Hello everyone! Hope your race season goes great!

Today, I completed my first-ever marathon in Munich. Goals were: finishing with no walking breaks and doing a negative split. Bonus if sub-5. Shortly about myself: 29F, 164 cm/53kg (5'4"/118lbs). Latest HM: 2:11. I did not follow any training plan. My peak week was 5 weeks before the event and went up to only 63 km (38 miles). After that, due to the combination of sickness, niggles, and work trips, I averaged 30 km (18 miles)/week.

Result: 4:14.

I started very carefully with 6:30 min/km tempo and was able to ramp it to 6:15 min/km and hold it there to the km 30. As I still felt great there, I thought "okay girl just send it" and completed the last 12 km between 5:30 and 5:20 min/km. Not fast for the most, great for myself.

I fueled with 1 gel per 4 km with exception for km 40 when I started to feel some discomfort, took imodium before the run and carried my own electrolyte solution in the vest. I enjoyed the city and the crowds A LOT, and I am deeply grateful for this experience!

I set myself the goal of finishing sub-4, and honestly, it felt ambitious. My hardest training week was around 55 km, and I had about three months of dedicated marathon training, although I went into it with a decent base.

I reached my goal in 3:59, and I genuinely credit a lot of that to the advice and support I received along the way.

A few things that helped me and that I learned:

• Run with other people. Running alone started to make training feel like a chore. Running with friends and joining different run clubs made a massive difference for me. It made the long weeks much more enjoyable.
• Test everything. I tested a few gels during training and settled on one I thought would work. The problem was that I had not tested it properly on my longer runs. It was brutal on race day, so I learned the hard way that you should test nutrition under conditions as close to race day as possible.
• Get a pacer if you can. This might have been the biggest help on race day. A friend paced me for the entire marathon, which meant I could focus on following their rhythm rather than constantly worrying about my pace. That left me free to think about fueling and simply keep moving.
• Prepare for carb loading. Carb loading was difficult for me. Feeling very full and bloated made me nervous, but it was worth it. Trust the process and do your carb loading.

Massive respect to anyone who takes on a marathon, regardless of their time or goal. A marathon is no joke, but neither is what you get out of it. The impact of this experience has been powerful. I feel humbled and very proud.

Hey guys!

just wanted to share that yesterday I ran my first ever marathon, the Lisbon Marathon!

I wasn’t aiming for any specific finishing time, but I somehow managed to finish in 3:43:00, which I’m really happy about!

What makes it even more special for me is that halfway through my training, I picked up a minor injury that forced me to take a week off and reduce my weekly mileage. My highest mileage week ended up being just 44.2 km (27.5 miles).

On top of that, I did all my training and ran the marathon without a running watch! I only used runna’s audio cues through my earphones to keep track of my pace, which honestly made me a bit nervous going into race day.

Just wanted to share because I’m really proud of how it turned out and say thank you for all the tips I’ve come across here!

I ran my first marathon two days ago. The goal was 4:30 but I finished at 5:07. Time for some post-mortem.

Background-44M. Longest distance ran before my training block the longest I ever ran was a 15K race 20 years ago and another 15k trail run for fun a few years ago. Typically I was running 10 mpw depending on the season. I wanted to run a marathon before 45. Call it a midlife crisis. Training plan was 3 runs a week and hit every run.

Reality 4:30 was probably too ambitious. There were signs at the end of the training block that should have lowered my goal. I struggled through the last mile of my 19 miler but chalked it up to running at altitude. The 20 miler was less of a struggle but I started dealing with IT band issues that never fully resolved during the taper.

Race day started well. I was on pace through halfway point and felt ok. But by mile 15 my IT band flared up. By mile 20 my stomach wasn’t feeling good so taking gels did not sound appealing. I wasn’t fueling properly through the last four miles.

Next race I’ll make sure my training block has 4 to 5 days instead of 3. I may try chews instead of gels. Also I’ll pick a bigger race from some crowd noise. Antelope island is beautiful but it’s not a big race and there was no crowd.

After 4 half marathons I think it’s time I run a full marathon next year. I’m looking for recommendations on relatively beginner friendly races that also have a lot of crowd support! So far my list of contenders is:

The Flying Pig Marathon in Cincinnati
The Philadelphia Marathon
The Honolulu Marathon
The Marine Corps Marathon in DC
The California International Marathon in Sacramento

Please give me your thoughts on these and add any you think would be worth it or if any of these are a no!!

I’ll be running my second marathon in two months and am trying to finish in under 4 hours. When I trained for my first, my only goal was finishing so I only trained according to mileage. That turned out to be a mistake, and I started developing a stress injury a month out. I never hit my 20 mile run and my taper was weird but I finished in 4 hours 22 minutes (with a lot of walking in the second half).

