The Wrinkled Runner
The Wrinkled Runner
Are You Ready to Run a Marathon?
Hi Running Friends!
Could you be ready to conquer the iconic marathon distance of 26.2 miles? Discover the essential signs of readiness and explore whether you have what it takes to tackle this physical and mental challenge. I share insights into assessing your comfort with long distances, the importance of consistent weekly mileage, and maintaining a healthy body.
Resources from the Episode:
The Wrinkled Runner YouTube Channel:
Are You Ready to Run the Marathon?
The Wrinkled Runner Website:
Finish Line Fueling- Jackie Dikos
Hydration for the Runner
Other Sources:
First Time Marathon Guide to Fuel for a Marathon
Hal Higdon’s Novice Marathon Training
Can I Run a Marathon from Marathon Handbook
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from purchases:
Running Your First Marathon: The Complete 20 Week Training Plan
If you are looking for a coach to help you reach your running goals, even if it's just to start to run, take a look at my Coaching Services page on the website. I do virtual, in-person (Buffalo, NY area) and also offer single zoom sessions for those would just like to chat with a coach one time.
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If you have any running-related questions, please send an email to sherry@wrinkledrunner.com…I answer every one.
Hey there, runners, welcome back to the show. Today we're diving into a question many of you have probably asked yourselves if you have been running for a while and you've been running half marathons or 10Ks, and that is, am I ready to run a marathon? You've built up some endurance and you're getting that itch to tackle that 26.2 miles. How do you know if you're truly ready to take on this beast? So we're going to talk about that today. Yesterday was the Chicago Marathon and I had a client running it and I was following some other people running it and it was an awesome day for women. The person who won, Ruth Chepengedich. She had a fantastic race and she ran it in two hours nine minutes and 56 seconds, which is a world record and is blazing fast.
Coach Sherry:So if you happened to watch that the Chicago Marathon or anyathon, or have heard of anything about it, maybe you too are thinking that you would like to run the marathon. Of course, getting to a half marathon if you've run one of those is no small feat in and of itself. It's a huge accomplishment to have run the 13.1 miles. So if you've been running halves for a while, maybe you're wondering what's next. I was running a half marathon in Japan and the course was at the base of Mount Fuji. It was pretty brutal, it was very hot, it was hilly, duh and mentally exhausting, and we had to run the route twice. So when I ran it the first time, it felt terrible, and then we had to run it again, and so I swore off running half marathons actually ever again. But then, if fast forward a few years and I decided to celebrate turning 50 by running a marathon, so I had plenty of time to train because we were living in Shanghai at that point. There were no kids around, they were all graduated from high school and in college or married, and so I had a lot of free time. So basically, when I lived in China, all I did was run, and it made it a little easier to dedicate myself to being able to train to run a marathon.
Coach Sherry:So let's talk about some of the signs that you might be ready to start training for a marathon. So if you're comfortable running longer distances, for example, if you're hitting 10 miles in long runs and it doesn't leave you wiped out for days, that is a good indicator. So you're going to be logging a lot more miles than the 10 miles. So if 10 miles still feels like a major feat, maybe run a few more halves, and if you haven't run a half marathon, maybe run a few of those before stepping up to the marathon. Now, that's not to say it can't be done. Plenty of people have just trained for a marathon and have never run anything else. But if you are regularly running the medium long runs and that's kind of leaving you wiped out your body needs to build up a little bit more endurance before you start jumping into, you know, 16, 17, 18 milers.
Coach Sherry:Also, consistency is a huge thing. If you're going to be training for a marathon, that means regularly running, probably in the neighborhood of 20 to 25 miles a week. Of course, you know everything that we talk about when it comes to running. It depends on the individual. It depends is like the big thing for running. But if you're regularly running 20, 25 miles a week, then the marathon is something that you can think about. And that means when I say consistently, I mean not just once a month, twice a month, I mean you know basically every week you're getting those miles in. Because consistency really is key when it comes to marathon training, because you are going to have to build on your mileage from week to week.
Coach Sherry:Training for anything depends on what you have done before to get you to where you need to be, and so you can't just run, you know, 20 mile a week and then the next week don't do anything. Or you know, maybe run six and then the following week, you know, run an 18 miler and then the following week run an 18 miler and then the following week you don't run so much. It really depends on you building that endurance week after week after week. Also, being injury-free is important. So if you're dealing with any niggles or aches that won't go away, it's probably not the best time to train for a marathon. Check in with a doctor or a physical therapist, especially one that deals with sports and sports injuries, If you're experiencing any pain. It requires a healthy body to train for that amount of distance. So make sure you're healed and you have a strong base before committing to that training.
Coach Sherry:So now we're going to talk about the mental side of things. Marathons are a huge mental challenge. Training can be really monotonous because there's no crowd to cheer you on. So if you're running 16 miles on your own, you know no one's handing you water. Sometimes you finish miles away from your house feeling exhausted which I've done plenty of times because I'm good, I can tell've still been, you know, five miles away from my house, which is usually when I plop myself down and call my husband and say come get me.
Coach Sherry:You know, fueling is important on long runs. That can be tricky. It's an experiment. You know every time, until you dial in, what your nutrition is going to be, which you don't know when you're training for your first marathon, so you might feel nauseous or need a bathroom in the middle of nowhere. It really is this dance of figuring out what your nutrition needs to be, and of course there are guidelines and everything like that for how much to take in. I'll put some fueling resources in the show notes, but it's not like one size fits all. It is definitely an experiment and one that cannot feel great until you really dial that in. Now I'm not trying to scare you off at all, but it is important to think about the tough parts before you commit.
Coach Sherry:Training is going to require time and energy and sacrifice. It's not just about checking the physical boxes. Your life needs to be ready for this as well. Let's consider a few other things too.
Coach Sherry:Marathon training is very time-consuming. Long runs can't be skipped or rushed and if you're not able to fit them into your life consistently, you might want to wait until your schedule allows for it. So even if you're physically ready to run a marathon, your life might not be ready for it. If you work long hours, if you're having to get up at three in the morning just to get a run in and you're having to do that consistently, If you're not able to hit some of the medium long runs and the shorter runs during the week, you can't just run one long run every week and be ready for that marathon. You need to have that time week after week after week. So you know, look ahead, you have vacations coming up that it's going to be an issue to run a 20 miler. Do you have like a hard work schedule that is going to get worse in, you know, a month.
Coach Sherry:All those things have to be taken into consideration when you're looking at the time commitment needed for the marathon. Also, finances shoes wear out. You need gear for carrying hydration and fuel. Marathon registration fees can be steep. Plus, if you're traveling for a race, there are additional costs for lodging transportation. Marathon training is quite an investment in time and in money, so all those things need to be taken into consideration In addition to you know, can I get to the point where I can run 26.2 miles? So if you've added it all up in your head the physical readiness, your mental toughness, your time and financial situation and it still sounds like something you want to do and it still sounds like something you want to do, then welcome to the world of marathon training. And it's a wild ride, but it is incredibly rewarding. I will definitely put some resources that you can look at in the show notes, so check those out and you can really dive into what it's going to take for the marathon training and see if it's something that maybe you want to look into.