Running a marathon

ive run hundreds of marathons.










oh wait. eaten. ive eaten hundreds of marathons. before they changed to snickers.

lol serious answer. im 43 and ive never thought of running a marathon. i dont even run for the bus. you know a bloke died at the last one? why bother? if god had meant us to run marathons, he wouldnt make it hurt ya feet so much.

http://www.chss.org.uk/supportus/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Training-Zone-Marathon-training-plan.pdf

I am doing brihton marathon next year.  Aiming for well under 4 hours.  The above site is the plan I shall be using, like it because it gives specific distances and times not all this 80pc effort stuff, wtf does that mean.  Will go on the 3:30 plan with the sole intention of beating my workmates' times of 3:49.  Gonna spend this summer trying to get my 10k down, hopefully close to 40 minutes.  Then autumn want to get down my half marathon close to 1hr 30 then I shall go on the 16 week plan in the link about christmas time.  Will do 16 weeks on the wagon too else it wont happen.

Good luck Hank, would be interested to hear how your training is going.  Which marathon are you gonna do and what date?

Cheers for that Rob. More options on that than the plans I have right now. Not totally sure about which one yet. Where is your half marathon time right now then? I did 1.30, but that was a long time ago, though with distance running age is not a disadvantage, so I think I could possibly be better than when I was younger. I can't get away without stretching any more though

1:52 a few weeks ago.  47mins for 10k.  So I would have to speed up a lot but if you dont aim high etc.  1:30 is a fine HM time Hank.

That site is by far the best I have found.  Like I say I want distances and times not effort levels.

Yes, I am totally with you on that Rob. I seriously can't estimate if I am doing 80% ffs This one is very simple too

http://www.marathonrookie.com/marathon-training.html

I like the idea of trying to beat someone's time. I used to run with my brother in races before I went to Uni. I stopped and did the party thing. He carried on and has done probably half a dozen marathons and tons of 10k, HMs. I think he has clocked just over 3 hours. Would love to beat that some day lol

I have a secret rivalry with my bro in law.  He has do 1:27 for HM.  Dont think I can do that tbh.   Well under 7 minute miles.

Good luck with your training Rob. Let's keep this thread going and see how we do.

Yeah sure.  I have a year to go though.  I put 1 year marathon training plan into google and the advice seemed to be get your 10k time down then your HM time down then start a 16 week marathon plan.  So that is what I shall do.

Have run about 80 marathons & ultramarathons since 2000. Best time is 2h45 but was aiming for about 2h38 this year when I picked up an injury.  Four months of training, twice a day every day since start of November, 100 miles a week, no booze all year; then injured with a week to go before my race. Gutted.

Key is consistency. Build up gradually with no more than 10% increase in volume per week until you are running six times a week. Don't miss the main sessions. Long run at the weekend, speedwork/intervals once a week, plus some hills to build strength. A decent length midweek run is a great one to do as you get fitter. I run 17 miles every Wed evening for 18 weeks straight during the winter. Probably why I got injured come to think of it. D'oh!

pretty impressive danno
well done

quiet fancy this aiming for half in october

Cheers Capt.
I work in the running industry so know many/most of the races and can recommend a good one if you need. Any idea which half or in which area?

Half marathons are miles better imo.  Just a shame they dont have the same kudos as a full one.

Never done a marathon but was a pretty decent runner when I was a young man. I once ran a 15 miles which started out as a ten in training and it was one of those occasions where I just couldn't tire myself out. I was like Forrest Gump. I did it in 1.20 and felt pretty good at the end. I'd have liked to have been on the start line of a marathon that day to see what would have happened.

I'd have probably dropped out at 20.

Danno that is very impressive. Cracking best time too. Were they all in the UK or abroad too? Horrible way to miss out on your run.

danno

going for great west run exeter
had knee surgery feb 4 so cant run yet tore cruciate ligament 3 weeks before last years event sept 22

Hank - been lucky enough to run all over the world. 3 x New York, 2 x Amsterdam, 3 x Barcelona, Paris, Berlin, Copenhagen, Nice, Venice; plus ultras in South Africa, Sahara, Swiss & French Alps etc. PB is from Barca - easily the best marathon in Europe.