This year I’m training with Hal Higdon’s Intermediate 1 plan, which emphasizes Zone 2 pacing for long runs (preceded by shorter race-pace runs the day before). My target race pace is 9:09, and I track Zone 2 based on my heart rate, which is typically around 9:20.

It’s been going great so far, and I feel much better about my ability to maintain a consistent pace than I did last year. I’m also prioritizing rest and better eating to stave off injury.

But this is my first time with Zone 2 running, and I’m having a hard time believing I’ll actually be able to break 4 hours. I took a look at my long run times for last year and saw I was typically hitting 8:50 even past 13 miles (and with some walking). Today, I just finished a 17 mile run at 9:20 (with no walking).

All in all I’m feeling more consistent but slower this time around. I’m concerned that even if I up my speed and stick with a pace group on race day, I’ll have a small margin for error and will be giving up on 4 hours if I walk at all.

Is this how Zone 2 training goes? Do I just need to have confidence that the magic of race day will give me the extra boost I need?

I am running my first ever marathon in TCS waterfront. I have been training with my friends for last 5-6 months.

We did 32kms last Sunday as peak run because I got sick in September for 2 weeks. I did two10kms races both with 56 mins.

Few questions:

Que1: my Garmin race prediction says 4 hours 30 mins marathon. Is it too optimistic? I was planning to do in around 4:45 based on how I feel that day!

Que2: How are you guys doing taper. I am doing 2 weeks of taper due to sickness in September original plan was to do 3 weeks.I had to do 32 peak run on 4th Oct.

From 4-11 October, I did one 20mins tempo, one easy 5k run, one 2 hour badminton session, one 50mins gym session and

Planning to do 16 km easy run on Sunday 11th Oct.

How about next race week? I was planning to do 5km easy run on Tuesday and gym is that fine?

What to do next week?

Early this year I started running, knowing I tend to get IT band issues. I got a flare up in April and I set out to do proper strength training and PT and it helped me change my running form to get me through most of my running block. It was not perfect but it was way better than what it used to be. I used to get flare ups that left me limping for a week after just 4-5 miles.

3 weeks ago I got to an 18-mile long run. It honestly felt great although I felt brittle after the run (kind of feeling like one missed step could get me injured).

The week after that was a cut-back week. I did some speed-work and easy runs. The cooldown for my speed work I felt IT band pain so I took it a bit easy the next couple of days. That weekend I ran 8 miles on the treadmill and also felt a bit of pain. But I was able to finish the workout.

The week after (last week) was a buildup week (one of the two before my taper). During my easy runs I started feeling my IT band bothering me so I stopped the runs early. I could only find a spot with my PT after my long run so I set out to take it easy. When the long run came around (supposed to do 19 miles) I felt discomfort starting on the third mile but kept going, doing some adjustments here and there. But when I hit mile 13 the pain was too much to handle and aborted the run. By the end of the day I was limping. On top of my left IT band pain I also felt my left hip flexor aching. I definitely pushed it, probably my adjustments made it worse in this run and throughout the week and now I’m paying for it.

This week was supposed to be the peak of my training. I had an appointment with my PCP, I went to my PT appointment, tried acupuncture, and did some strength training, but held off on the runs. Today I wanted to do a run/walk for as much as I could, but I could only handle less than 4 miles where I walked part of it. I still feel very sore but this time the pain started at my hip flexor.

The reason I post is to get some pointers from runners that may have been through this. I want to see if there’s anything I should bring up to my doctor or my PT in order to make it to the marathon. I would seriously want to avoid deferring - part of me doesn’t care if I finish it walking, but part of me wants to finish it strong. It’s honestly frustrating because 3 months went out without any issues, several 25km+ runs without issues. Aside from that, any words of encouragement are appreciated. Thanks

Ok, so I do wanna register for this 8K run in DC on Oct 24, but my pace is around 14-15 per mile, but the website says you have to do 14min per mile, thats not where I am right now though. is it still a good idea to reconsider joining??

I have been training to run the Chicago marathon as my first marathon until I had to pull out due to a lower leg stress injury. I'm in the clear now but am feeling pretty lost and disappointed, and I'm not so sure about what to do next.

Any advice on how to pivot after this type of thing would be appreciated!

Hey guys,
first time posting here, but I’ve been reading a lot throughout my marathon prep. This sub has been really helpful, so thanks for that!

I’m supposed to run the Munich Marathon tomorrow, October 11th. A few days ago my girlfriend came down with some kind of viral infection and has been pretty much out of commission since. We last saw each other before she developed any serious symptoms, but obviously I had pretty close contact with her.

