I started running 5 months ago and would like to have a perspective for the future

I would advice you to try lower your times at shorter distances first. Maybe 1-2 more years before a first Marathon. 🧙‍♂️🇸🇪

Just go to final surge and purchase a half marathon plan from like mcmillan running. Do that.

Probably run your easy days slower than projected to make sure you feel good for workouts. Read the article on this website about running your easy days easy.

Then do the same for a marathon. Don't over think it. I did for a long time. Once I quit thinking so much I got faster.

No harm in training to run the marathon. However, 20-25k as your longest run is going to make the 42.2k of the marathon pretty miserable.

As a rule, you should practice running non-stop for the at least 80% of the amount of minutes you anticipate the marathon to take you.

So if you think your marathon might take you 3hrs30min, that’s 210 minutes, so you should work up to running 180-190 minutes non-stop in practice.

At 5 months in, you're just getting started. I started around your age, and I found that things really started getting fun around 18-24 months after I started, with plenty of PRs coming well after that.

From your description, it sounds like maybe you're running 3 times per week, with a recent maximum of 75K/46.5 miles per week. That's a good start! But it sounds like the people in the running group aren't extremely knowledgeable, and there are some things you should change.

- Start introducing short easy runs in between official practices. An extra 5-10K three days per week will add a lot to your overall fitness. One day totally off each week or whenever you need it is fine.

- For a half marathon, 25K is fine for a longest run, especially when you're starting out. For a marathon, it is not. You need to build up to running around 35K every 2 weeks or so.

- You should start adding some intensity to your training. Once a week, run faster than normal. This might mean breaking up your run into faster stretches and slower stretches, or a shorter continuous run at a faster pace. It might mean running at your 5K pace or faster for short distances, or it might mean just a steady effort at an uptempo pace for several miles. There are endless debates about what and how that you'll eventually want to look at, but for now, you should start experimenting with some moderate faster running to get a feel for it.

- Running fasted is fine in training. When you get into racing, you'll need to ingest some carbohydrates in the hours leading up to the race and/or during a race. For a marathon, nutrition becomes infinitely more complex.

- See how your half marathon goes before rushing into marathon training. Not everyone is built for the marathon. It requires some specialized training, and there are a lot more things that can go wrong. Maybe it's only twice as far as a half, but it's 10 times as complicated. It's a race distance that rewards consistency and several years of training.

- Read some good books on running so that you understand training physiology. Names I trust include Jack Daniels, Pete Pfitzinger, Matt Fitzgerald, Brad Hudson, or Keith/Kevin Hanson. I'd start with one of the first three.

From the pace that I've been keeping when I run over 20K (roughly between 5'30" and 6'40") I certainly would't expect to run a marathon faster than that, so if I were to try a marathon now (I won't) It would certainly take over ~4h30m.

I'm more interested in building endurance to complete a marathon in one or two years from now on, even if it takes over 4h30m. Finishing would be a total miracle in my present condition anyway. :)

And I agree with you about running 80% of a marathon while practicing for it. I'll try to surpass my 30K (non-stop running) self record in the next weeks, I hope to reach 35K soon. Thanks!

The future is bleak.

My inexperienced brain has issues with letting me do extras 5-10K, it keeps telling that It won't be worth it because it dosn't take the same effort as 20-25K, I'll just have to force myself to do it, logically it's certainly better.

I felt quite exhausted the time I did a non-stop 30K, I'll do some 25K a few more times before trying to surpass my 30K limit, I hope to reach 35K soon.

I'll certainly stick to the half marathon at least for the next couple of years, whilst trying to reach 35K and improving my pace before thinking of trying a marathon. I'll also do a total review on my nutrition for the marathon when I'll start practicing for it, also thank you for the book recommendations!

And thank you all for your advices, they will help me a lot!

I think your main goal for the first year should be to learn as much as possible about proper running training and avoid getting injured. You should do a couple of races and learn from them as well.

It looks like you focus too much on long runs right now. I would recommend more runs in the 75 minute range. The problem with beginners is, that they get so excited when they see early successes and then they keep pushing until they break. Since you are in your mid 40ies you really want not to push to hard too early. Things you might got away in your 20ies don't work that way anymore.

Anyway if you do it right, there can be a lifetime of running ahead of you.

Good luck.

Muck The Farathon.

Just run. Sometimes fast, sometimes slow; sometimes short, sometimes long. If you get really tired, stop and rest. Keep showing up.

Start out training for a 5K or 10K. You will get better faster than doing the marathon training and you will develop a bit of clarity on expectations going forward.