Chicago Marathon or Bust! (Read 1020 times)

I did a marathon on less training. Work to build up your mileage between now and May. Then jump into a marathon training program. It can be done!

I am 6'2" ~250lbs. He is smaller and, I think in better shape than myself. The CM is October 11. Most training sites I have seen say that they can take a 5 or 6 mile, 3 times a week runner and prep him for the marathon starting in April. I am not to concerned about speed. I just want the accomplishment, and health benefits. So am I nuts or what?

It is possible if you are committed but it will be tough work. In January 2008 I weighed in at 254 lbs (and I was 47 and am 6'1") so I can relate to you and your situation. I started watching my intake carefully and exercising regularly through long hard walks. By Jun I was down to about 210 lbs so I think you can do it to. I am in the process of training for my first marathon too and will run it in April. All that said, we are getting older and I do recommend that you get checked out by your doctor before doing something so aggressive. I read too many stories where people over do it and get injured or worse. Be careful and listen to your body. Best wishes! Sam

Hopefully you are looking at the 2010 marathon. You can certainly finish this year but running a marathon on less then 8 months of lifetime running experience is far from the healthy choice. Build up slowly, avoid injury, and make running part of your life for the rest of your life is best. Those newbie marathon programs tend to put it in fine print but you need to run 5-6 miles 3-5x a week for AT LEAST 3 months before starting. And that is the bare minimum. Usually the recommendation is a full year of running before starting a marathon program. You'll always find people who tell you they've done it on less because the 70% of people that quit aren't on this board.

Ok, you can definitely get the accomplishment of finishing a marathon, but Chicago only gives you 6 hours or so to finish, and realistically you may not make it. As far as health benefits, there would be none. Most people who train for a marathon don't lose much if any weight especially since the long runs will increase your appetite. Moreover, you'll probably end up injuring yourself and never run again which wouldn't do much for your long term health. Basically you could go one of two ways. Run the marathon this year, just to say you did it, and that will be that. Or you could become a runner, lose weight, get healthier, and slowly work your way through different distance races. Sorry to be such a downer but it just seems like most people who set their sights on a marathon without ever running just end up injured or burned out. Myself, I'll be running Chicago this year as my first full marathon, but with the experience of probably 20+ half marathons behind me over the last 4 years.

Obviously it's a personal choice, but I'd advise against it, for many of the reasons already listed. If you have some weight to lose, then you are going to be more susceptible to injury. In a mad dash to get ready by October, you will not want to take any time off. Approaching a marathon after no running experience is a little like being an "Everest tourist." It's not that it's necessarily a bad thing to do. However, if you take some time and a more conservative approach, you can really become a runner first. It will almost certainly be a more rewarding experience if you run your first marathon in another couple of years. Take some time to build up your aerobic and musceloskeletal health. Learn about the sport. Run races at different distances. Race your friends. Learn some strategies. Start accumulating some stories (God, the stories runners start to accumulate after a few thousand miles). I'd take the following steps: 1. Get a physical. 2. Get fitted with some good shoes at a specialty running shop. (As a Brooks athlete, I have to recommend their shoes, but unlike when I was sponsored by other companies, I am actually proud to endorse Brooks shoes. They seldom go back to the drawing-board and throw out a good design. Their shoes evolve with a lot of thought. If you like a Brooks shoe, you know you can stick with it through many new versions (not true of many other companies.) They also use injection-molded midsoles, while many companies use compression-molded midsoles. Compression-molding means that the shoes are half-dead by the time you get them. Brooks shoes last about twice as long as Mizunos, for example.) 3. Join a running club. There is a fantastic community of runners out there who will be thrilled to teach you about the sport. They can show you good routes, advise you about local races, and help you to train. The best part about having a running club is that you have a huge incentive to keep up with your training, because it means you get to see your friends. I really wish that everyone who wastes their money on a gym membership on January 1st would just spend $30 dues to a local running club. Bottom line: If you go for Chicago asap, you will probably succeed, but you will not enjoy it, and you will be done running after you finish it. If, on the other hand, you join a running club, you'll probably be running 10 years from now, with a number of fast marathons under your belt.

Go for it!