I started a running streak with the goal to run a marathon, and was curious how many fanatics had done 1 or are interested in doing 1.
Any Marathoners
- Thread starter cardsNclones
- Start date
I signed up for the Twin Cities Marathon in October. It will be my first. I've already started training, i'm pretty nervous. I've run several halves with very little success (feel horrible at the end) so its a pretty big stretch for me
I used to run them yearly. I never really enjoyed it so I bought a bike. The only time I run now is with my dog when he is being a pain in the butt.
Twin Cities was my first marathon last year and it was awesome! A really pretty course and not too difficult.
I'm running Green Bay in May and hoping to get into Chicago in the fall.
I am not much of a runner but had a goal to run 1 in my life time. I ran the Chicago marathon about 6 years ago. I followed a training plan online. Started with 1 mile and followed the training and completed the marathon. It was very hard but glad I did it and unbelievable sense of accomplishment when you are done.
I've heard the Twin Citites Marathon is a good. I'm hoping to get into Chicago with Des Moines being my back up plan.
I also just ran the TC Marathon this past October. Beautiful coarse and awesome atmosphere. Fans cheering you on everywhere you go. I hadn't ever been a runner and started training last April. Did a half in June and then pushed decently hard until October, I am only 19 and I figured I might as well do one young. TC is a great course, but damn those last 6 miles are hard! Regardless finishing a marathon is a life long achievement and a personal goal/battle and finishing it feels pretty damn amazing.
I've ran many marathons and dabbled in triathlons for a bit. They are definitely a sense of accomplishment. I even stretched and did an ultra marathon just to say that I've done it. To be fair I've been a distance runner since a sophomore in HS and I ran at Simpson in the 5K and 10K.
I have run two half marathons and I'm running the Drake relays half this year too. I would love to be able to do a full marathon but the training takes so dang long. As of right now I don't have that much time to commit to running but hopefully someday I will.
I did Grandma's Marathon in Duluth many years ago. Here are my observations.
#1 At the time I was 6'1 220 so I wasn't going to set any speed records. Finished around 4 hours.
#2 To prepare I followed the Hal Higdon plan. I would do my long runs on the weekends and never did over 16 miles. To fight boredom during the long runs I would have my wife drive me to a destination the amount of miles I wanted to run and just drop me off so I could run home.
#3 I had ran a ton of 1/2 marathons, 10k's, 5ks, etc. and my pacing was always spot on. For some reason I got all stocked during the marathon and ran my first 5 miles about a minute per mile faster. After 5 miles I adjusted accordingly. At about the 14th mile mark I would walk through the water station every mile. By about mile 22 I did a lot of run, get cramps, walk, run, get cramps, walk, etc.
#4 I'm happy I can say that I did it but I would never do one again. With half marathons you really don't have to train real hard. When training for a full marathon it takes all your time and energy. The training is a lot harder than the marathon itself. I was so burnt out after the marathon that I didn't run again for 6 months. I gained about 20 lbs because I was still eating like when I was training for a marathon. If I weighed 150lbs I think my opinion of marathons may be different but running 26.2 miles while weighing 220lbs puts a lot of stress on the body.
#5 It helps a ton to have a buddy that is also running one and has similar pace. I had a buddy as well as joined a few running groups. Just make sure you pick the right running groups, I once tried to run with the Capital Striders and it wasn't pretty.
#1 At the time I was 6'1 220 so I wasn't going to set any speed records. Finished around 4 hours.
#2 To prepare I followed the Hal Higdon plan. I would do my long runs on the weekends and never did over 16 miles. To fight boredom during the long runs I would have my wife drive me to a destination the amount of miles I wanted to run and just drop me off so I could run home.
#3 I had ran a ton of 1/2 marathons, 10k's, 5ks, etc. and my pacing was always spot on. For some reason I got all stocked during the marathon and ran my first 5 miles about a minute per mile faster. After 5 miles I adjusted accordingly. At about the 14th mile mark I would walk through the water station every mile. By about mile 22 I did a lot of run, get cramps, walk, run, get cramps, walk, etc.
#4 I'm happy I can say that I did it but I would never do one again. With half marathons you really don't have to train real hard. When training for a full marathon it takes all your time and energy. The training is a lot harder than the marathon itself. I was so burnt out after the marathon that I didn't run again for 6 months. I gained about 20 lbs because I was still eating like when I was training for a marathon. If I weighed 150lbs I think my opinion of marathons may be different but running 26.2 miles while weighing 220lbs puts a lot of stress on the body.
#5 It helps a ton to have a buddy that is also running one and has similar pace. I had a buddy as well as joined a few running groups. Just make sure you pick the right running groups, I once tried to run with the Capital Striders and it wasn't pretty.