Capt - ouch. Be careful not to overload it too soon.

You going for the 100 marathonclub then Danno?  How long would that take do you do ten a year?

Do one long run a week, increasing the distance until 2 weeks before the marathon. all other training run sessions do a mixture of walking and fast running that gets you out of puff but increases your heart beat. Saves you spending too much time training but is equally as good.

No interest in that Rob. By their rules I'm already on about 120 - done lots of multiday races; eg, seven marathons in seven days but I only count it as one race, not seven as some do. Trying to be a bit more sparing these days - now over 40 so quick times need specific training & targeting. Missed loads through injury in recent years too..

That sounds brilliant danno. Do you have to meet a time standard for NY like you do for Boston? Have you heard of this ultra? http://www.spartathlon.gr/en.html


I want to get the marathon under my belt, but once back in to my running I will probably stick to HM running. Just don't think I have enough time to donate to marathon training in the long term.

good 2 see there's some fit guys on here.
used 2 do a lot of x-country at school & some track
then missed out on my best yrs in my 20s
got back into it somewhat in my 30s
never ran a full marathon
but did my best 1/2:1h 18 when i was 30
had my 1st hols in LoS in 1988 on the back of an 8k win in the Hennessy
got dysentery
was in an isolation ward 4 a wk when got back here
was so weak on discharge
could hardly walk the 1/2 mile home
but few wks later ran 1h22 4 the Amersham 1/2 in a downpour at age 35
did 1h 38 in Burnham 1/2 at age 51
now try & shuffle my way along the cliffs about 5 times/fortnight now i'm 60
but have slowed down bigtime
achilles & hip giving me gyp now
but even with the aches & pains still enjoy it
push a few weights as well
would get depressed if i couldn't train
more so than dropping 10s of grands doing this lark
guess what i'm basically saying is HH
ur still young dude
u've got a background in running
so assuming u don't get injured
all things being equal
the only thing stopping u achieving ur goal is u
amazing what the body can do if the mind is strong enuff
Danno u must be some runner,my man
respect bro'

Spoke to my brother this evening. 1st marathon 3.14, and fastest 2.59. Have to watch the sibling rivalry doesn't get to me and ruin my run by chasing this too hard!

that's a v good time by ur brother HH
u've obviously got good genes
good luck with ur attempt
BTW what was ur best 4 a 1/2?
i'm impressed with the athletic prowess of those on this thread

Hank - Spartathlon been a long time on my to do list. I know a lot of regular finishers. But I do a race called the UTMB  each year (6 times now) in the alps, which is just before it in the calendar. Only 40% finisher rate despite tough qualifying criteria just to get in.

Johnny - 1.18 half is superb. I'm just a reasonable club runner; hundreds around quicker than me. A mate of mine was third Brit at the London Marathon last week in 2.16! Seven years ago he was a 15 stone smoker/drinker. Worth looking him up - inspirational story

thx,DANNO
think ur being a bit modest
there r some extraordinary ppl around
it's amazing how strong the mind & the human spirit can be
but presentday society has become 2 soft
mothers driving 200 yds 2 pick their lazy,over cossetted offspring up
& then 'feeding' them processed crap
not good
gives a 'mellowish' old boy the hump
one can only do what one does irrespective
good luck & good health 2 all

Just did my 5k PB...21:50.  Not in the same league as many on here but very satisfying.  Hope to get it below 20mins by the end of the summer and maybe even 10k in 40mins.  That should then be a good starting point for some earnest marathon training and a chance of running 3:45 or 3:30 even.

johnnythebull -
good 2 see there's some fit guys on here.

Any news hank? 

Have done 21:20 for 5k and 44:30 for 10k which are miles faster than i have ever done before.  My theory of getting the short times down is working well so far.  Have entered the stevenage marathon beginning of november cos i cant wait until next april for the brighton mara.

I have been a lazy swine at the moment Waiting on a hospital trip with my lad and the world cup to end, then I shall begin my training in earnest

Sultan

Good luck Rob, that'll soon come around

I ran a mile in under 5 minutes (don't know the exact time) when I was at school, but wasn't trying that hard, just stayed with the leaders, finished about 10th of 30.
And I ran for a bus in 1971.
Not run since.

