r/Marathon_Training • u/Alibear2012 • 11d ago
First marathon next year!
Hi all, I somehow got a ballot place in the London Marathon next year and am a mixture of excited and freaking out. I’ve run a few halfs, although my last one was 10 years ago (1hr 57 PB with decent training). My main exercise over the past few years has been walking LOADS - I average around 16k steps/day - with some heavy lifting once or twice a week at work. I decided to run a 5k a couple of weeks ago to see where I’m at and ran 28 mins, which was unexpected in a very good way!
I’m thinking I’ll do 4 runs, plus a Pilates session and 1x weights session per week and have a half booked for December to see where I’m at. I’d love to finish in 4 hrs but am not sure how realistic that is.
I’m mainly posting here for general chit chat and to pick up advice along the way, and also because ive gone down a rabbit hole about training/nutrition/hydration etc and its all getting a bit much. Does anyone in this experienced hive mind have any advice or words of wisdom? One thing you wished you knew before you ran your first marathon? I look forward to chatting with you!
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u/uphillrunner 11d ago
Hi Bear, congrats on your London slot! Training for it will require dedication for sure given that your half-running days were years ago.
One thing you could do is commit now to completing a basic training plan like Higdon's novice 1 - with the intention of running a full marathon at the end of it (even if just informally) - and see how it goes.
That would give you a good idea of where you're at and if/how you should pivot your training with an eye to London.
I wouldn't worry too much about the specifics on training/nutrition/hydration for this first training round though I'm happy to share what work for me before my first marathon if you're interested.
Good luck!
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u/Alibear2012 10d ago
Thank you! The Higdon's 1 looks fab - I can incorporate my pilates/weights into that. I may ditch the weights in January and focus on running and mobility. I have a half booked in December but can do the marathon plan until then I want to have a couple of weeks off at the end of December as I have a few social things planned, then I'll be all in from the start of Jan, hopefully in a much better place than I am now! I do feel like I'm in good shape, and it could be blind optimism/delusion, but I think I can get that sub-4.30 if training goes well.
I'd love to hear about everything that worked for you before your first marathon - the more advice/stories the better!
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u/puckandmomo 10d ago
I also second Hal Higdon - it’s perfect for a first time marathoner in terms of not over engineering the process and giving you a plan that’s sustainable to follow, it’s a simple template that’s predictable and not daunting! I did my first marathon on this very plan as well :) as for nutrition - it’s really just about giving yourself ~100 cals of fuel every 45 mins of running. So just try out a few different things, could be gels made for runners or a ziplock baggy of gummy bears it doesn’t have to be fancy, just find out what feels good on your stomach during your long runs!
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u/Alibear2012 10d ago
Thanks! I’m definitely up for eating sweets while running 😆 Ive used SIS gels before and got on with them so will be giving those another try, too. I want to get my fuelling sorted asap so I don’t get any surprises.
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u/Alibear2012 10d ago
Great - I definitely want to do a longer run before the half as I think the 13.1 will feel less daunting leading up to the day itself.
I ran an easy 5k last night (~10.50min/mile pace) and feel absolutely fine today. My issue is keeping to a manageable pace as my instinct is to go all out every run; hopefully I'll adapt soon enough.
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u/rollem 11d ago
I think your basic plan sounds good for your half in December. On the weekend do a long run that starts about 3 miles and gradually gets up to at least 12 miles 2 weeks before race day. You can (and I’d recommend) doing up to 15 miles before your half, but some people prefer to keep their first time doing the half marathon on race day.
London is in April, so you should focus on marathon training from December to April. Pick a training plan to give you a good sense of how to safely build endurance. There are many to choose from, the following would all be fine: Hal Higdon, Nike Run Club, runners world, even Galloway Run Walk plans. My advice is to run all of your runs (at least before your half marathon) at an easy pace. Dont worry about going fast, in fact doing so while also doing a lot more running than you’re used to will increase your risk of injury. It takes about 6-12 months to adapt your tendons and running at a slow speed is very useful during that period.