Forums >Running 101>When will I be ready to run a marathon?
His advice is normally pretty solid. 50 miles a week is BQ territory. 125 miles a month for 6 months gets you to the finish line standing and probably <5. I did not see your age.
Consistently Slow
This. Depending on your definition of very late in life
This from someone who BQ'ed without even having it as a goal and insists on not running Boston.
Run until the trail runs out.
SCHEDULE 2016--
The pain that hurts the worse is the imagined pain. One of the most difficult arts of racing is learning to ignore the imagined pain and just live with the present pain (which is always bearable.) - Jeff
http://bkclay.blogspot.com/
old woman w/hobby
The standards for old(er) women aren't that stringent...
steph
Feeling the growl again
Just to be clear, I'm not looking down on anybody who gets out there and trains/runs to improve themselves. My first 2-mile RACE was in the 27:30 range, and I didn't walk a single step.
However there are different levels of training required depending on what your real goal is. 50mpw is a good baseline recommendation for someone who really wants to run the whole thing with some margin of error for bad pacing, inclement weather, or a tougher-than-expected course. I would certainly not say 50mpw is automatically BQ territory....for some yes, for some no.
FWIW I had been running 10 years before I ran a marathon. Samantha is young. If it is going to be a "once in a lifetime experience", she has some time to make sure it's really the experience she wants.
Yes, as some have implied part of my message was that people will set too hight of a goal (run/race it) then not do the training to support it (20-30odd mpw). Then they wonder why they end up injured or have a miserable experience. I don't want to see people end up having a miserable experience...well, that's a lie, a hard run marathon is a miserable experience. As someone said, they've seen people race a marathon and end up barely able to stand and people who didn't train enough finish smiling. Well, that's because the person who trained hard to race hard took it to their limits and really wrung every bit of performance out of themselves, and the other person did just enough to reach the line feeling good. You really can't compare the two experiences/performances. The only marathons I care to remember were the ones where I finished completely and utterly wrecked at the line...and hopefully not too far before that.
"If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does. There's your pep talk for today. Go Run." -- Slo_Hand
I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills
I think knowing when you are ready completely depends on what you hope to gain from the experience. I could go out and gallowalk a marathon tomorrow, but that's not very intriguing to me. I would rather wait until I KNOW I will finish sub 4 hours. The same goes for a half marathon. Running less than sub 2 hours does not interest me.
That being said, it is totally cool if you have a different perspective on what a marathon means to you. If you just want to accomplishment, then go out and jog/walk one and get that medal. Hats off to anyone that goes after their dreams and/or goals, no matter what they are.
Hey...I noticed this! I haven't run my first half yet (12/9, Bryan College Station) and am thinking of BQ. All I need to do is wait until I'm 55 and then it's a 10mm. YAY! LOL!!! I'm slow, but I've got 4+ years to train and knock a couple of minutes off my pace.
BTW, I'm a refugee from RW. I have only been running since the spring and walking for about 6 months before that. I decided to get fit at 50 and lose weight.
I really do think that we have to realize that we all have different goals when running a marathon or HM. At first, my goal was to finish. I just didn't think it seemed possible, considering I'd been tired out from walking half a mile in August 2011. I've trained and now I'm at 20-25 miles per week. Now my goal is to run it all the way (pretty confident in this one) and finish less then 3 hours. I expect my pace to be around 13:30 and that will be well within my fitness.
I will have to stick to the HM distance for a while and work on speed now because it just will take too much time to train for a marathon unless I'm a little faster. So I'll just work on building my base after the race. It's interesting to me that just like on RW, here there's a difference in objectives. Many of us newbies to running just can't really race yet...we're just racing against ourselves!
Melissa
flashlight and sidewalk
I would shop around for a marathon training plan that you like. If its an 18 week program, count 18 weeks back from race day and circle that date on your calendar...that's the date you decide whether you want to do the marathon. You have over half a year of running to make that decision based on where you are at. Do the groundwork first, then decide.
Disclaimer - I have never run a marathon, so my advice is on the decision making process, not the training requirements.
**Ask me about streaking**
Are we there, yet?
While it's a small distinction, there's a difference between being ready and feeling ready for a marathon. One of the advantages of a canned program like those offered by Higdon, Pfitzinger, et al is that many others have successfully used the programs, so if you have completed one you should be ready. Feeling ready is another matter and even runners who have been logging 50 mpw or more may not feel ready. I didn't feel ready for my first even though my friends who persuaded me to enter assured me I was fine and they had multiples Bostons on their resumes.
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.
I really do think that we have to realize that we all have different goals when running a marathon or HM. At first, my goal was to finish. I just didn't think it seemed possible, considering I'd been tired out from walking half a mile in August 2011. I've trained and now I'm at 20-25 miles per week. Now my goal is to run it all the way (pretty confident in this one) and finish less then 3 hours. I expect my pace to be around 13:30 and that will be well within my fitness. I will have to stick to the HM distance for a while and work on speed now because it just will take too much time to train for a marathon unless I'm a little faster. So I'll just work on building my base after the race. It's interesting to me that just like on RW, here there's a difference in objectives. Many of us newbies to running just can't really race yet...we're just racing against ourselves! Melissa
Melissa- I highly recommend Nobby's Running Wizard when you start training for your marathon.
It is customizable and very user friendly.
I have used it and was very pleased with results. And the price is right
It all depends, as others have noted.
As for me, I've been running for a year, and thought I'd be ready for a marathon in March (wanted to do the LA Marathon). I had started pushing and increasing my long runs in the summer, which were 9 miles at the time. I didn't really make much progress, and I'm currently at an 11 mile long run/30mpw.
