Marathon training advice- got any?

In My Humble Opinion
1

I started running a couple of months ago at the ripe old age of 40. I am now comfortably (and a bit slowly)running 4 miles a day 4 days a week. There is a marathon in my hometown next April, and I am interested in training for it. I have read several articles with conflicting advice on how to train- one column’s author stated that no one should train for a marathon until they’ve been running regularly for at least 2 years.

 So, to all of you marathoners out there- how may have you run? How long did it take you to finish? How did you train? Would you do it differently? Any advice on nutrition? Am I too old to be doing this?
2

Katie:

Boy are you opening a can of worms here. Don’t you know that runners love to talk about running, and marathoners are even more verbose.

I’ve run 16 of them now and a couple ultras. My two best times were 2:54 at Fiesta Bowl and 2:56 at Oil Capital. Was over a decade ago though. I now run in the mid-to-upper three hours (mostly at altitude now, too).

I ran my first marathon a little better than one year after I began running. I did a 3:08. So personally, I see no problem with that. It does take a while to get your milage up, however, and I’m sure that’s what the article is referring to when it suggests two years.

Milage is the key. I would not suggest anyone attempting to “run” a marathon with less than an average of 40 miles a week and even that is pushing it a bit. I generally try to average between 50 and 70 before “seriously” doing a marathon. Above 70, however, and I find I(and most friends I know who marathon) tend to injure easily (a couple of times I was putting in around 100 miles a week and sure enough within three or four weeks of the target date I broke an ankle stepping off a curb wrong, or tore a knee playing volleyball).

For training, I recomend long then short weeks at ever increasing cycles. Also doing five and 10K races as speed work (if speed is your problem, throw in a couple one and two mile races also). The shorter races can condition your body to a race pace for a marathon.

About five months before your actual target marathon, start with a few longer races remembering all the time that a good rule of thumb is a day of non-racing for every mile raced.

Your body will tell you what to eat for the most part. You won’t want the steaks and burgers as much as the fruits, veggies and pasta. Definitely carbo load the last week before the marathon. It works. (some controversy over carbo loading, but I like it).

One thing you didn’t ask about. Choosing your first marathon. One may be nearby, but if it isn’t the right one, it could put you off for the rest. Worse it could cause you not to finish.

Check out the marathon. Who do they try to reach? Just the elite runners? Or to the middle of the pack runners? I ran one marathon that after the elite runners and television cars had gone by, the people at the aid stations just left and went home. Others I have run in, the people at the aid stations are fantastic, there are bands playing, fire eaters, there are cardboard walls at the 20 mile marks so you can literally go through them, belly dancers, and the like. The organizers made them fun for the non-elite runners and while you hurt afterwards, you had a good time getting there.

Also find out from area runners how well organized the local marathons are. I ran one on an out-and-back course that was so badly organized that the guy who was supposed to be at the turn-around point never showed, so we had to pretty much guess where we turned around.

Also, what kind of course is it? Point to point? Loops? Big circle? Out and back? Many hills? What is the scenery? The more varied the scenery the better the marathon has been my experience. But make sure that the marathon you are running first agrees with you. There are enough out there for that to be possible. If you have been training at sea level on flat ground you don’t want the Peak-to-Peak in Colorado.

Get back to us as your training progresses. It’s a fun experience.

TV

3

Too old??? Pish, posh, Peter Tosh!

I think we get better at endurance as we age. Well, that’s what I’m going with, anyway.

I’m just at the peak training point for Marathon #2. In my training group there were lots of ladies over 40 who were training for their first marathon. I think if you’ve got the desire, the general good health, and the right training attitude, you can do it at any age.

I personally joined the local chapter of USA Fit. That way I had a group to run with (especially good for those 15, 18, 21 mile runs). They also provided a training program. In 6 months they took us from 3 miles to 26.2, letting you know how much time you should be spending on your feet each week. We’d increase mileage, ease up for a week, add some the next week, etc. It seemed to be a reasonable training program, especially for a first timer.

I had been running for about 2 years before I started training for my marathon. That was when the desire kicked in, honestly. I hadn’t thought about it before then. I think if you gradually build up your mileage, it shouldn’t matter that you’ve been running only months.