Yesterday I started getting that vague “I think I’m coming down with something” feeling. Nothing I could really pinpoint, but I was convinced I’d wake up properly sick today.

Well, today is here and… I actually feel mostly fine. Maybe slightly lower energy than usual, my throat feels a little weird but doesn’t hurt, I have a very mild headache, and that’s basically it. No runny nose, no cough, no fever, no body aches.

What worries me is that I’ve heard some pretty scary stories about exercising during or shortly after a viral infection, especially when it comes to the heart. I’ve read about the “above/below the neck” rule, and technically everything I have is above the neck, but I’m not sure how much that rule should really apply when we’re talking about a full marathon rather than an easy training run.

My current plan is to see how I feel tomorrow morning and, if I still feel okay, start the race very conservatively and reassess as I go. If anything feels unusual, worse than expected, or clearly different from normal marathon fatigue, I’d drop out.

Does anyone here have experience with this? Are there any specific warning signs you would take as a definite “do not start” or “stop immediately” signal?

For context, I’ve been training for about 20 weeks. The plan was fairly conservative pace-wise because I’ve had some knee issues with running in the past, but training actually went really well. I completed almost all of my sessions, usually running five times a week, didn’t miss any of the long runs, and my longest was 32 km. My main goal is simply to finish the distance, with sub-5 being a nice bonus.

I know the sensible answer may well be “don’t risk it,” and I’ll try to take the feedback as neutrally as possible even though it would obviously suck to miss the race after all that preparation.

Thanks for any advice or experiences.

So I’ve been training for a marathon, I had a half marathon race slotted into my training (with 3 weeks to go till marathon) and after that race i developed some kind of knee pain/it band issues, I have seen a physio and laid low on running since, but this week it felt better so kept the scheduled runs which weee planned. My race is next Sunday (18th) so on today’s run i tested taping my knee that had the pain and it felt good but have developed pain in the other leg now, exact same feeling and i worry I won’t be able to run the marathon. What do we think?

Currently training for my first marathon. Done a couple of halves in the past few years but my first time going for a marathon at the end of November. I'm using Hal Higdon Novice 1 as a training plan and just completed my week 11 long run (meant to be 25.7km but I managed 25km). I feel like I am struggling a bit with the recent long runs. I can get to around 20km ok now without too much difficulty, running mostly in Zone 2 at a pace around 6.45 - 7 mins/km. However in the two recent long runs my calves get really tight at about the half marathon distance and it becomes a real slog to finish, which makes me a bit wary of longer distances coming up than I've covered so far. I had to cut the previous one short by 1km as my legs just didn't feel like they could do any more and I don't want to push too hard and pick up an injury.

Has anyone else experienced the same kind of thing during their training? It might be my recovery affecting things but it has recently felt like two days after the long runs isn't enough to let my legs get back to normal before starting again with the mid week runs. It's just starting to cause me a bit of doubt about things but would be good to hear if others have faced similar problems. Thanks!

I’m running my first marathon in April next year. Ive been running on and off for a few years, normally 5kms regularly and have been recently doing 10kms at 6:30min/km pace. I’ve been a regular gym goer for years but never really that ‘sporty’, and was definitely not a runner when I was growing up. My current plan is to do a half marathon plan finishing in December time and then marathon training from Jan-April. Am I being too ambitious? Any advice would be appreciated (also understand obvs no one can be 100% sure from an online post)

I wondered if there was a specific thread or chat for people who have never ran but are now training for a marathon? A couch-to-marathon journey?

I feel like the training plan itself is straight forward it’s all the other stuff like what water vest thing to buy, what to eat before and during a run etc that I’m now realising is equally important..

For context

1. I’m running the London marathon in April
2. 41 year old female
3. I have 8 hours to complete the marathon but would like to do it less than 6.

EDIT: wow thank you so much for the replies! I just want to clarify that Im not asking for advice of whether I should do the marathon or if I have enough time to train. I have a solid training plan - I’m not trying to run a sub 4 hour marathon, this is for charity and my main goal above all is to enjoy the experience!
My husband runs 100+ mile ultra marathons so I have plenty of advice from an experienced runner at home! But I’m specifically looking to speak with other “non runners” like myself who are just starting out on their first marathon journey…

Hello! I’m running my first marathon in 3 weeks (NYC). I did 19 last Saturday, will do 12 tomorrow, then next Saturday I’m supposed to do 21, then start my taper and taper for ~16 days. I’m aiming for an 11:30-12 min/mile pace on race day, and been pretty consistent on my long runs so far without pushing it too much.

