My Dad’s been running races as far back as I can remember, and I’ve accompanied him on a few. Running is my cardio workout of choice. My longest race run so far has been fifteen kilometers through rough terrain, and I’ve run that three times. Since then, I’ve lost my excess weight and gotten into shape, then lost my shape due to illness a few times and gotten it back each time again.
I recently really hit my stride like never before. I’m working out (weights and cardio) harder than I ever have before, and I’m thin while doing it, which has caused my metabolism to kick into gear and my food bills to double (or more, I’m afraid to calculate it). And now my Dad asks me if I’m going to run the Stockholm Marathon this May. Apparently my little brother has a bet going with a classmate that he’s going to run it. Of course, being a caveman, my first instinct is that I have to. Can’t have my baby bro run it and not run it myself.
On the other hand, a marathon is almost two and a half times the longest race I’ve run before, and probably almost twice the longest distance I’ve ever run, period. And seven months isn’t that much time when I’ve only been back in my training regime for two months or so.
But then again, my baby bro is doing it. Can’t have him show me up, can I?
Do it! You’re already half way there, you’re at your peak, and you can handle it. Look into marathon training programs (try runnersworld.com) and get on it!
It’s such an accomplishment, and you’re so close, why not?
My dad had run a few half marathons but never given serious thought to running a marathon (so far as I was aware) when his wife’s baby brother decided to run the local marathon. Local marathon as in the marathon which was near to my family, not near to my uncle’s house. So dad decided to run it with him. Not competing exactly, but dad was pleased that he ran faster than his 5 year younger brother-in-law. Dad ran that marathon a few more times, my uncle ran other marathons a few times.
From my perspective, it was kind of fun cheering them both on.
Going by this thread Chicago Marathon Runners = morons running a marathon would be a huge mistake. I didn’t read that whole thread. Or any of it. But, just look at the title. Do you want to be a moron? I sure don’t.
It is pretty much as simple as if you want to run it, run it. If you don’t, don’t.
I ran one 3 years ago. It was no big deal one way or the other, and I have no plans on running another. IMO, running a marathon in anything under 5 hours or so requires considerable dedication. You have to start off with a decent cardio base, which it sounds as tho you probably have. Then, IMO and the O of every other runner I’ve ever encountered except for apparently Scylla, for the 4 months or so before the race you have to start seriously upping your mileage, mainly through adding one long run per week. Then you taper off again before the race. But approximately 4-6 weeks before the race you are running a 15-20 mile run every weekend. For one thing, that will take you 3 hours+. Second, it will kick your ass, such that you won’t be your normal self afterwards. Third, if you know you are going to be running 20 miles Sat a.m., you aren’t going to be partying late on Friday.
Just saying, IMO, to do the proper training you need to dedicate yourself. Also, if you have a family, realize that they will be making sacrifices to accomodate your schedule as well.
I’m kinda glad I ran one marathon, if only because it showed I could set out a plan to accomplish it, and then followed through on it for over a year. But the event itself was nothing special. In Chicago you are basically running elbow-to-asshole with several thousand strangers for the first 5 miles or so. Then for the remaining 21 you are trying to not break stride as you work through all of the jerks who started off further up than they should have. I was aiming at 4 hours which (I believe) required something just over 9 minute miles. But the crowd was so tight and slow that my first mile was somewhere around 12 minutes. Slowly made up time throughout the race, but ended something like 50 seconds over 4 hours.
Essentially just 4 hours of boring hard work IMO. I was expecting a wall, hallucinations, projectile vomiting, out-of-body experiences, etc. Nothing. Just one foot in front of the other and repeat several thousand times.
Oh pricciar, sometimes the answers just write themselves, don’t they?
If you want to join the Moron Club, I can tell you that I have run 5 of them, and each finish line crossing marks some of the best and most memorable moments of my life.
I attempted a marathon once, and got to 22 miles before I collapsed of exhaustion and started hyperventilating, causing all my muscles to seize up. That was due to my inadequate training in the months before. That was six years ago, and I plan to attempt the same marathon again this spring, and this time I want to finish.
I say do it. You’re clearly in good shape, so it shouldn’t be as nearly as hard as it will be for me to train for it.
Yeah, I guess “yes” is the only reasonable answer. I’ve wanted to run a marathon for years and I ain’t getting any younger. I’m just intimidated, 'sall.
You can do it. If you’re intimidated, join a training program, or follow one from Runner’s World or some such. It only takes 16-18 weeks to follow a training program so you have plenty of time.
