No HS or college. Started running at age 24 because I weighed 205 on a 5'7" frame. What started out as a weight loss program turned into a sub 2:26 marathon 21 months later. Given my present dilapidated state(much of which was caused by doing too much too fast-tore myself up going for a sub 2:20), I find it hard to believe myself.
Glenn,
What/where do you coach?
(H.S., college, local club, online)
Glenn is out this week in vacation/work training. He is a great coach. I'm sure he'll get back to you next week.
SI wrote:
"No HS or college. Started running at age 24 because I weighed 205 on a 5'7" frame. What started out as a weight loss program turned into a sub 2:26 marathon 21 months later. Given my present dilapidated state(much of which was caused by doing too much too fast-tore myself up going for a sub 2:20), I find it hard to believe myself."
Wow SI, thats amazing. How old was you when you achieved the sub 2:26? Would you care to share anything about your training that got you to a sub 2:26?
One of the best posts thus far, this year! You guys are hitting this stuff on the head! Consistency takes some time as well as hitting the high mileage on a regular basis.
Nick
2:39Marathoner wrote:
SI wrote:
"No HS or college. Started running at age 24 because I weighed 205 on a 5'7" frame. What started out as a weight loss program turned into a sub 2:26 marathon 21 months later. Given my present dilapidated state(much of which was caused by doing too much too fast-tore myself up going for a sub 2:20), I find it hard to believe myself."
Wow SI, thats amazing. How old was you when you achieved the sub 2:26? Would you care to share anything about your training that got you to a sub 2:26?
Just turned 26. Just kept increasing the mileage. A 10km race about once a month. Got a coach for the last 6 months after going 73:49 in a half because I figured I couldn't get much faster without help. Guy told me I could do it. I ddn't believe it but I figured I had nothing to lose.
So how many of you guys that dipped under 2:30 did it without a coach?
This is a great post. I too have recently started at 27 and would like to hear more success stories.
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I started in my mid 20s as well. In five years, I've got my marathon down to 2:40. I have little to no natural talent which I have to make up for by putting in big miles. There is no magical formula, especially if you're a late starter. You're less likely(at least I am/was) to have that speed element that kind of comes more naturally in high school & college. But if you consistently put in miles, you will improve. You'll hit some plateaus and your times won't always go down; but strength will show itself eventually. For me, there's a bigger mental barrier sometimes in thinking in terms of sub 6 or sub 5:30 miles whereeas a guy who has run in hs or college has already been exposed to that kind of pace and knows it. Now he's just trying to find it again while I'm trying to convince myself I can run that fast at all.
I could be wrong, but I thought it was Joseph Chebet.
I'm an idiot, it was Lagat, sorry.
Didn't Geb start after high school? He now holds some of the fastest 10k's, 5k's and hell any distance, you name it, he has ran some crazy stuff for it. His best marathon is 2:06.
i seem to recall an article in sports illustrated in the late 70s/early 80s about an overweight doctor who started running to loose weight - got down to low 2:20s.
Late Starter,
You care to share your progression over the years along with your age and mileage you was putting in at the time?
Thanks for all the great info.
dan conway of superior, WI started running at 38 and ran 2:23 for the marathon at 44...He is now 66 (or 67) and recently ran 18:31 for 5k and 1:25 for the half...
2:23 at age 44. Wow...maybe there is still hope for me yet!
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I think it was Tergat who started after graduating from HS, at least according to Geb's biographer. I started running at 32 to shed a couple of pounds of desk jockey flab (I'd bulked up to 152, at 5'11") and ran a 2:33 at 35. I've always just run by myself, given time constraints/family commitments. I did 2:33 a couple of times, usually off of 60-70 mpw and fairly unimaginative training: intervals, tempos up to 40 minutes (run too fast, in retrospect) and a long run. Clearly, higher mileage and a proper training regimen would yield better results, as evidenced by the guy who ran 2:27 after getting a coach.