TV mentioned running 50-70 mile weeks. And doing at least 40 miles per week. Well, that’s coming from someone who can run a sub 3 hour marathon. Me, my first marathon time was 4:39 (10+ minute pace). I don’t have time during the week to be out for 50-70 miles. I pretty much devoted my life to training for the marathon, and just scraped 40 mile weeks on a handful of occasions. I probably averaged 30-35 miles per week when I was training.

This second marathon I’ve upped my mileage a bit, and have gone over 40 for the last couple of weeks, and have otherwise been running over 35 miles per week. I feel like I’m in the best shape I’ve ever been in.

My primary suggestion to you for a marathon is to find a training group. Team in Training (although you must raise $$), Joints in Motion, USA Fit, your local track club, whatever. It makes long runs more fun when you have someone to train with. Barring an official training group, hanging out at specialty running stores (Fleet Feet, etc.) can get you in touch with local folks who are also training. You might find you can hook up with a handful of people to do your long runs together. You can also consult Runner’s World for a training program. They have them online, and you can be sure that they are developed by experts and it won’t steer you wrong.

There are so many theories about eating, diet, hydration, energy bars/gels, sports drinks, etc. I’m not going to bother to counsel you on that, because I think you have to experiment and find out what works for you, not just blindly accept what someone else has tried.

Oh, and when you’re tired, sore, and your legs feel like lead? Don’t be afraid to take it slow, cut it short, or just take a day off. Nothing screws up your training program like injury. You won’t make it through 26.2 if you mess up your muscles, ligaments and tendons just trying to train for a 15 miler.

Best of luck, and as you can see, TV was right about us LOVING to talk about it.

I’ll be rockin’ and runnin’ on June 3 at the Suzuki Rock & Roll Marathon in San Diego. Hopin’ to improve my time to under 4:30, good Lord willin’ and the temperature don’t rise!

4

Do you want to run a marathon or complete a marathon? Two different things.

My experience sounds similar to scout1222’s. A friend of mine convinced me to join a group advertising “from couch potato to marathon in six months!” I was not a runner before that.

I was in a “run two, walk one” group: run two minutes, walk one minute. We started out with approx. 3 miles (the first week, adding a mile or more each week, until we reached 13 miles (1/2 marathon.) After that the long runs were alternating with 10 mile runs. e.g.
Week 1: 3 mi
Week 2: 4 mi
Week 3 : 5 mi
…
Week x : 13 mi
Week x+1: 10 mi
Week x+2 : 14 mi
Week x+3 : 10 mi
Week x+4 : 15 mi
etc…

I don’t have the numbers exactly right, but you get the idea. During the week you were supposed to run/walk 30 minutes at least three times.

I’m not a runner but at the end of the six months I was able to complete a marathon. This was the LA Marathon where everyone and their brother enters, so you don’t have to worry about people folding up tables before you go by. (The year I entered, the absolute last entry was clocked in at around 10 hours!) I was able to finish it in 5 hours and 17 minutes or something like that. But I was very stiff the rest of the day, and I didn’t do the “run two, walk one” the whole way (around hour 4 we did more walking and less running than our schedule dictated. :o) On the other hand, that gave us enough energy to run the last 10 minutes and hum the chariots of fire theme when crossing the finish line.

My personal experience: I found it was easy up to the half marathon (13 miles), and after that I was dreading the “long runs” (over 13). I never would have had the willpower to accomplish it on my own, but training with a group (and paying a fee for the training) convinces you to get your butt out of bed on Sunday morning. I made friends in the running group and had marathon buddies on the day of the race (about four of us were together the whole time.) So look for a marathon training group in your area.

5

I finished my first marathon ~13 months after I started running (only managed to run 21 miles - the weather and hills did me in - but I did run that last .2 miles). Barring serious injury or illness, I’ll do the second one this November. So, I wouldn’t worry about the 2 year rule. Also, I ran for a while with, and eventually got passed by, two nice 65-or-so year old men who had run millions (exaggeration here, but they really were over 60) of marathons and planning on doing more. So, no, 40 is nowhere near too old.

Other than that, be consistent with your training. I’d second the “join a group” advice. Not only will you not have to be responsible for making the plan, as well as completing it - other people were a great motivation.

