Has anyone run a marathon?
- Thread starter Ski-bum
- Start date
42.2 km
42.2 km.
Good luck with your goal ski-bum.....may I enquire as to the reason for the 16 month time frame you've allowed?
If you are not a runner already, then build up slowly and steadily.
If you have some running prowess and no adverse medical history, then 4 months is a reasonable period to get enough training under your belt to go for this year's event.
BTW, I used to be a runner in younger days and have done two marathons, one in Melbourne and one in Sydney. Numerous half marathons and 10 km fun runs over the years.
Again good luck with your intent and training
42.2 km.
Good luck with your goal ski-bum.....may I enquire as to the reason for the 16 month time frame you've allowed?
If you are not a runner already, then build up slowly and steadily.
If you have some running prowess and no adverse medical history, then 4 months is a reasonable period to get enough training under your belt to go for this year's event.
BTW, I used to be a runner in younger days and have done two marathons, one in Melbourne and one in Sydney. Numerous half marathons and 10 km fun runs over the years.
Again good luck with your intent and training
Hi Ski-bum. Like Player, I did a lot of running when younger (and we're both trained physiotherapists). My running stopped when I was 24, as it was exacerbating low back pain (from repetitive trauma associated with rowing at a national level.) I did the Sydney Marathon twice in the early 80s.
Tips.
- get your body fat as low as possible on race day (preferably under 8%). Carrying extra increases load on all systems, including lumbar discs, and hip and knee cartilage.
- focus on super core strength in your training. hip, knee, and back trauma are the big negatives associated with pounding pavement for long distances. good posture and strong core musculature will help unload lumbar discs during the run. WOn't bother explaining as it's technical.
- do specific knee extension, hamstring, hip abductor strengthening. Don't be afraid of bulking up the legs. The extra strength will help patella tracking better as you fatigue during the run.
- Do stretches for calf, hammies, and hip flexors with all training runs.
- If you have had tears in muscles, I'd recommend 3-4 deep tissue massages, with the last at least 4 weeks prior to the run. These will loosen scar tissue and facilitate better blood flow through the whole muscle.
- don't run in a well worn pair of shoes. you want maximum cushioning with around 5-10 hours of running time in them.
- consider two pairs of socks. light inside, and heavier outside. You want to keep your feet dry to decrease probability of blisters. one or two pairs of socks is controversial these days. In my days, it was accepted they didn't increase chance of blistering.
- train with blister prevention pads on the backs of your heels. wear them in the run and make sure they are on extremely securely. consider them on other vulnerable parts of your feet if you have had blisters in the past.
- wear bandaids over your nipples (whether guy or girl). depending on your singlet, the rubbing can irritate them and cause nagging pain.
- ramping your training distance is imperative. It isn't important to run 40km+ for a marathon, but you want to at least build to a 30-35km about 4 weeks prior.
- mix treadmill and road running to get your mileage up and avoid overuse injuries.
- hydration and nutrition before during and after are extremely important. even if the weather is cold, it is imperative to take electrolytes before during and after. check the AIS website. They were supposed to update their info last year.
- nutrition wise, take your high starch meal at lunch the day prior. and have a smaller meal that night. Some athletes have an enema on race morning. check AIS again and research carb loading to increase glycogen stores.
- if you have had recurrent ankle or knee injuries, it would be best to wear braces/compression bandages.
- I don't recommend hard full or 3/4 length orthotics, which many podiatrists custom make for runners. They often break, and interfere with heel strike to forefoot biomechanics. Use a soft orthotic instead....Best to see a podiatrist recognized for dealing with elite runners.
- be prepared to hit a wall around 30-35km. pain and fatigue will play havoc with your mind. YOu might want to stop. This can be minimized by appropriate fluid and energy intake before and during.
- if a cold day wear gloves and a cap. stay warm before start. drink a lot about 30 mins prior and empty bladder 5-10 mins before start.
- pace yourself with a watch during training, and use that info not to go out too hard in the marathon.
- if you use a heart rate monitor, expect your heart rate to go up during the run....and remember to keep rehydrating. that's due to several reasons, one being decreasing blood volume, even if you drink heaps of electrolytes.
There's a heap of other stuff. have a browse of the net. Runner's World magazine used to have great articles.
Tips.
- get your body fat as low as possible on race day (preferably under 8%). Carrying extra increases load on all systems, including lumbar discs, and hip and knee cartilage.
- focus on super core strength in your training. hip, knee, and back trauma are the big negatives associated with pounding pavement for long distances. good posture and strong core musculature will help unload lumbar discs during the run. WOn't bother explaining as it's technical.
- do specific knee extension, hamstring, hip abductor strengthening. Don't be afraid of bulking up the legs. The extra strength will help patella tracking better as you fatigue during the run.
- Do stretches for calf, hammies, and hip flexors with all training runs.
- If you have had tears in muscles, I'd recommend 3-4 deep tissue massages, with the last at least 4 weeks prior to the run. These will loosen scar tissue and facilitate better blood flow through the whole muscle.
- don't run in a well worn pair of shoes. you want maximum cushioning with around 5-10 hours of running time in them.