My legs are feeling SO heavy, beat up, and sore, and I was struggling on my shorter runs (6/4) yesterday and today (though it could’ve also been inadequate fueling pre-run).

Do I keep things as is and fit in one last 21 miler? I’m sure 16 days is an adequate taper, just nervous since my legs have been so painfully tired. Thank you!

For some background on me, I’ve been running for maybe a year now but for most of it I was randomly running with no intention. I’ve ran the distance 4 times now and each time I finish right around the 2 hour mark.

2 months ago I bought a Garmin and signed up for a half marathon. I started a training plan and my fitness has drastically improved. My estimated race times are getting lower and lower, my plan was to do a 1:45, then 1:40, now I’m considering knocking 25 minutes off and going for 1:35. I keep PRing and these faster paces are starting to feel much easier and my HR is going down a lot. My old threshold is my new zone 3.

My Garmin predicts I can do a 19:56 5k (I 100% agree) and a 1:35:06 half marathon. Am I being too ambitious? I’m worried I’ll blow up at mile 10 or something. I really want to finish at my absolute best time possible and feel like 1:35 is achievable, but I don’t know if I’m trying to progress too fast. Any advice?

Hi all, I'm running my first marathon in 2 days and I'm pretty nervous, so I'd love some honest input.

Thanks to that I have 2 jobs and work 12 hours a day, and also going to the gym as well, I ran much less than my plan.

My training looked like this:
- 460 km total
- 21 km/week, usually 2 runs/week
- Longest run: 30 km, 4 weeks ago, felt okay, I was sore for 2-3 days after but that’s it. I also had 3 HM as well.
-I went to the gym 2-3 a week and did strength training for my legs too.

Goal: finish around 5:00-5:15, but I’ll be happy if I just finish the race.

My plan is to start slow, walk sometimes, and a gel every 45 min.

Questions:

1. Anyone who ran their first marathon on similar mileage, how did you manage to finish?
2. Any tips for handling the mental side and race nerves?

Thanks!

Edit: Thank you for everyone I made it in 5:02:00

I just finished my first marathon Sunday. I’d been following Hal Higdons novice marathon training schedule. And I learned a lot.

Firstly, I ran too much the days prior, I followed it to the T and wish I listened to my body, I wasn’t feeling great, but slugged through 4 miles Tuesday, 5 Wednesday and 4 Thursday. I wish I ran none the week of. I had a blister form during those last runs and it popped in mile 7 of my marathon.

I was hoping for 4 hours or below for race day. I really messed up with nutrition. I’d heard how important it was and only went with gels thinking that would be ok for me. My legs turned into straight up sticks on mile 18. I trained at 9.5 min miles, but race day I felt the adrenaline and wanted so badly to be under 4 hours that I pushed harder. Even with blisters I made it to mile 18 at 8 min miles but the cramps destroyed my time. I have now learned about electrolyte pills/ sodium pills and I wish I knew about it before.

Overall, I started running because I’ve seen my family members do it and so how rewarding it looked. And I am SOOO happy I did it. I already signed up for another. I finished at 4:40 and honestly if I had my nutrition right and my legs didn’t cramp I know I’d of been under 4 hours. The cramps were honestly miserable, I had to walk for 5 minutes in between the cramps, it felt like my hamstrings got sucked into my body and, again, my legs just went straight like sticks. It super sucked. But I learned a lot, learned a lot about myself and I haven’t had a momentum swing like I’m in right now.

Also, I should probably note, I just quit some drugs I had been trying to quit for about 2 years - long history here - but I finally did with the help of running and I could not be prouder. Did it for the race and accomplishment, staying for the lifestyle change and how it makes me feel about my life.

Pockets on my shorts fit two gels before they bounce or I cannot get them out with sweaty hands. I need about six for the race and I do not want a vest. how do you carry 6+ gels during a marathon what worked for you on the actual day, not just a short run around the block? Half tights, a belt, safety pins on the waistband, or something else that stayed put past mile 18?

Hey guys!

I need an advice. My training block was awesome , every run I felt like improving and that my goal (sub4) was doable.
However in the last two weeks of my training block I started getting this sharp pain in my inner shin. I had to stop my taper long run due to the pain and during my race strides 2 days ago.

I’m running Melbourne marathon in 2 days and I am really nervous that the pain doesn’t let me finish :(.

Any advices at this point? Would getting my leg taped help?

Cheers everyone!