6

Runner’s World has some of the best all around advice and motivational suggestions I’ve found.

http://www.runnersworld.com

They have a specific page with the types of training information you’re looking for:

http://www.runnersworld.com/training/marathon.html

I’m assuming you will probably fit in the beginner’s category:

http://www.runnersworld.com/training/mara_rw_off_beg.html

But also make sure you check out the rest of the site, because there’s lots of good hints there, including diet, and even a list of good first marathons to register for.

And their magazine is even better. My girlfriend gave me a subscription for Christmas a couple of years ago, before we were dating, and I look forwards to it every month. I ran my first 1/2 marathon in Vegas with her this year, and we’re thinking about the Disneyworld marathon this January.

7

I’ll second Runners World. Also, call your local runners store. They will know of any local marathon training and may host workouts (Run-Tex, our local store, hosts daily free workouts.)

I used to run triathlons. Before a race, they write your age on your calf in marker so that other runners can tell whether the person in front of them is in their age group and worth passing. Do you have any idea what it’s like to be 29 years old and be passed by someone with 67 marked on their calf???

You’re not too old. Go for it!

8

This is such great encouragement, thank you so much! The marathon I’m shooting for is in Louisville, KY next April- they have done half-marathons for the last 27 years, and next year will be the first full marathon, so I’m not sure what the course will be, or what the attitude toward slowpokes will be. I live in a very hilly neighborhood so I am running on hills for now, but I’m going to have to go somewhere else to do my long training runs, unless I want to lap the subdivision 4 times. I like the idea of writing my age on my calf!

9

Katie:

Great advice from everyone. Take it (There wasn’t that much conflicting advice, was there?). One thing I didn’t mention, if you have a significant other or office friends or whatever, start asking them now to be your support crew. That is important. The emotional lift of someone out there yelling your name is a major deal. They will have a good time too.

TV

10

My father ran his first marathon at the age of 52, so no way are you too old. Go for it!

11

I’m listening here. I’m a 42 yr old male. I’ve been an aerobics gym guy for about 10 years, but never did much running, until 6 months ago. I have since been running, building mileage. Last week I got thru a 14 mile run for the first time. I want to run a marathon in December. I’d be happy with a time in the 4 - 4:20 range.

I have trouble taking advice from people (books, etc.) who are running sub 3 hour marathons. I just don’t think their ideas about how they run fits my situation. Unfortunately, most books I’ve looked at are in this category.

I also don’t understand the “run with a group” idea. When I’m planning a run, I usually set some kind of goal, whether it’s speed, distance, endurance, route, whatever. The idea that I’m going to find someone else (or several folks) who want to keep my same pace, etc. just doesn’t seem reasonable. How can you make all these plans for speedwork, distances, experiment with hydration/food and run with a group?

12
  • and I have to second most of the advice given here.

What carries you through in the end is the amount of miles you’ve been running. IMHO, lots and lots of training miles is what makes the difference - and you’ll be building up speed naturally as you get more miles under your belt.

In my own case, I got faster because I was getting bored with running and wanted to get home, now! whenever I trained. (I even started running with a walkman, something I consider completely against the entire Zen of running.)

And I’ll second the motion about trying a big marathon first. A sizable crowd to cheer you on and good organization in the start and (especially) goal areas are important to the entire experience. I’ve had the pleasure of running in a city where complete strangers would read my number, look it up in the participant list and start cheering me on, yelling my name. That sort of stuff really picks you up when your tail is dragging.

Go for it! Have fun.

S. Norman

13

Let me second all the good advice here…and point out the one thing that remains consistant throughout is that no one thing is right for everyone. You’ll find your own training groove, appropriate weekly mileage, running companions - yes or no or maybe just sometimes, hydration, nutrition, goals (time vs. completion) etc.

I’ve done marathons on 20 miles a week and on 50 miles a week. In all cases the key is to get in a couple of long easy runs…17 - 20 miles…to get your body acclimated for running that long.

But the best two bits of advice I can offer are make sure you have a good pair of running shoes…there are a zillion different pairs because there are a zillion different foot/knee/leg/back combinations. A good running store will put you in the pair that’s right for you.