That said, there isn't anything wrong with those who take 5:30 or whatever to finish a marathon. I don't want to take that long though. I've been working hard to increase my fitness and get faster, and I can't imagine doing a marathon and not wanting to run at the pace I'm comfortable with. I can run a 9:10-ish mile at distance, and I want to be able to get at least down the low 8:00 neighborhood before I consider marathon training. Simply put, I don't want to be out running for five hours. Not until I know I can push a low 8:00 pace for 26.2 do I want to consider the marathon.
I know if I wanted to in a few months, I could be ready. But my pace would be in the high 9:00s, and that's just not appealing to me.
Just boils down to how fast you want to run the marathon.
Current PRs:
5K: 27:06 (11/10/12) | 5M: 44:03 (6/1/13) | 10K: 1:00:48 (7/4/12)
15K: 1:27:53 (3/17/13) | 10M: 1:30:25 (4/13/13) | HM: 1:59:55 (4/28/13)
Next race: Ashland 4th of July 10K
55+ PBs 5k 18:36 June 3rd TT
" If you don't use it you lose it, but if you use it, it wears out.
Somewhere in between is about right "
Spam
Whippet
I think you can do it but you'll need to build up some endurance first. I started running in 2010 (I'm 29 now) and ran my first half in 2:10 in December of 2011- about a year after I first laced up. So, my time wasn't that far off from yours. 11 months later I ran a marathon in 3:56 - I ran the whole thing, split 2:00/1:56 (negative split). I ran max 40 miles in one week, more like 30-35 and did a higdon novice plan. I don't think you need to be running 50 mpw to get to where you want to be - that's a LOT of time on your feet if you're running slower paces. Focus on endurance and getting lots of long slow miles in. Take time off and XT when you're sore and achy, and treat any injuries right away, before they become serious. Being able to consistently train without major obstacles is probably mostly what you need.
13.1: 1:45 | 26.2: 3:55
I read somewhere to get myself under 25 min 5k before thinking of a marathon. Something to consider. I think without that speed the long runs for the marathon just take too much time.
This. This is the reason I'm planning on doing only HM or shorter distances for a while...like maybe a couple of years. I have to get faster (My 5k time is 36:30, but that was my first and I'm pretty sure I can go 35) before I'll have time to run as many miles as marathon training takes. Right now, my long runs of 8-10 miles take anywhere from 1:40 to 2:15. If I were marathon training I'd have to spend every hour I'm not working running. I feel I need to get my 5k below 30 and my 10k down to 1:10 before I can attempt marathon training. My goal is to work on speed a little and base building a lot. I've been consistently running between 20-25 for about 5 weeks (had to build up to that) and I need to recover from this weekend's goal HM and then get to where 25 weeks are easy and I'm heading towards 30.
The good thing about doing this slowly is that I'm 51, went from being overweight and extremely out of shape...could just walk a few blocks without getting tired, started running/walking a little over a year ago, and I haven't been injured at all. I've had a few aches and pains, but not injuries. I think that's a result of slow and steady. No injuries is sort of a goal of mine.
Hi all, As some of you may know from other threads, I've been running for about a year (starting from absolutely no running or fitness whatsoever). I ran/walked my first half marathon in April in 2:50, and just completed my second half last weekend, running the whole way and finishing in 2:29. I've signed up for another half marathon in March 2013, and I think I'll probably also train for a 10k in January. However, I'm also wondering if I'm getting to the point where a full marathon would be a possibility. If I did one, it would probably be the Auckland Marathon, which is in late October or early November each year. Do you think it would be too ambitious to aim for the full in a year's time? Or is it better to keep doing halves while I try and try to build some speed first? How do you know when you're ready? Thanks heaps for your help! Samantha
Hi all,
As some of you may know from other threads, I've been running for about a year (starting from absolutely no running or fitness whatsoever). I ran/walked my first half marathon in April in 2:50, and just completed my second half last weekend, running the whole way and finishing in 2:29. I've signed up for another half marathon in March 2013, and I think I'll probably also train for a 10k in January. However, I'm also wondering if I'm getting to the point where a full marathon would be a possibility. If I did one, it would probably be the Auckland Marathon, which is in late October or early November each year. Do you think it would be too ambitious to aim for the full in a year's time? Or is it better to keep doing halves while I try and try to build some speed first? How do you know when you're ready?
Thanks heaps for your help!
Samantha
I say go ahead and sign up! For me, officially committing to a race (not to mention the $100+ entry fee) is a good motivator to make sure my training stays on track. You've done 2 halfs, and appear to have realistic goals for what you want to do in your first marathon. And running a marathon IS a very special moment in your life! I still get all goose bumbly at the beginning of every marathon. I've spent months or even years working towards that one moment. I can't wipe the grin off my face as I finally get to start the final leg of my "marathon" journey.
Just a few words of advice, and basically summarizing what's already been said:
- Run as many miles as you safely can. If in doubt, or feeling tired, still just go out for a few miles.
- For the first marathon, don't worry about time. Start slow, don't worry if you get hung up behind crowds, just chill. Promise yourself you WILL NOT go any faster than X pace until mile 20, after that you are free to run as fast as you want! X pace is open to debate, but it will feel turtle slow on race day.
~~~~~~~
Speaking of potential, I completed my first marathon in 2000 at age 30 in just under 5 hours. While I wasn't a couch potato, I also wasn't a runner. My wife and I decided to join TNT for whatever reason. I missed training runs, and essentially just showed up and winged it. I wish I had my splits, but I'm sure it was something along the lines of 1:45 / 3:15. The last half was the most miserable I remember ever being. (BTW, my wife eventually passed me and ran 4:21!) Two weeks ago, at age 42, with solid training, I ran 2:45. It wasn't easy getting here, and has required making running a big focus of my life, but I think anyone can surprise themselves if they are willing to put in the effort.