Forums >General Running>2nd Marathon
Hi, I am a first time poster looking for nothing more than tips and advice.
Before I continue, I am not looking to be judged - I will be honest about my situation for the context of the advice.
I have always been drastically unhealthy.
Being healthy never had appeal - I almost didn't get it.
From 15 years old my DAILY diet looked like this;
3-4 Cans of coke
Take away for every meal; Pizza, burgers, fast food (nothing healthy)
30-40 cigarettes a day
Despite this, I never put on weight and always remained kind of fit.
I also was pretty accomplished across sport, work, etc.
I would describe myself as good at the BIG things, not the small things (even though I realise they aren't small).
In 2015, I wanted to quit smoking so I decided to train for a marathon while doing so.
I had quit once for a few months but fell back in.
I downloaded a training guide from Mens Health and went for it.
I did pretty much every run in the three month program but I didn't quit smoking, I drank cokes & my diet didn't change much except for before the big runs...
I ended up running the Marathon in just over 3hrs & 15minutes which I was pleased with and that people I knew couldn't believe.
That was 2015, I was 26 & I haven't trained much since.
I am now 29, I have not drank a soft drink this year, I'm cooking every meal I have at home & I'm trying to quit smoking.
I am also training on an exercise bike, doing sprints, 50x sit-ups & 50x push ups every morning.
The reason I come to this forum is there is a Marathon on six months from now so I think it's a good goal with my health regime.
I want to be fully fit and healthy three months out this time, do a proper diet four/five months out, cross train, get a running coach, etc and see if I can now knock it out of the park and run say 2.45
Would love your tips/thoughts?
Essentially,
I'm looking to do everything right this time - six months out.
Progress, not Perfection!
300m- 37 sec.
As long as you're looking at a solid marathon training plan, I think you'll be in a good spot for marathon number 2. 2:45:00 is quick - I'd recommend at least some runs at that pace weekly, just to get acclimated to the feeling of sub 6:20 miles. The jump from 3:15 to 2:45 is a pretty big one, but it's not impossible.
I'll also chip in a plug for the sub 3 thread - they're going to have a lot of reasonable advice and camaraderie.
I want to be as respectful as I possibly can but if you were to contact me to employ me as your coach, I would not take you on because of the smoking problem.
If you are looking for a legitimate coach you will not find one of they are ok with this life choice. What you are working towards together is being sabotaged on a daily basis.
Sorry of this sounds harsh but you need someone to be honest with you if you really want help.
I wish you luck.
Old , Ugly and slow
Some of the best runners have been champions on a junk food diet. Bill Rogers one of the best examples.
but none have been smokers
first race sept 1977 last race sept 2007
2019 goals 1000 miles , 190 pounds , deadlift 400 touch my toes
Mother of Cats
My thoughts:
1) there is a HUGE gap between a 3:15 marathon and a 2:45. While a 3:15 off of basically non-existent training indicates talent, it's still a big jump to 2:45 in one round.
2) I think that for you, right now, your money is best spent not on an on-line coach, but on the purchase of 2 books - Jack Daniels' Running Formula, and Pfitzinger's Advanced Marathoning. Read Daniels to understand the theory behind proper training, and then follow one of the plans in Pfitzinger.
Everyone's gotta running blog; I'm the only one with a POOL-RUNNING blog.
And...if you want a running Instagram where all the pictures are of cats, I've got you covered.