Marathon running?

soniacan · November 26, 2006

Hi everyone!

I was thinking about my goals for next year as I was going thru the Y-Me website. (looking for job openings)

Anyway I noticed they have a team Pink Streak for the chicago Marathon next October.

I wonder if giving myself 10 months to lose LOTS more weight and start training and learning to run if this is something i could realistically do.

I figure i will start with a few 5 and 10ks and see where that takes me...

hmmm... we'll see we'll see....

Jachut · November 26, 2006

Do you mean run part of the marathon - ie. each team member runs a leg of part of the distance? If so, that's a fabulous goal, very doable and so satisfying, you'll be hooked.

Starting with shorter races is the way to go, its very motivating to have a race to train for.

If you're talking running a whole 42km marathon, then I'd have to say I guess its possible, but extremely unlikely in 10 short months. There's a book doing the rounds called The Non Runner's Guide to Running a Marathon or some such and it advocated preparing for a marathon in 6 months, and its quite rightly received a caning by those in the know on Cool Running. They say at least 12 months for your first half marathon and 3 years of training to do your first marathon.

I've been really cautious because I just so didnt want to injure myself and have to stop running, so I've built up very very slowly, but its basically taken me 9 months to go from being able to run a really slow 3km to 10km - 2 miles to 6 miles give or take - and I'm finding now, its really easy to just keep adding the distance now that I have the base fitness. That base fitness consists a LOT of leg strenght, its one thing to build up your cardiovascular system to the point where you could run a marathon, that you can do quickly, but the skeletal and muscular strength to cope with it comes a lot more slowly, even if youve been walking long distance.

Running is such a wonderful sport, I could go on all day about it. I really love it and the achievement you get from conquering the distances is unlike anything else. All it takes is to go out there day after day and just be consistent at it. To be part of a team in a marathon will be an awesome experience - I started with smaller fun runs and they were great, but to run in the Melbourne Marathon - I did the Marafun 7.5km event - where the streets were all cordoned off and you had people clapping and cheering and we were running down some of Melbourne's grandest Boulevardes, it was simply amazing, I crossed the finish line with more than a few tears.

Good luck with it!