Marathon Training

[Paris]

I am running the New York marathon in November and having never ran anywhere close to that distance before, I was wondering if anyone has any training tips etc?

 

I am up to 10 miles in training and am booked in for the Glasgow half marathon in September.

 

Thanks in advance!

[Jaggyman]

Ive ran a few marathons and found the Runners World magazine and web site very helpful. You will find programmes to help you train for whatever time you want to achieve anything from under 3 hours up to 6-7 hours. If you are young and reasonably fit there is no reason why you cant go under 4 hours which is very respectable. One of the best things you can do is join your local running club, there you will meet people also training for a marathon and there will also be people there of similar ability to yourself and you can encourage each other through the training sessions and long runs. Personally i would try and get at least 2 20-22 mile runs under your belt by mid october( ny marathon is early november isnt it?)Dont and i repeat DONT buy new shoes to run the marathon get lots of miles into them before the big day. Hill sessions altho knackering will really help your stamina and when doing your long run its useful to incorproate hills into the run.

Edited July 14, 2011 by Jaggyman

[Paris]

Ive ran a few marathons and found the Runners World magazine and web site very helpful. You will find programmes to help you train for whatever time you want to achieve anything from under 3 hours up to 6-7 hours. If you are young and reasonably fit there is no reason why you cant go under 4 hours which is very respectable. One of the best things you can do is join your local running club, there you will meet people also training for a marathon and there will also be people there of similar ability to yourself and you can encourage each other through the training sessions and long runs. Personally i would try and get at least 2 20-22 mile runs under your belt by mid october( ny marathon is early november isnt it?)Dont and i repeat DONT buy new shoes to run the marathon get lots of miles into them before the big day. Hill sessions altho knackering will really help your stamina and when doing your long run its useful to incorproate hills into the run.

 

Cheers. Will take a look at the RW website (bought a couple of the mags recently). Although I'm not obsessing about the time, I am aiming for roughly 4hrs. Been working it recently with having a long run at the weekend and upping the mileage by a half mile or a mile each week and as I said, this week I am up to 10. Should mean I am over 20 by mid october. Doing shorter runs during the week and doing some speed and hill work for those. Also palying a game of badminton once a week to try and mix up the training.

 

I joined the running club at my gym but that is only on a tuesday night but the guys there are really enouraging and helpful. Was planning on new shoes mid to late September and will try and get a similar style and make.

[twinny]

I've never done this type of thing but should theoretically know about nutrition for marathons. I'll revise this stuff in the near future and get back to you. I was about to post a long paragraph of nutritional advice regarding carb loading but wouldn't want to give you bad advice as it has been a few years since I last studied this.

[Jaggyman]

I've never done this type of thing but should theoretically know about nutrition for marathons. I'll revise this stuff in the near future and get back to you. I was about to post a long paragraph of nutritional advice regarding carb loading but wouldn't want to give you bad advice as it has been a few years since I last studied this.

 

@ Paris you will find lots of nutritional advice on Runners World web site too and in their magazine they give you different recipes every month. I was a big fan of Tuna pasta in my running days along with brown bread,brown rice, bananas and a sports drink on my long run lucozade sport worked for me but try these out before race day as i have heard they can give you the trots on occasion just a matter of finding what one works for you

[canman]

I ran the Glasgow marathon in 83 84, I was in my mid 30s. I was well over 4hrs each time. I alternated between long and short runs. I lived in Knightswood at the time and my training consisted of running out Gt. Western Rd. and going further each time. My hill training was done on my short runs. This was six days a week.

The day itself is fantastic and you get plenty of encouragement from the spectators and then the glory when you cross the finish line with your arms raised in the air like you have just won the Olympic gold.

[Jaggyman]

4 hrs should be easily doable unless your old and decrepit like me. I started running when i was 41 ran my first marathon at 43 and never went over 4 hrs even managed to get under 3 1/2 hours. So if your a young upstart and you train well you should achieve your goal

[Paris]

4 hrs should be easily doable unless your old and decrepit like me. I started running when i was 41 ran my first marathon at 43 and never went over 4 hrs even managed to get under 3 1/2 hours. So if your a young upstart and you train well you should achieve your goal

 

Young upstart, unfortunately not. I'm 34 but have a decent level of fitness. As I said before, I'm not obsessing about the time but any training plan I am using is based on a 4hr time.

 

This is all great stuff guys. I am definitely trying to look at the nutritional side of things. I'll take a look at the RW website later.

 

How do you deal with niggling injuries or maybe a cold? If you lose a week, for instance, do you adjust the plan or try and come back in at with the same schedule?

[sigesige00]

I think that Marathon should be 50km. 42.195km is very strange.

Race Walking's longest one is 50km. So 50km Marathon is possible, I think.

[Paris]

I think that Marathon should be 50km. 42.195km is very strange.

Race Walking's longest one is 50km. So 50km Marathon is possible, I think.

 

Surely it shouldn't be called a marathon if it wasn't 42.795km?

[Paris]

@ Paris you will find lots of nutritional advice on Runners World web site too and in their magazine they give you different recipes every month. I was a big fan of Tuna pasta in my running days along with brown bread,brown rice, bananas and a sports drink on my long run lucozade sport worked for me but try these out before race day as i have heard they can give you the trots on occasion just a matter of finding what one works for you

 

I tried to log on to the RW website but you need to be a magazine subscriber to get into most of it. The minimum subscription is 12 months but after November I will probably not want it. It's stupid that they don't have shorter subscriptions or other ways to access the website as most people will only be using the website for shorter term training ideas.