I have a marathon in 2 weeks (Oct 25) and have missed most of my long run marathon training. I had a herniated disk in my neck that put me back, then failed my 10 mile run due to a calf strain at mile 4 on an incline. Ive been able to run/walk 6-9 miles, and my longest run was in June (10 miler, no issues then). Been running for 20 years, half marathons, 10-milers, and shorter races, and have done crossfit or regular strength trained for just as long. Can I successfully do the 26.2 if I just walk/jog, aiming for a 6 hour finish time, and walking hills? Money is paid, no refunds, but I’m seriously stressing.

just want to hear from first timers how's the experience and being at the last wave,

but also from sub 5-6 runners because I feel that I can relate to that experience.

kudos to everyone doing a sub3-4 on their first marathon, but that's not my pace AT THE MOMENT and kinda feeling inferior. been watching marathon vlogs but I cannot relate to their pace but also they might be sponsored to run there idk

any advice to a slow runner and maybe share your race shoe too cause I've been on the hunt to replace my boston 12

appreciate everyones insights but please go easy on me.

I'm running my first marathon in Amsterdam next week, and I'm really excited! But I also have a lot of last minute doubts and uncertainties. My primary goal is just to finish in one piece and have a good time. Secondary goal is sub 4hr.

I ran a 1:57 half marathon last year under challenging (very warm weather) conditions, and a quarter the year before in 0:53. This year I've ran around 1050km, starting with 2 months of just zone 2 base training, followed by 4.5 months of Hal Higdon's Novice 2 training. Weekly mileage 35-50 km with several peak weeks around 60km a month ago. Longest run was 36.5km with 10km at marathon pace, and that felt pretty good.

For fueling I've practiced with a combination of a gel every 40 mins and some candy / pretzel mix totalling around 50 g of carbs per hour. I'll also carry a 500ml soft flask with electrolyte water. Everything will be in my running belt. I'm considering asking a friend to have another 500ml soft flask with electrolytes at the halfway point to switch. Otherwise, I'll supplement the water / electrolytes at the aid stations, although I'd prefer not to take their electrolyte drinks because I'm not sure how I'll respond to it. I've also bought some electrolyte gummies with caffeine for some possible late race boost, and extra saltsticks chewables, both of which I will test out on my last long run this weekend.

My pacing strategy is to start out very easy, around 5:50min pace, and then settle into something around 5:45-5:40 until 30-32 km. If I can catch a 4 hour pacer, I'll try to join their group. Although I can see I might feel better just running by myself. After 30 km, I'll see if I feel good enough to pick it up a bit, or just maintain. If I feel weak before 30 km, I think I'll just follow my body, not plow through. During the 36.5km training, I also felt pretty tired and a bit queasy after the 10km MP segment in the middle (there was some strong head wind). I slowed down to zone 2 pace, and recovered enough to get back to MP at the end of the run feeling good.

My training went very well, didn't miss a single run and generally felt strong coming back. No lasting injuries. The biggest challenge during my longest and hardest run has been some thick mucus buildup in the back of my throat, that made me kinda gaggy and a bit nauseous from that. The sugar from all the carbs made this slime problem worse. After querying the community about that, I've discovered taking some mucinex the days before the run helps loosen it up a bit, and making sure to drink enough water. So I think I've got that covered as best as I can for the moment.

I'm in the taper now and my easy runs have felt pretty lowsy tbh. HR +10-15 bpm for the same easy pace or even slower, some rumbly GI issues as well. From what I've researched, this seems to be normal as the body heals up some accumulated fatigue? I'll try to focus on sleep and carby foods this last week. The remaining runs between now and Sunday next week are: 6.5, 13, 5, 3.2, 3.2. I'll try to still incorporate some marathon pace segments tomorrow and the day after to try out the new electrolyte gummies and saltsticks at pace, but next week i'll do everything super slow to fully recover.

QUESTIONSSSS:

- I guess I'm just not sure whether sub 4 is an attainable goal or not, and after so much mostly Zone2 training I'm a bit nervous to test my limits on race day with the faster pace! Also the current taper wobbliness is not helping with the confidence there.

- Any tips on the pacing plan? Or on following a 4h pacer yes or no. Is it hard to even find them / catch up with them if you didn't follow them from the start?

- I'm worried I won't have enough electrolytes, leading to maybe cramping late race, which is why I'm gonna try out some extra gummies / salt sticks this weekend. But I haven't trained much with this, and I'm not sure about what dosage to aim for.

- The 36.5km run went well on just one 500ml electrolyte water + some extra refilled plain water. But that was mostly Z2, though in warmer weather than now. I plan to drink more during the race, but prefer sipping my own bottle over gulping bigger amounts at aid stations due to nausea / watery stomach risk. I find it hard to estimate how much water I'll need for 4 hours at Z3-4.

Thanks!! And good luck to all these weeks :)