How is your training going Rob? I am going to have to wait on the marathon sadly - too much stuff with my boy to get in the amount of training I will need. Probably give it a year or so. I am still getting fit though, but just less time intensive than training for the big one. Did 1.5 miles today in 13.13 Best time in a long while!

I entered a marathon last year







Took me about 3 days to get the peanuts out of my 4skin

Into week 5 of a sub 3:30 16 week plan. Did 13 x 9 min miles 2 weeks ago, all long runs are at 9mm pace, as the plan says to, ..ie. 1 min/mile slower than 3:30 pace which does worry me somewhat. Realistically will be happy with 3:50-3:59.  As long as I can run the whole lot, no walking, sub 4 hours should be a given.  Doing about 40 miles a week now.  Did 5k in 18:55 on the treadmill in the week which I couldnt quite believe, will do park run on Saturday to see if the treadmill was just badly calibrated.  Hope all is well Hank and best of luck with your son.  This running bug can be real addictive when you get into it, I will happily bore anyone to tears with stories that solely consist of times and distances and paces.

How people can spend 10+ hours running alone every week is beyond me.. All for keeping fit, but surely there's more to life...

Saying that, I've been known to play 2-3 hours of competitive football non stop in a night down the local 6 a side league!

PS. I'm not a goalie...

Clarky9 - Last week I spent two days in the Alps running 13 hours on day 1, and 16 hours on day 2.  Covered almost 100 miles and went across borders of France, Italy and Switzerland.  Stunning scenery throughout, some amazing alpine villages, a lot of difficult ups and downs.  But did it all on my own and it was without doubt the sort of experience that I'll always look back on as one of the most enjoyable of my life.

There are loads of sports that take more hours of participation than the keenest runners.  Cycling and golf for starters.

rob - sub 21min for 5k would certainly point to a sub 3.30 marathon, so long as you get in a few 20+ milers.  Which marathon are you running?  Florence for me in November.

I ran one marathon. 1hr 45 min at half way. 4hr 45min at finish. Never ever again. Done many half marathons since, but never a full one. I walked the last 7 miles, almost crawled the last 2. Horrible experience.

I ran














































































out of cigars once.

That's a bit different though isn't it Danno?

I'm talking about people who run on the streets of London, Liverpool, Manchester etc in the pissing rain...

I'll see ya at the Brighton marathon. It's a good event, growing every year.  The only drawback is that because it's on the coast you can get a strong wind which can be a right ball ache for 26.2 miles.  The last 10k from the power-station in Shoreham is horrendous with a headwind.  It's almost entirely flat though so beggars can't be choosers etc.

I'm similar to Danno although I do less of the silly longer stuff.  Usually 5k-Half marathon.  5k pb is 16:15, 10k: 33:29, HM 75:11.  I've had a few goes at a full but never ran one I was happy with.  Next year I'll be shooting for sub 2:40 if I can stay healthy.

In terms of training advice I'd say just be as consistent as you can.  I see a lot of newer guys wanting to do a marathon get into the habit of only running 1-3 times a week with maybe two 30 min jogs during the week and then 2.5 hours on Sunday.  It's so unbalanced it's asking for trouble.  You'd be much better off building up slowly and running 4-7 times a week for 45-60 mins.  Putting all the emphasis on the long run is dangerous.  Once you've got your basic level of fitness up and an hour a day feels comfortably then you can start focusing on the longer stuff.  Also, don't abandon quality.  I know a marathon is a long way but a weekly session of hill repeats (60-90 secs up, jog back down) or faster intervals are great for fitness and making the pace feel easy. 20x400m for a bit of speed and maybe a staple session of 8-10x1km with 2-3 mins rest.  If you don't have access to a track then just use time.  20x1 min fast, 1 min jog.  10x3 mins fast, 2 mins jog etc.

Good luck!!

My nephew just did this 50 mile run up and down hills in the Lake District and is now talking about doing a similar thing in the Sahara...it's a form of madness.