[Jaggyman]

I tried to log on to the RW website but you need to be a magazine subscriber to get into most of it. The minimum subscription is 12 months but after November I will probably not want it. It's stupid that they don't have shorter subscriptions or other ways to access the website as most people will only be using the website for shorter term training ideas.

 

Try another running web site. Try fetcheveryone.com at least iirc thats what it was called. Shame about the RW website as it had a great message board with lots of tips especially on marathon running.

[Jaggyman]

Young upstart, unfortunately not. I'm 34 but have a decent level of fitness. As I said before, I'm not obsessing about the time but any training plan I am using is based on a 4hr time.

 

This is all great stuff guys. I am definitely trying to look at the nutritional side of things. I'll take a look at the RW website later.

 

How do you deal with niggling injuries or maybe a cold? If you lose a week, for instance, do you adjust the plan or try and come back in at with the same schedule?

 

If its just a niggling injury you could try running through it but stop if it gets worse, what you think is an injury might just be the aches and pains of training. If you have any doubts see a sports injury therapist( i can put you in contact with one) or physiotherapist( loads in the phone book). As for the cold unless its a killer cold just try and run with it. Missing a week of training wont set u back much and if you miss 2 weeks start your plan where you left it will probably mean you might not achieve all the things on the plan but the most important bit of the plan would be the long run as its time on your feet that will count in the end. The more time you can spend running 3 hours plus will be beneficial to you on race day but the trick is not to overdo it.Get yourself a jar of vaseline and smear it on your nipples chaffed and bleeding nipples are very sore and smear it aroud the tops of your thighs where the elastic on your shorts rubs against your skin. You might look like a perv standing at the start line applying it but believe me its worth it

[Paris]

If its just a niggling injury you could try running through it but stop if it gets worse, what you think is an injury might just be the aches and pains of training. If you have any doubts see a sports injury therapist( i can put you in contact with one) or physiotherapist( loads in the phone book). As for the cold unless its a killer cold just try and run with it. Missing a week of training wont set u back much and if you miss 2 weeks start your plan where you left it will probably mean you might not achieve all the things on the plan but the most important bit of the plan would be the long run as its time on your feet that will count in the end. The more time you can spend running 3 hours plus will be beneficial to you on race day but the trick is not to overdo it.Get yourself a jar of vaseline and smear it on your nipples chaffed and bleeding nipples are very sore and smear it aroud the tops of your thighs where the elastic on your shorts rubs against your skin. You might look like a perv standing at the start line applying it but believe me its worth it

 

Haha. I think there might be a few others with the vaseline out at the start line so think I should be ok! I did find this plan on the free part of the RW website, going to go with that. Its a 16 week plan (16 weeks today) and is aimed at 3:30-4:30. Only thing is that I got told that you should only increase your distance by 10% each time. The long runs are going up by 2 miles. Not a huge deal I suppose

 

http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/racing/rws-basic-marathon-schedules-intermediate/109.html

[Jaggyman]

Haha. I think there might be a few others with the vaseline out at the start line so think I should be ok! I did find this plan on the free part of the RW website, going to go with that. Its a 16 week plan (16 weeks today) and is aimed at 3:30-4:30. Only thing is that I got told that you should only increase your distance by 10% each time. The long runs are going up by 2 miles. Not a huge deal I suppose

 

http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/racing/rws-basic-marathon-schedules-intermediate/109.html

 

If your feeling particularly good then add a little bit on( 1 or 2 miles) from what is in the plan cos there will be days when you just cant be arsed and youve got to 15 miles or so.

[sigesige00]

In Japan, there is a strange type of road race called "Ekiden".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ekiden

[Paris]

If your feeling particularly good then add a little bit on( 1 or 2 miles) from what is in the plan cos there will be days when you just cant be arsed and youve got to 15 miles or so.

 

And I guess if there is an injury and the plan goes to pot a bit. Got over £500 in sponsorship so far which Im pretty chuffed with. Trying to link up with one of the Warriors players who is a patron of the charity. Wonder if he can get me a days training with the Jags? At least a few signed tops to raffle?

[Jaggernaut]

And I guess if there is an injury and the plan goes to pot a bit. Got over £500 in sponsorship so far which Im pretty chuffed with. Trying to link up with one of the Warriors players who is a patron of the charity. Wonder if he can get me a days training with the Jags? At least a few signed tops to raffle?

I wonder if that isn't a potential source of income for the club. I'm happy for it to be a freebie for genuine charity cases, but would some folk pay money to join in a Thistle training session? Good way to get fit (or less unfit), maybe kick the odd ball with the squad. How much would that be worth?

[Paris]

I wonder if that isn't a potential source of income for the club. I'm happy for it to be a freebie for genuine charity cases, but would some folk pay money to join in a Thistle training session? Good way to get fit (or less unfit), maybe kick the odd ball with the squad. How much would that be worth?

 

Hard to tell. Who was it recently that got people to pay for a trial? Stirling? I know it is a different situation but I think they made a lot of money out of it.