And before your big race…Taper, taper, taper!!! Starting two weeks before, cut back on your miles. There is no training you can do those two weeks to make your body faster/stronger. But you can do to much to continue wearing it down. Two weeks of reast and easy miles is ideal. Bill Rodgers once said that the key to tapering is to do it to the point where you feel like you’re losing conditioning…and then you’re probably still not doing it enough!

Good luck! Have fun! See you on the roads!

14

I’ll put in my two cents, for what it is worth. I ran my first marathon at age 39 (it was incidentally, the first Chicago Marathon) and now have run 30. However, I ran most of my marathons before I reached age 42. My first marathon time was 3:36. My best was 3:09:26 and that entitled me to run Boston, which I have done twice. I’ve run one 50-miler (8:03) and have done duathlons (formerly called biathlons) and triathlons.

You can read a lot about the different ways people advise you to train for a marathon. Jeff Galloway has been advocating during one long run a week and you don’t have to worry about total weekly miles. However, he was talking about just finishing the marathon, not running the best you are capable of. People have been using that to race a marathon and have got injured.

The rule of thumb for any race is to average one-third of the total mileage of the race daily. For a marathon, this comes to at least 60 miles a week. When I was into marathons, I was running at least 70 miles a week, with one long run (at least 18 miles) a week. I never ran over 22 miles in training, except for one 30-miler I did in preparation for the 50-miler).

Increase your long run (and you must do the long runs) gradually, no more than ten percent a week. There are different theories about alternating the long runs: one week longer, the next week shorter, etc. I always did an 18-miler or a 20-miler weekly once I got up to that mileage. Alternating the long runs with a week off of a shorter run is probably not a bad idea.

In one year, I ran 8 marathons, trying to qualify for Boston, which I finally did. In that same year, I ran the 50-miler. I have never been injured. So, I must have been doing something right.

As for running with a group or by yourself, every one is different. Some people need others to urge them on, to pass the time, to tell jokes. I always did my long runs with a group. My last marathon was in 1991 and I trained by myself, after having moved from my running friends in Illinois to Charleston, and it was murder. I’m not even going to tell you my marathon time. Believe me, for myself, I definitely need to run with others on my long run, at least. I was lucky in Illinois to know others who trained at my pace and was into marathons, so compatibility of training was not an issue. If I could find at least one person now who would train like I want to and is interested in running marathons, I would run them again. I would like to run one a year anyway, but I just can’t find the running companion, and I’m not going to do the training by myself.

The only marathon that I started and did not finish was due to the fact that I ran my 50-miler the week before. And I ran 22 miles before calling it quits. I might also add that the week before the 50-miler, I completed a marathon. Remember, I’ve never been injured, but that was foolhardy and I definitely don’t recommend that.

15

Well, I’ll give another point of view from those of us on the far side of 4 hours.

When I decided to run a marathon (Atlanta, for those that have done it) I was 29, a bit overweight, and had never run more than 7 miles at one time. I just went about it the way I figured you should. I increased my milage across the board. Instead of running one long run and several shorter runs, all my runs started going up. It wasn’t until I was only a few months from the marathon (and doing 50-60 mile weeks) that I decided to go with only one long run and several “short” (12-15 mile) runs per week. I was running 6 days a week, with a minimum of 7 miles, in an Atlanta summer. My entire route was based on where I could find water fountains, and when there would be shade on parts of my route.

I was hardly an inexperienced runner at this point, having been running on and off (mostly on, but life interferes sometimes) for about 8 years.

My final time was 4:38. It would have been much faster, but because of how late I started with the separate long runs, the longest run I’d done was 19 miles. In the marathon, my calves gave out on me at, you guessed it, 19 miles. They locked up so tight that I had to pound them on the curb of the road to get them to release. To say this was painful is to understate the case, but by then, what was a little more pain.

Things I learned included: 1) Get at least one run of 22-23 miles in before the marathon. 2) Make sure you don’t run out of your energy food (like I did.) 3) Experiment to find the running shoe that works best for you. 4) Regardless of how well your shoes fit, say goodbye to many of your toenails. 5) Pain is good.

But as the saying goes, your milage may vary… :slight_smile: