1st Marathon--Check

[Daywalker]

Finished my first marathon yesterday, the Spirit of St. Louis Marathon, in 3:53. I was shooting for 4 hours, so the end result was good. Just under a 9 minute pace per mile. It was a fun experience, had a good group to train with. Miles 18-23 sucked a bit, but we had energy left over at the end to practically sprint the last half mile (passed at least 30 angry looking people). I'm pretty f'ing sore today and really not liking walking down stairs, but I'm already thinking about doing one in the fall. I'll be working a little outside Chicago, so maybe that one, but if there is a good smaller one in the fall that's somewhere in the vicinity I may consider that instead.

If you've ever considered running one, do it. As long as you train and set a good race day pace it feels fine. Having a couple people to train with makes it a ton easier as well.

Next time, the target time is 3:45. If I keep lowering the target by 15 minutes each marathon, I figure in 7 of them I'll have a new world record.

[divegirl]

good job!!!! My goal is a half-marathon.

[house]

i just ran 2 miles. and i hated it. f you

jk good work.

[yentna]

Hooray for you, that's awesome! What an accomplishment, that's gotta feel good.

I was planning on a solstice marathon in Alaska this summer, but since I took up skeleton this winter, instead need to work more on sprinting than distance. Sigh. I love to run though, so I'm still planning on a half marathon instead - that way can work on sprinting with a wee bit of distance, not putting in the 20 mile training runs a marathon requires that may impact the sprinting.

Got 9 miles in the other day though (longest ever for me, yay), and just three this morning...

[Vinman]

congrats on a big accomplishment, feels good doesn't it.

[SkiCougar]

CONGRATS !

now, use your head and give it up. i ran 2 and figured out thats a lotta of time to spend running(hours per week) and not get paid or anything for 1 days accomplishment. not to mention the many injuries distance runners get from the constant ponding the joints take.

i just run about 3 hours a week now and just run for time. trying to crack the 5;30, 5:20 and 5:00 mile is a lot of goals accomplised and you'll be in just as good or even better shape. i've seen some fat guys finish a marathon. i dont see fat 5 minute mile runners.

[BeanDip4All]

Nice job!! That's a great time for your first!! How are your feet feeling? What did you eat/consume en route... any salt packets?

I was planning on a solstice marathon in Alaska this summer, but since I took up skeleton this winter, instead need to work more on sprinting than distance. Sigh. ..

Yenta, I was ALMOST going to do this one as well (it seems like such a cool race), however realized going all the way to Alaska when I couldn't afford to treat my boyfriend and myself to the week-long salmon fishing trip in the wilderness right afterwards (they were aroubnd 5k! shesh!) was sort of pointless to go all the way up there and not get in any fishing... planning on doing this race when I am a little older and have more discretionary fishing $$$...

switched to the san fran marathon for my next one- July 30th (stoke)

[Daywalker]

Thanks for the congrats. Tacoma-my legs are feeling a lot better than yesterday (day after race), but the bottom of my ankles hurt like crazy. Feels a lot like the "growing pains" I used to get as a kid. Don't really know what those were either, that was the home diagnosis. I can't stand not running though, 2 days without any sort of exercise is ridiculous! I ate 2 half gel packets during race (Carb-boom) and one caffeinated one at about mile 20 for an extra kick. They definitely helped and didn't mess with my stomach one bit.

Skicougar, I had a few thoughts like that and some input along the same lines. It makes some sense, but I'm still running off the "holy ---- I just ran over 25 miles" adrenaline and ready to train for the next. Since I now have a base to build off of, I think I can incorporate some other training and speed work into the weekly running. Training for this one was pure distance since it was my first. Adding distance and running 4 days a week didn't leave time/energy for much other sports.

Does anyone have good plans/ideas for someone looking to improve their marathon time but keep some fluidity in the schedule for other sports and speed training? That's what I'd ideally do. Unfortunately, I don't have enough faith in me or my body yet to just wing the preperation that goes into a marathon.

[Viva]

Does anyone have good plans/ideas for someone looking to improve their marathon time but keep some fluidity in the schedule for other sports and speed training? That's what I'd ideally do. Unfortunately, I don't have enough faith in me or my body yet to just wing the preperation that goes into a marathon.

Just keep running and ramping up your miles and before long you'll be able to do speed work one day and a long run another day every week. This will leave you time for other pursuits.

When I raced the thing that I eventually gravitated to was 4-5 days of running and 1-2 days of cycling per week.

Typical schedule:

Tues: 12 miler or speed work, depending on the time of the year
Wed: 4-12 miles
Thurs: 18-20 miles
Fri: 1-1.5 hour ride or 3-7 mile run
Sat long run: 18-44 miles
Sun: long ride: 3-7 hours
Mon: nothing

One thing I advice you not to do is to take a bunch of time off following your first marathon. Unless injured, there's no excuse not to be running 2 or 3 days afterwards. Strive for a long run this-coming weekend. Mind you, it probably won't be a fast run, just go out, have fun, and amaze yourself with what you're capable of doing.

[Stu Gotz]

Sat long run: 18-44 miles

Sweet Jakers, Viva. I think DayWalker asked about the next marathon, not Western States. That's dropping some serious mileage on the weekend.