Just did 15x 8.5 min miles.  Approx did first five at 8:45, next five at 8:30 last five at 8:15.  Was feeling strong and quick at the end.  Tuesday has been intervals so far, but starting this Tues there will be hills too.  I will do this on the treadmill.  I am running 5/6 times a week and max mileage will be about 55 weeks 10-12 I think.

GranpaChook - that's a serious set of times there mate.  Just looked up your Po10 profile and you've got some great results there.  Surely a good marathon in you with that sort of speed.  VLM 2011 looked a bit painful though

I am doing Stevenage in Nov and Brighton in April Danno.

doctors report many middle aged men damage joints ,taking up running late

That's good stuff Rob.  Stay consistent and you'll get your rewards.

Cheers Danno.  Haha, The 2011 race was a non event.  I'd been injured and not run at all for the previous 6 months really as I'd been getting drunk at Uni.  I had a place and was doing it for charity.  Went through half way in 1:30 and after 14 miles I was done and walked the last 10-12 really, very grim.  I did Brighton a couple of years ago where I went through 20 miles in 1:59 but my quads packed up at 22 and I had to walk the last 4 which was annoying.  I feel that I should be capable of about 2:30-2:40 off my other times if I get it right.  6 minute miling is doable I think which is 2:37:30 but much easier said than done.

20 miles in less than 2 hours...

I have 4x 20 milers and 1 x 22 miler coming up, will be looking at around 3 hours for them.  6min miles seems ridiculous to me, did 3 on a treadmill the other day, cant imagine doing 26 of them.

It gets even more ridiculous when you consider the World record is run at 4:43 per mile pace..!!

5k in 21 mins, half marathon in 1:40 but never tried a full marathon. Was in prpoer training for one over the winter, but injury struck, and my fitness has fallen off really badly now. Did parkrun this morning in 24 something, which is pathetic for me. Got to build it up slowly though.

Message would be...don't overtrain and listen to your body. Get a long tun in over the weekend, but take it easy.

Good luck. 3:30 would be excellent.

Yeah i did park run in 20:55 a few weeks back, you sound similar ability to me Joci.  Didnt do it this morning, hope to beat 20 mins next time I do though.

Granpa

I don't know how old you are but over 30 years ago I was there where you seem to be. I do triathlons now but buggered about with my running when my internation vest would probably have been there for the taking had I applied myself. Both my team mates carried on running when I jacked and got their GB vests with one of them winning the National U20 cross country championships.

It's incredibly difficult to explain to recreational runners just how fast some of the top boys are. It blows their mind. It only happened a handful of times for me because I was a lazy bugger for whom 5-6 minute miles were plenty quick enough in training but I'll never forget that feeling. The one where you're gliding and every time you put the pace up it still feels comfortable. I remember running a hilly 15 in training in 1.20 and it was just so comfortable. I'd have loved to have done a marathon that day because I felt as if I could have run forever.

Happy days. Still Ed Whitlock did 2.54 at 73 so balls to all the nagativity about age.

Wow, that's some company Optimist!  I'm a long way off that level, trying to get a county vest would be the most I could probably achieve I think.

I echo your statements about the speed of the elites.  You don't get a sensation for the speed they're going unless you actually jump in and run next to them.  Your average bloke couldn't keep up with an elite marathon runner for 400m.  A good way to try and get the less well informed an idea of the pace is to tell them to run on a treadmill at 20kph and see how long they can stay on before flying off the end.  Once they've recovered from being a crumpled heap on the floor, politely inform them that 20kph is slower than the Men's marathon world record!  If they last more than 2 minutes I'd be impressed!

Ed Whitlock is a freak.  He's still cranking them out now and he's 83.  Ran a 3:15:54 marathon at 80 years young.  Madness.

The record at our parkrun is 15:02 by athlete Ian Kimpton. Also, we have had former world triathlete champion Tim Don running in it, but he managed around 16:20. At least I was upside him at the start line.

I did 1 min on the treadmill at 18kmh on monday.  I can certainly vouch for the "absolutely fkin unbeleivable how fat they do the marathon" brigade.