus
I say go for it, as long as you/the wedding are close enough to Chicago (if it isn't actually in Chicago) that you can be there plenty early race morning. You may or may not be a ball of nerves the night before (though if you're this worried about it now, my money's on the former), but either way, having something to do/people to hang out with the night before can only help. Just don't stay up too late.
Lots of carbs to be had at those types of weddings; good excuse to pound 'em down with no guilt!
"God guides us on our journey, but careful with those feet." - David Lee Roth, of all people
No more marathons
Ouch - well I guess that sentiment fits your quote "old, ugly, and slow".
It's not an either/or - you can do both. No different from a destination marathon. Going to a wedding the day before might cause you to lose a few minutes, but you weren't planning on being in the front of the pack, were you?
Boston 2014 - a 33 year journey
Lordy, I hope there are tapes.
He's a leaker!
Tessa
You can do both. Go to the wedding, enjoy yourself, don't stay there too late and don't get plastered, then do the marathon the next day.
Far better to have them in that order than the first marathon followed by the wedding. Especially if they were the same day.
Now if it was YOUR wedding the day before the marathon, then you might have a problem...