Good Stuff Daywalker! The good part about finishing your first marathon is you now know you can run 26 miles. The bad part is that you now know how painful running 20+ miles can be.

I have had very good luck with following Benji Durden's schedule taken from Runnner's World.

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/...0-1202,00.html

I am sure that others will give you good training tips, so you'll most likely be able to pick an choose what suits you best.

[BeanDip4All]

Typical schedule:

Tues: 12 miler or speed work, depending on the time of the year
Wed: 4-12 miles
Thurs: 18-20 miles
Fri: 1-1.5 hour ride or 3-7 mile run
Sat long run: 18-44 miles
Sun: long ride: 3-7 hours
Mon: nothing

One thing I advice you not to do is to take a bunch of time off following your first marathon. Unless injured, there's no excuse not to be running 2 or 3 days afterwards. Strive for a long run this-coming weekend. Mind you, it probably won't be a fast run, just go out, have fun, and amaze yourself with what you're capable of doing.

Viva- are your Tues-Thurs workouts running or bike?

I have to disagree with you on the "take time off" thing... I was so burned out on running after my first, I really needed a good two months in the pool doing laps and sort of getting running off the brain before I was really able to come back focused to training for another marathon... I'm sure it's different for everyone, however....

My training schedule:
M: 5 mi easy run
T: cross training, lifting, speed drills
W: 6 mi easy
T: cross training, lifting, speed drills
F: 7 mi easy
S: spinning or bike, lifting, off if I am super sore
S: looooong run, depending on how close to the marathon

This gets altered depending on work/travel, but I try and stick to it as much as possible.

[Viva]

Viva- are your Tues-Thurs workouts running or bike?

I have to disagree with you on the "take time off" thing... I was so burned out on running after my first, I really needed a good two months in the pool doing laps and sort of getting running off the brain before I was really able to come back focused to training for another marathon... I'm sure it's different for everyone, however....

Tues-Thurs = Running. I measure cycling in hours.

Mind you, this is what I used to do...years ago. When I moved to Oregon in 98, I sort of dropped out of racing and gradually "let things go". I kinda look like Jabba now. Probably not must faster either.

Once you get to a certain level, a marathon, or any race, becomes another part of your routine and not simply a culminating point of your training. And, honestly, I found the best recovery to be either easy runs or rides.

Have a look at The Lore of Running by Tim Noakes. The author's a researcher in excercise physiologist as well as a long distance runner. The book's widely available.

[smmokan]

Viva- are your Tues-Thurs workouts running or bike?

I have to disagree with you on the "take time off" thing... I was so burned out on running after my first, I really needed a good two months in the pool doing laps and sort of getting running off the brain before I was really able to come back focused to training for another marathon... I'm sure it's different for everyone, however....

My training schedule:
M: 5 mi easy run
T: cross training, lifting, speed drills
W: 6 mi easy
T: cross training, lifting, speed drills
F: 7 mi easy
S: spinning or bike, lifting, off if I am super sore
S: looooong run, depending on how close to the marathon

This gets altered depending on work/travel, but I try and stick to it as much as possible.

There's nothing easy about a 7 mile run.

[Camel Toad]

I was planning on a solstice marathon in Alaska this summer, but since I took up skeleton this winter.

check out the Fairbanks Equinox marathon (September) instead. You could be in shape for that.

[skiaholik]

Congrats thats awesome. Finishing up a long run gives you a really big high that just boosts up your self esteem and overall happiness. I started running regularly last summer because I had a lot of free time. One day I ran just under 10miles and decided I was going to run the Stowe 1/2 marathon 2wks later. I'm glad I did because it is one of my favorite memories. It was a nice early fall day, bluebird and I ran better than I thought I would've (7:19 pace for a 1:35:45) and ended up placing decent (2nd in under 25s and 25th overall). I was thinking about doing the Burlington Center City Marathon but it's the week after my graduation and I decided there wasn't any way I would have enough motivation to train at the end of this semester and bypass all the partying and festivities to get up at 6am and run 10+miles a few times a week. I really want to do one though, maybe at the end of the summer or sometime when I'm out in Jackson next year.

If you google marathon training schedules you will find a ton of helpful information. I found a lot earlier this winter when I was still considering it.
Congrats again.

[mnflyfish]

Hey, congrats!

I'll be doing my first at the Twin Cities, Minneapolis.St, Paul in October. Not a horrible drive from Chicago and it's a little smaller than Chicago so it won't take you 20 minutes to cross the starting line. Registration opens up on April 29th and it fills fast. My sights are currently set on a little half marathon in June just to prove to myself that a Marathon makes sense. You're a lot faster than I hope to be, I run a 10k at 8:13, but to put on a marathon distance I'm closing in on 9:30 or so. But hey I'll still get a medal. Oh Boy!

Good Luck,
Jay

[Mofro261]

Way to go on #1!

After my 1st I felt like absolute hell, esp since I had to walk @mi23, and missed my 3hr goal by 2 min. Didn't run for 3 mos, but eventually the bug hit again. Took me until #3 to crack 3hrs and the last 2 have been 2:55.

My advice: listen to your body and stop when it says so. In an effort to get faster (wanted to run sub 2:45, was oh so close) excessive speed work gave me achilles tendonitis that still plagues me 18mos later.