Running a spring Marathon (first time!)

cindi1

cindi1

Cathlete
I'm running my first marathon on May 1. Who else is running a spring marathon and what plan are you following? :)

Any tips for first time marathoners?
 
I"m running my first HALF marathon April 17th. :)

I"m using the Hal Higdon's intermediate training schedule.

I"m pretty excited!!!
 
Woot, good luck!

Best advice I can give you: start slowly. Start off more slowly than you think you need to--believe me, you'll be on adrenaline and you'll want to go faster, but you'll burn out very quickly. Always better to go faster in the end :).
 
A bunch of folks are running in the Flying Pig. You could try Emily-materialsgirl, Shelley-allwildgirl or Gayle(banslug) for training suggestions. I think they are all following the same plan. Good luck. I don't see me ever getting beyond a 5K.
 
Never say never! The future can be kind of weird like! ;) I thought I'd never even run and I'm running 3 miles now! I could go up to about five probably, but I just haven't done it yet. Still getting my running legs back from my hiatus since October. It got too dark and too cold for me, then I got my cold weather gear for Christmas! Now, I'm back out there full swing!

buffettgirl said:
I don't see me ever getting beyond a 5K.
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Cindi, I have just 3 little words for you, and they are my favorite....

KEEP ON TRUCKIN'!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:D GOOD LUCK!!!!!

I'm currently training for back-to-back half marathons on 04/25 and 05/02 and I'm using the SmartCoach feature from Runner's World website.
 
My tips for a first marathon:

1. Do not go out too fast, you will feel it at about 20 miles!!
2. Try and get in between 60-80 ounces of water for the 4 days before the marathon.
3. You might not sleep so well the night before (I never do!) so make sure you get in enough rest 2 days before the marathon.
4. Do not use any new sports drinks or gels, etc. other than what you trained with.
5. Do not eat anything different marathon day than what you have eaten before your long training runs.

My advice for a training plan would be any of the Runnersworld.com beginners training plans.

And...GOOD LUCK!!! Let us know how it goes!
 
cindi1 said:
Who else is running a spring marathon and what plan are you following? :)
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ME ME ME!!! :D I'm running the Flying Pig in Cincinnati on May 2. It will be my 2nd full marathon (but may as well be my first since it's been over 3 years since the last one I ran). I have a running coach, and he tells me what to do - so that's the training plan I follow. :p But I know lots of people who have had success using the Hal Higdon training plans, and the Runner's World SmartCoach plans as well.

Which one are you doing? I have a bunch of friends running the Illinois Marathon on May 1, so when you said yours was May 1, I was wondering if maybe you lived in my neck of the woods. :)

As for advice... Carole's (Mckmain) advice is spot on. Don't go out too fast. When you start out, you should feel like you're running too slow. That's right where you want to be. You will be able to pick up the pace after the halfway point if you conserve your energy early on. Also, don't waste energy weaving around people at the beginning - you can add a lot of extra distance to your race by doing this. But most importantly, HAVE FUN! I like to say "The marathon isn't a race, it's an experience", because it really is! There will be so many people cheering for you, and lots of entertainment along the course (at least for most larger marathons this is the case) - so don't forget to get caught up in the spirit and enjoy yourself. :D
 
Thanks for all the tips. I've run two half marathons but this of course is a huge jump.

Yes, Emily - I'm running the Illinois Marathon. :) Last year I ran the half marathon and had a great time. It was their first year and I thought it was really well run. This year the speaker at the pasta dinner is the first woman to run Boston so I'm excited about that too!

I am using a plan from a running coach I found through a podcast. It's 4 runs a week with lots of variety (hills, intervals). Lots of fun.

May 1 will be my two year anniversary for beginning running consistently so I'm thrilled that it will be my marathon day too.

Thanks again everyone!
 
How exciting! I've heard such wonderful things about the Illinois Marathon. I would run it, but as a Purdue grad, I am physically unable to set foot on the U of I football field. :p
 
Uh oh - you are one of THOSE! ;) You could just imagine you are scoring against the Illini. I went to graduate school there (was actually born in Urbana and have family in the area) but I have no real attachment to the sports teams.

My main criteria for choosing this marathon was that the course was flat and I didn't want to train in the summer, so the timing was right. :)

Last year I did the Soldier Field 10 miler - that's a fun one - if you are a Bears fan.
 
You got some great advice already so I'm just gonna tell you to enjoy it! What a great sense of accomplishment you'll feel when you cross the finish line. :) Enjoy!

Kathy
(who is training for several long distance races this year after a couple of months off...a marathon, 50k, and 24 hour race in May, June, July for now)
 
Good advice about race day itself, but the real work is getting to the starting line well prepared. My advice there is to be a SLAVE to your long run schedule. Don't skip a week and then think you can make it up along the way. At least don't make a habit with that approach. Also practice what you'll be drinking and "eating" (gels, shot blox, sport beans, etc) during your long runs to find out what works for you. Does Gatorade chew up your gut? Do you hate the feel of gels at mile 20? That kind of thing - the only way to discover what works best for you (or discover what rips your stomach to shreds - something you DON'T want to learn on race day!) is to try it in training.

Good luck and have fun!!!!!! Crossing that marathon finish line is a great feeling. :)
 
cindi1 said:
Uh oh - you are one of THOSE! ;) You could just imagine you are scoring against the Illini. I went to graduate school there (was actually born in Urbana and have family in the area) but I have no real attachment to the sports teams.

My main criteria for choosing this marathon was that the course was flat and I didn't want to train in the summer, so the timing was right. :)

Last year I did the Soldier Field 10 miler - that's a fun one - if you are a Bears fan.
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Yes, I'm one of "those" pesky boilermakers. ;)

A flat marathon is a good first marathon - you won't regret it. I'm going hilly for my 2nd marathon. I must be crazy! But I'll do Chicago in the fall, which is flat, so it's all good. :)

And I just signed up for the Soldier Field 10 Miler - very excited about that! :D
 
Thanks again for all the tips and encouragement everyone. Five stars for you all! :)

Kathy - your plans are impressive! And your stats for races completed. WOW!
 
In addition to all the great advice above, I might just add: iron on your name (whatever you want to crowd to yell) on the front of your shirt. I wasn't going to do it and then decided at the last minute to make do by taping my name on my shirt. By mile 5, all my letters had fallen off (doh!). It might seem cheesy, but the crowd support makes SUCH a difference. I'll admit, I was a bit jealous of the folks who were getting personal shout-outs.
 
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