I became a runner after my first marathon. (Yes, after. In one of the most boneheaded moves in the history of mankind, I ran the Pikes Peak Marathon with about 2 weeks of running under my belt. But, I stayed within myself and did fine. You can’t be too cautious at the start, and want it.) I was absolutely hooked. I learned I truly enjoyed running. I enjoy the time outdoors, the time to myself, and the friends I’ve made. I just enjoy how it feels to run. And it is emotionally moving for thousands of people you don’t know cheer you along the way. (At the London marathon, I had gone out waay too fast, and one the cobblestones at mile 21 I slowed to a walk. This big guy jumped out of the crowd, onto the course and yelled, “C’mon man! Get going! Everybody! Get him running!” The crowd broke out in cheers. How could I not run? A friend once remarked the small crowd cheering at the end of the Pikes Peak marathon almost brought him to tears.)
Frankly, it was a life changing event. Most of my friends are now athletes of one kind or another. These friends have supported me when I’ve needed it, and I’ve supported them. I’m healthier at 46 than most guys in their twenties. I get more respect for my athletic accomplishments than my Ph. D. I even have cologne ad experiences. Good looking women who’ve noticed me looking at them at the gym actually come up and flirt with me. Once a female couple of young 20s female coworkers actually ran over to a window to see me shirtless after a noon run, like that flippin coke ad. Mind you, I behave, but it is good for the ego.
I just registered for the marathon, so I’m doing it. My goal is four hours, which means a kilometer time of 5.41. On my first timed run yesterday I had an average kilometer time of 5.38 for an hour. Now, if I can only maintain that for three more hours, I’m golden. Well, I’ve got over six months to work at it.
The one thing I’m worried about (apart from the knee that’s troubled me in the past) is that I have a medical condition that pretty much means that if I’m running a marathon, I’m not eating anything before. And it starts at 2 in the afternoon. It’ll have to be a really late supper the day before.
Good move, Priceguy. I think you’ll be fine- you have plenty of time to ramp up your training. Just gradually increase your weekly mileage and eat right. I wouldn’t worry too much just yet about your speed- that’ll come as you become more accustomed to the distance.
I’ve run 4 in my life, including the NYC Marathon this past Sunday. Each one has been a better experience than the last one. Sunday’s gave me a personal best time of under 4 hours, which is a real motivator to keep doing them.
Someone told me once that running a marathon isn’t a matter of skill, it’s a measure of effort. And the satisfaction of knowing that you put in the effort to train properly and finish it is a huge confidence builder.
It’s a huge time investment. A huge commitment. I wish I could do it, but I find it difficult to fit my 25-30 miles/week into my life (a marathoner would be running >40mi/wk) and still get other things done.
If you have the time, go for it. I would!
There has to be more to this… The human body is great, but I can’t imagine anyone being to build up the depth of endurance, strength, joint strength and so forth needed for a marathon in just two weeks. Unless, of course, you had built up all of these in other training before you started running.
I remember too well the knee troubles I brought on when I first began running with a bit too much enthusiasm.
Now lemme get this straight again, this whole Marathon concept. I run for cardio exercise as well, but any time somebody suggests I train for a race/run, this review of the facts goes through my head.
The idea is to run a whole long distance in an event named after a guy who ran all the way from Marathon to Athens in Ancient Greek times. He was to deliver the news of the Greeks defeating the Persian forces at Marathon, and was so eager to bear the news that he ran the whole way, and burst into the assembled Senate at full tilt. He gasped out “Victory is ours!”, then immediately dropped dead of exhaustion/dehydration/heart attack.
That’s a heck of a role model to emulate.
The length of this event was originally standardized at a distance approximating the straight-run path between Marathon and Athens, but was fiddled with in one of the earliest Olympic games (held in London) so that the event could terminate neatly in front of the Royal Box, and the “385 yards” tacked on has stuck.
That’s a right jolly reason to take the event seriously!
Evidently the whole ‘dropped dead’ thing is apocryphal. And no, I don’t have a cite, but I’m also not buying Wikipedia’s source for the truth of the story, which is a dead link to a FAQ at Tufts.
Whatever the case, I doubt anyone that has run a marathon has done it in order to emulate the original runner. Rather, they do it for the discipline it requires, the satisfaction of having set a rather lofty goal and achieved it, for the camaraderie of other runners, for the sense of accomplishment, and for the enjoyment. Of course, I can only really speak for myself but I would guess most runners are motivated by these things more than they are by the quasi-historical story.
My greek history prof said that the story was almost certainly apocryphal. Athens had system set up to flash signals back to Athens, so that news of the victory would have arrived at, well, the speed of light.
And, on the off chance the story is true, remember he had no aid stations, and presumably was wearing his fighting gear, which was some of the heaviest armor of all time, not running clothes.
I dunno, if you’re in decent shape without injuries and you stick to a “steady state” pace, I could see this. I haven’t done a marathon (running)* but I’ve done halfs without having done a run over five miles and had no problems. Just thought it was boring like Dinsdale notes and don’t have much desire to run longer.
*I have done multiple rowing marathons and did my first never having rowed more than maybe 12k. Same deal, find the steady state pace you can maintain for hours and just do it. Not gonna win any medals but you’ll finish.