- consider two pairs of socks. light inside, and heavier outside. You want to keep your feet dry to decrease probability of blisters. one or two pairs of socks is controversial these days. In my days, it was accepted they didn't increase chance of blistering.
- train with blister prevention pads on the backs of your heels. wear them in the run and make sure they are on extremely securely. consider them on other vulnerable parts of your feet if you have had blisters in the past.
- wear bandaids over your nipples (whether guy or girl). depending on your singlet, the rubbing can irritate them and cause nagging pain.
- ramping your training distance is imperative. It isn't important to run 40km+ for a marathon, but you want to at least build to a 30-35km about 4 weeks prior.
- mix treadmill and road running to get your mileage up and avoid overuse injuries.
- hydration and nutrition before during and after are extremely important. even if the weather is cold, it is imperative to take electrolytes before during and after. check the AIS website. They were supposed to update their info last year.
- nutrition wise, take your high starch meal at lunch the day prior. and have a smaller meal that night. Some athletes have an enema on race morning. check AIS again and research carb loading to increase glycogen stores.
- if you have had recurrent ankle or knee injuries, it would be best to wear braces/compression bandages.
- I don't recommend hard full or 3/4 length orthotics, which many podiatrists custom make for runners. They often break, and interfere with heel strike to forefoot biomechanics. Use a soft orthotic instead....Best to see a podiatrist recognized for dealing with elite runners.
- be prepared to hit a wall around 30-35km. pain and fatigue will play havoc with your mind. YOu might want to stop. This can be minimized by appropriate fluid and energy intake before and during.
- if a cold day wear gloves and a cap. stay warm before start. drink a lot about 30 mins prior and empty bladder 5-10 mins before start.
- pace yourself with a watch during training, and use that info not to go out too hard in the marathon.
- if you use a heart rate monitor, expect your heart rate to go up during the run....and remember to keep rehydrating. that's due to several reasons, one being decreasing blood volume, even if you drink heaps of electrolytes.
There's a heap of other stuff. have a browse of the net. Runner's World magazine used to have great articles.
just noted the 2011 thing. that's a long way off. like player says, build your distance slowly. you need to allow cartilage and underlying bone to adapt.
build your endurance via cross training. don't do a lot of upper body strength work. ideally you want to reduce upper body mass. high rep push ups, chin ups, and cable pulley work should be enough.
recommended cross training is cycling, gym equipment (cross trainer/elliptical trainer, cardio climber).
see a sports podiatrist and/or sports physio now to assess your form and recommend shoes and orthotics before you develop overuse injuries.
build your endurance via cross training. don't do a lot of upper body strength work. ideally you want to reduce upper body mass. high rep push ups, chin ups, and cable pulley work should be enough.
recommended cross training is cycling, gym equipment (cross trainer/elliptical trainer, cardio climber).
see a sports podiatrist and/or sports physio now to assess your form and recommend shoes and orthotics before you develop overuse injuries.
If only there were more defended positions to attack 20 mile from my place, I could be less a pussy.
ask me if I knew then what I know now, would I have run marathons? and hte answer would be no. We've only got so much use to make of our knees and backs. Excessive exercise seems a pointless thing to me these days, that wears the joints out prematurely.
Nevertheless, that's the paradox of being a human. We have adrenalin, endorphins, and fragile egos, that drive us to do things that ensure our early demise.
Great! Are you still working or have you retired from your day job? I love what I do at the moment, lots of job satisfaction++. Enjoy the patient caseload and clinical research I'm doing. But do sometimes wonder what it may be like 20 years from now, given the high attrition rate and lack of career pathway. At this point in time, I'm thinking I'll still work part-time once we've reached our financial goals...but who knows
Thanks for the extensive tips WW. Esp the one about 2 pairs of socks - never thought of that. Have had blister trouble in the past.
Had an ACL reco July 09, started running seriously again Feb this year, was doing quite well in fun runs etc (beat the Puffing Billy - woo hoo
), on track for 1/2 marathon in July but got injured 2/52 ago (enchondroma of 2nd toe - Google it, I had to, apparently very uncommon), so in for surgery soon and not running again til at least Sept. Hence I've had to re-align my timeframes.I'm very keen to run a marathon, as I think its as much of a mental challenge as physical (good advice WW about 30-35km mark). And yes, will be wearing out my knees in the meantime
I reckon my morning dash up the stairs to the old coffee pot constitutes a marathon. It's a big ask , I'm no morning person.
Cheers
Geez I have a car, why would I want to run anywhere?
At the moment I am training for the Anaconda race in November (I'm in a team for that one, doing a 13.5km coastal run) then the half Iron Man (Bussleton) in May 2011, and then eventually the full Iron Man in December 2011. The full Iron Man has a marathon run at the end
Does that count??
Boods
Does that count??
Boods
Hi
I ran my only marathon in Vienna in 1989 at age 42. I am really happy I did it as it was also my aim to set myself a goal and go for it... I started off so slowly that everyone else overtook me... however around the 20km mark I found that I was starting to overtake those younger ones (men and women) who had started off too quickly in the beginning and were now walking... this was really such an inspiration it was unbelievable!!!... also the crowds... who kept cheering those on who were still running.... a truly fabulous atmosphere!!!...
