So my gf and my two sister are running a marathon in 8 weeks and I have offered to drive them and watch.  My question is can I run it with them as a surprise?  Now I would have truants right along with them but my schedule doesn't allow it.  See I am a minor league baseball pitcher.  So I haven't just been sitting around.   We do small conditioning everyday and I can run 6-7 miles easily. I recently ran 9 miles because I had some steam to blow off and did it in an hour. I am also done with baseball in a week.

My my question is:

how should I go about it?

any pointers would be appreciated.

I also feel that in race day I will have a motor adrenalin rush and be able to finish if I just pace myself. I am extremely mentally tough and want to do this.  

Thank you everyone.   Wish me luck

billy

It can definitely be done. You could probably finish a marathon right now if you had to and 8 weeks is enough time for some meaningful training.  Google a beginner marathon training plan like Hal Higdon or something.

It's gonna hurt though. Expect to be walking funny for a few days after.

Good luck!

I think it depends.  What is your won-loss record, your ERA, and your WHIP?

Hideki Okajima ran the 2008 Honolulu Marathon in 6:10.

 

1-0, 1.88, 1.08

 

And hell yes it can be done, but good to wait till the season is done.

Heh, I looked him up too.

GO BILLY!

Anyone can "do" a marathon.  It might take them 6-8 hours, but they can "do" one.

If you can truly run 9 miles in "an hour" you shouldn't have any problems keeping up to your GF and her sisters.  One of them has to be slower, no?  

But you really need to look at running 14 miles in 2 hours, and then 20 miles in 3 hours before you can really assess what you are capable of.

Can you do it as a surprise?  Probably not.  If you are going to be logging 2 and 3 hour runs without her knowing, you are going to be very clever with the excuses!

Billy, you can do it. Good advice above. Get as many miles in as you can each week but slowly build each week. I would only pick up the pace once per week and focus on comfortable miles or you will get beat up/injured trying to cram a bunch of miles into 8 weeks when you haven't been putting in the miles. You are young, athletic and talented but try to make your first marathon fun without focusing on a time etc. really try hard to start the marathon slower, jogging at least the first 3-4 miles before you settle in a bit. If you start too fast you will have a miserable experience. Have fun, but you will be hurting! Train smart and race smart. Don't let anyone bump that pitching arm.

Give it your best shot, and the good Lord willing, things will work out.

Yes! And, "Breathe through your eyelids."

You can definitely do it (finish the marathon). Good advice above on how to make good use of the time you have.

A random thought I have is this: Will this be a welcome surprise? Maybe GF and sisters want this to be their thing. You are a very accomplished athlete, and if you show up and finish on less training, maybe it diminishes their accomplishment. Maybe. On the other hand, I could see it going the other way and being a totally positive, supportive surprise as well, all depending on the personalities involved. I'm not sure how serious your relationship is, but the idea of a proposal near the finish line would make for a nice surprise, perhaps?

So, you would drive them to the race start, drop them off, then park somewhere and sneak back to the race start without them knowing? And then catch up to them during the race for the big surprise? That would be pretty cool. Or would you let them know right before the race? You'd have to be pretty sneaky, but it sounds possible. I think my adrenaline would be flowing during the sneaky phase, and less so during the race.

Good luck!