Marathon on NO training; Should I run it this weekend?

Go out slow

drink water early and often

start slow,then slow down, enjoy the scenery, bring a couple of gels, don't look at the watch.

Go out slow. You can't repeat that enough. Even if you start feeling good during the middle miles (if you make it that far) don't be fooled. Keep going slow. If you finish under 4.5 hours, I'd say that's a rousing success considering the lack of training.

Don't be one of those people who drop dead.

Several years ago (1999), I signed up for Marine Corp Marathon (Late October) in March. A major consulting project during the summer (80 hour weeks) basically precluded me from doing any running for 3 months. 3 weeks out, I started putting in the miles and built myself up to a long run of 13 miles.

I wasn't going to waste the entry. Moreover, I was the key reason why some folks in the office signed up for it as well, so I decided to lead by example, and just do it.

I am not an advocate of Gallowalking for those that are trained for the marathon, but Gallowalking sure does work for those that are NOT in shape. I'm a firm believer that if you are going to walk late, then it's better to walk early.

I have a 1:17 Half PR, so an 8 minute mile seems slow and that's what I went out at. It was extremely odd to take a walk break at mile 8 when so many people were still running so strong, but I committed to doing it. Thereafter, I walked a minute or so everytime I met up with my wife. I ended up taking 5 walk breaks. My legs felt pretty strong at mile 20, and I even ran some sub 8 miles before I started slowing down for good the last couple of miles.

Ended up running 3:40 something.

If you are generally fit, you CAN finish the marathon. Go out slow, slow, slow and walk for a minute every 6-8 miles at a water stop. Also, I found it helpful to take a pain reliever, but be careful about doing this. You never know how it will affect you during a run unless you've tested it. It could cause severe stomach problems that can hinder you from finishing.

Good luck.

I did this too a while back on no training - ran 8 minute miles most of the way felt great until 20. The last 3 miles were terrible and finished in 3:30. My legs were sore for about a week after. If you go out slow, you'll be fine for a while but you WILL hit the wall and it won't be pretty.

John Z,

This is absolute crap. You insult all of us who have been marathon training for months, through all the ups and downs, with your questions. I would rather get injured training 80+ miles a week and not run the marathon than simply finish with your approach. There is no pride in what you are doing. They have made some marathons into such carnivals, which supports John Z's attitude. This sport is about reaching your potential as an athlete, not being the center of attention for the spectators that gasp, "I could never do that!" If I am wrong, then tell me why else you would be crazy enough to run 26.2 completely out of shape...

I agree 100%. If you enter a race...RACE! Don't go to the race and try to just 'get through it'. It's not a nature romp or something you do just to say you've done it.

And biking 45 miles a week is like running what 10 miles a week?

Good luck

Dude, I know I am not properly trained. I signed up after a night of boozing with some buddies when we were arguing about how hard it is. He said it could not be done and that I would fall on my face. He is a vet marathoner since he has completed 3 of them. He said I would never finish under 5 hours since I do not run. I do work construction and have good upper body strength and I bike 1 or 2 times a week for a total of about 35-45 miles a week.

All I want is to finish so I can win the bet and tell people I am a marathoner. I plan to work it into my talk when I go searchin for the ladies. Actually I already tell them this, but soon it will be for real.

I am not hurting you or anyone else. I just wanted to know if there was any last minute training advice for a guy like me. I just plan to taper the rest of the way till race day.

R U Kidding Me:

You're the reason that "serious runners" sometimes have a bad rap among the general population. Lighten up a little. John Z isn't insulting anybody who isn't hair-triggered to feel insulted.

The truth is, there has always been a place in the sport for the John Z. style of winging it. I remember this being true in the late 70s, when I first started. Back then you'd get guys who might have been athletes in some other sport--soccer players, for example--who signed up on a lark and then just went out there and did it. Yes, it's a quirky, anarchic thing to do, and no, it's certainly no way to maximize your performance: the no training method. It's the marathoning equivalent of no-budget filmmaking--which is, by the way, considered a legitimate way of making a film. (I think THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT was no-budget.)

What's insulting to some four-hour marathoners, I suspect, is the idea that somebody who hasn't trained at all can go out there and limp their way through a 3:40 marathon. That would certainly piss me off, if I was a hard-training but mediocre runner.