I finished in 4 hours 44 minutes... just 15 minutes before the 5 hour closing time!!!
I also tried several more times to train for another marathon but found that I would not be able to complete the course within the time frame allowed...so I did not continue with the training... there are also plenty of 5/10 or half marathon runs around...
I can't imagine anything worse than having run a marathon only to find that you arrive after the official timing has finished!!!...and all the drinks are gone!!!...
anyway ... good luck
annE
I ran my only marathon in Vienna in 1989 at age 42. I am really happy I did it as it was also my aim to set myself a goal and go for it... I started off so slowly that everyone else overtook me... however around the 20km mark I found that I was starting to overtake those younger ones (men and women) who had started off too quickly in the beginning and were now walking... this was really such an inspiration it was unbelievable!!!... also the crowds... who kept cheering those on who were still running.... a truly fabulous atmosphere!!!...
I finished in 4 hours 44 minutes... just 15 minutes before the 5 hour closing time!!!
I also tried several more times to train for another marathon but found that I would not be able to complete the course within the time frame allowed...so I did not continue with the training... there are also plenty of 5/10 or half marathon runs around...
I can't imagine anything worse than having run a marathon only to find that you arrive after the official timing has finished!!!...and all the drinks are gone!!!...
anyway ... good luck
annE
Great! Are you still working or have you retired from your day job? I love what I do at the moment, lots of job satisfaction++. Enjoy the patient caseload and clinical research I'm doing. But do sometimes wonder what it may be like 20 years from now, given the high attrition rate and lack of career pathway. At this point in time, I'm thinking I'll still work part-time once we've reached our financial goals...but who knows
I am not doing a lot of clinic currently. Am doing educational programs for corporate health, and trading.
Are you a physio? What's your clinical research?
Re job satisfaction, I came into physio as a mature student, and am not a doe eyed true believer. In my exposure to 20+ odd clinics, it is a narrow and compromised field in practice, that I primarily got into for its flexibility, potential for more wholistic practice, and modicum of mainstream credibility. My interest has always been in working higher upstream in the pursuit and maintenance of wellbeing.
Good luck running on that acl re-construction. Hopefully you'll still have some cartilage left when your 50.
Boods - pity you're not doing IMWA this year - we could have had a somersoft meet up!
I've done two Ironman's but never a standalone mara. WW tips are great.
With the socks, other options include injinji's (toe socks - I don't use these but my husband does and rarely runs in anything else), also there is a company that makes a double layer sock (so to help prevent blisters but stop sliding around in the shoe).
Prepare mentally as much as physically - there's always a wall somewhere along there, be ready for it and you'll be fine.
Also find out what the oncourse nutrition and electrolyte drink - train with it (and if possible the flavours that will be available on the day). This will help prevent any stomach upsets from introducing new substances under a stress situation.
I've done two Ironman's but never a standalone mara. WW tips are great.
With the socks, other options include injinji's (toe socks - I don't use these but my husband does and rarely runs in anything else), also there is a company that makes a double layer sock (so to help prevent blisters but stop sliding around in the shoe).
Prepare mentally as much as physically - there's always a wall somewhere along there, be ready for it and you'll be fine.
Also find out what the oncourse nutrition and electrolyte drink - train with it (and if possible the flavours that will be available on the day). This will help prevent any stomach upsets from introducing new substances under a stress situation.
..........................Had an ACL reco July 09, started running seriously again Feb this year, was doing quite well in fun runs etc (beat the Puffing Billy - woo hoo
I'm very keen to run a marathon, as I think its as much of a mental challenge as physical (good advice WW about 30-35km mark). And yes, will be wearing out my knees in the meantime
I have heard of it. Know a friend whose son had such on his big toe.
Here's a link for any interested:
http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00085
Your selected time frame is therefore prudent and now understood. Be wary, as Mr. Wolfe has mentioned, about conserving the shock absorption that nature provided especially as you've had reco Sx.
Depending on how you go with your training and any other other niggles and little/moderate set backs you might experience along the way, DO NOT make your last long run the full marathon distance any nearer than 4 weeks prior to the event. Have fresh legs
Indeed, pending the progression of you training and how your legs/trunk adapt, consider not even running the full distance, but perhaps doing 30 km or thereabouts and actually walking the rest to the full 42 km. In my experience as long as you get the km into your legs, it may be prudent to spare your limbs from the full shock of 42 km (running) until the day.
You will need to read a little and set up your own training regime and tailor to suit how your body responds.
I must admit I was never wanting to run more than a few marathons and certainly no one does it purely for the fitness benefits......it does get addictive. I reckon over 15 km or so and the musculo-skeletal injury risk outweighs any cardio-vascular gain over and above being fitter than probably > 95 % of the populace.
It is a mental challenge and therefore a worthwhile goal to tick off your list. I ended up doing triathlons toward the end of my running days. Far more sparing of the body under say 1500m 40 km 10 km (swim/bike/run).
Those days are over for me. I swim and walk these days, needing to listen to my body.
Good luck