I've done the Chicago Marathon. If you're serious about doing it, kiss your social life away because you'll be running all the time for about 3 months. It's worth it though - great feeling when you're done.
Question for some of you runners...
I am by far nothing even remotely close to a runner. I have way to high of an arch and my feet are in rough shape from climbing cell towers for so long. Over the past 3-4 months I've developed extremely painful plantar fasciitis. It gets so bad that I have trouble walking by the time I get home at night its so painful. It feels like my calves are going to explode and any amount of pressure on my feet whatsoever very painful.
I've tried Orthotics for my shoes and about 2 months ago I made an appointment at Iowa Ortho in Ankeny. The doctor took xrays and like everyone else said my arch is one of the highest he's ever seen. He recommended or orthotics and I told him I've had them before and they didn't help. He gave me cortisone shots in each heel and sent me on my way. They seemed to helped a little bit but not much at all. After the 90 days or so they feel worse than they did when he gave me my last shots.
I bought a foot massaging machine and started sleeping with special socks that keep my foot straight and pulled back to help as well. So far I've had no luck.....
Any advice from you marathon guys on what you suggest helps the most?
I am by far nothing even remotely close to a runner. I have way to high of an arch and my feet are in rough shape from climbing cell towers for so long. Over the past 3-4 months I've developed extremely painful plantar fasciitis. It gets so bad that I have trouble walking by the time I get home at night its so painful. It feels like my calves are going to explode and any amount of pressure on my feet whatsoever very painful.
I've tried Orthotics for my shoes and about 2 months ago I made an appointment at Iowa Ortho in Ankeny. The doctor took xrays and like everyone else said my arch is one of the highest he's ever seen. He recommended or orthotics and I told him I've had them before and they didn't help. He gave me cortisone shots in each heel and sent me on my way. They seemed to helped a little bit but not much at all. After the 90 days or so they feel worse than they did when he gave me my last shots.
I bought a foot massaging machine and started sleeping with special socks that keep my foot straight and pulled back to help as well. So far I've had no luck.....
Any advice from you marathon guys on what you suggest helps the most?
Dang dmclone, we could be clones. I ran Grandma in 2003. I was 6'3" 275. I followed Hal's plan as well. Never liked to run before, during, and especially after. But I like to challenge myself. I thought I'd get a 4:20 time, but the last 6 destroyed me and did a 5:07. So bummed, but like others was so proud of my accomplishment. I use that as a reference point for so many things now. "You've ran 26.2 miles, you can do..." I lost 25 pounds after the marathon, only 8 during my 6 months of training, but I think it was because I lost all the great muscle tone since I stopped running immediately after. Some told me that I just didn't eat enough calories to lose weight during training. My body was starving because of the crazy amount of calories I was burning daily. For the next three or four years I had chronic back pain and still have knee crackling. Obviously my frame isn't meant for long distance running.
Cpech56, I feel for you, I suffer with bone spurs on the fascia and achilles side of both heels and I've done the same therapy as you with about the same effect. When I was training for the marathon was the only time the pain had gone away for a long period. I think because my tendons got very tone and loose. I'll be going under the knife someday when I can't handle it any longer. Obviously my condition is different from yours, I'm just empathetic to your pain.
I'm so glad I did this, and would even consider doing another if my son ever wanted to, but I'm pretty sure that I shouldn't. :wink:
Cpech56, I feel for you, I suffer with bone spurs on the fascia and achilles side of both heels and I've done the same therapy as you with about the same effect. When I was training for the marathon was the only time the pain had gone away for a long period. I think because my tendons got very tone and loose. I'll be going under the knife someday when I can't handle it any longer. Obviously my condition is different from yours, I'm just empathetic to your pain.
I'm so glad I did this, and would even consider doing another if my son ever wanted to, but I'm pretty sure that I shouldn't. :wink:
I did Oklahoma City a few years back. The weather was terrible - a front moved through overnight, the start got delayed by lightning, and it rained the entire time. Shoes soaked through by the end of Mile 1. Plus, I had trained to run a BQ time and didn't adjust my pace to accommodate the weather. Big mistake. Needless to say, I didn't qualify.
I'll echo what others have said about kissing your life goodbye - you need to put in a LOT of miles. I have a friend who ran in the Olympic trials - he puts in 100-120 miles per week when training for marathons. Obviously, you don't need to put in that many miles. I think I was between 40 and 50 during my peak mileage weeks.
Don't cheat on your long runs!
I'll echo what others have said about kissing your life goodbye - you need to put in a LOT of miles. I have a friend who ran in the Olympic trials - he puts in 100-120 miles per week when training for marathons. Obviously, you don't need to put in that many miles. I think I was between 40 and 50 during my peak mileage weeks.
Don't cheat on your long runs!