We live in a democracy. Marathoning hasn't yet been so professionalized, I hope, that there isn't room for a guy like John Z. He's a throwback to the very early days of marathoning, in fact--the days when nobody really knew how to train, so they improvised. And some improvised all the way, and just....stepped into the race, and somehow survived it.

Go, baby.

"I just plan to taper the rest of the way until race day."

Yeah. Great plan, seeing as how you dont run.

John Z:

You've gotten some good advice from several earlier posters. Here's my own take, for what it's worth:

1) Do not warm up at all, with any sort of jogging. You can't afford even that little bit of glycogen-burnoff.

2) Go out now just slow, but very slow. Don't have any particular finishing time in your head.

3) Whatever you think, you aren't going to run this marathon: you are going to slowly jog it, with occasional walking breaks. If you're able to do that until mile 25 without coming apart at the seams--well then, you may just be able to pick it up quite a bit in that final mile, and have the time of your life as you see that finish line coming up at ya.

4) Drink early and often. But don't over hydrate. Just pause at each water stop and get a cup.

5) Make sure you're wearing comfortable clothes. One useful thing you CAN do in the next few days is jog a mile or two in whatever you're planning to wear and making sure it doesn't chafe.

6) On race morning, if I were you, I'd tape my nipples (to prevent chafing) and smear a very thin layer of vaseline on the spot where my running shorts circle my thighs. Don't ask why; just do it. If you don't do it, of course, you'll discover why, about 15 miles in.

7) Don't assume that hitting the wall is your biggest worry. You're likely to discover all sorts of joint-quirks before that happens, assuming you jog slowly enough.

8) GO SLOW! No matter how inspired you feel, go slow. And don't assume that if you make it to mile 20 and still feel pretty good, you're home free. Respect the distance. Respect the distance. And respect it from the very first step you take. Be prepared for an odyssey. Have fun.

Thanks.

I will take your advice to heart. The message of the day seems to be go very slow, if not slower. I plan to try and jog it at a slow pace with walk breaks.

I will report back on how it went.

And good luck to all you real runners in your marathons.

I sense a tad bid of overconfidence in your messages. I support what you are doing, but heed what the previous poster said: respect the distance.

Your upper body strength is virtually useless in a marathon. In fact, that extra weight may actually hurt you. Don't let your superior upper body strength give you any confidence in this endeavor.

Your marathon experience will be a successful one if you run it smart. Almost any fit person with no training can walk 26 miles at 4 mph. You just need to up that to 5.3 mph to finish around 5 hours - this is equivalent to walking 1 mile for every 4.3 miles at 10:30 pace. If you pace it correctly, there is no reason why you can't finish.

Here are a few ailments that can prevent you from finishing:

-Cramping. If you run at a pace above your fitness level, you can expect to incur cramps. They can be completely debilitating - walking will only make it worse. Solution: go out slow, slow, slow and pick up the pace only when you're certain you can finish the remaining distance.

-Blisters. They will tear up your feet making it unbearably painful to even walk. Solution: wear moisture wicking socks and comfortable running shoes. Marathoners know to practice this in their training. You won't have that opportunity.

-Stomach problems. Different causes for different people. Too much or too little food and water. Depends on the person. Marathoners of course have practiced. You have not.

-Chafing. Be sure to put vaseline on all areas that rub (either on clothing or against other parts of the body). Nipples, underarms, thighs. It is a ghastly sight watching people bleed from their nipples.

Good luck.

You have to cheer on folks that are willing to get off their ass and do the marathon. Everyone (even the fast people) should respect the effort.

I am pretty impressed with the responses. This question asked on some other sites would bring the wrath of every poster such as R U Kidding Me. I trained 6 weeks for my first marathon with a 12 mile long run. I only ran it because I wasn't able to run for 18 years and figured I could get hurt again and never have the chance to run a marathon. I am sure my 3:11 beat a lot of runners who have been training for years but it just didn't seem that hard to me. It even qualified me for Boston which I have no intention of ever running.

John Z wrote:

I just plan to taper the rest of the way till race day.

Pal, I'm just about ready to call bulls*** based on this quote alone.

What marathon are you registered in?