Your First Marathon

First: PV 1971

Location: Palos Verdes, CA (LA area)

Age: 17

Learned: needed to run more fast mileage (ie, mnedium to long runs near race pace). As this was my first road race, I learned that I liked road races.

Since then: 10 more

reading marathon uk

23 years old

that the hard work and loss of social life due to running 85 miles a week was worth the pain

now 3 marathons every year for past 10 years

try it for yourself!

23 - 246 - NYC. I wasn't in good shape, but I went in 72.10 anyway and obviously I came back in 94+. I think my last 10k was well over 40 mins because I came through 20M still pretty decently under 2hrs.

Next year I ran 231 and then 227 following that. I got one coming up in june. I hope to continue to run marathons and keep cutting down my times.

I realized that I needed to get my longer runs much longer than just 2 hours. I didnt need to worry about doing any of them at race pace or anything like that, but I simply needed 1. A consistent longer run almost every week and 2. A series of 3or4 longer runs(2.5 to 3.0 hrs). Thats what worked for me.

1st marathon: Chicago 2004

Age: 22

What did I learn: I needed to do more long runs over 20 miles.

I also learned that marathons are extremely rewarding and addicting. Words cannot describe the feeling when you reach your goal in a marathon. Usually about a week after I have finished the marathon I am looking to sign up for another.

How many since then? 6 marathons

-Boston Marathon 2002

-34 years old at the time

-I learned that to race on hills you need to train on hills and that the marathon is a race unlike any other. I had been running and racing for 22 years at that point at distances up to 10 miles or so (did my first half marathon that spring) but I was still competely unprepared for the experience of hitting the wall.

-I have run 7 marathons since then (well, 7 and 2/3 if you count the Boston I dropped out of this year).

I ran the Memphis marathon when I was 16 right after my first season of cross country. It was my first road race ever. I ran really slow but perfect splits of 1:40 and 1:40. I learned that road races are fun and getting a hard-on during the post race massage by the hot nurse is really embarrassing. I haven't run another yet, but I plan on it after I get a better handle on the 1/2.

15 years old

East Lyme Marathon 1987

I learned to love the distance and I was far too young

I've run 6 since that one.

I ran my first marathon in Columbus Ohio last year at the age of 42. Hamstring cramps started at mile 20. Finished at 3:17. Prior to the marathon, my longest race was 13 miles. I learned that the human body is amazing and with dedication, it can adapt quickly to the longer runs it takes for a marathon.

Ocean State 1983. 30 years old. Just a long training run. The first race that I didn't run all out. Didn't learn anything right away but after running a PR by over a minute for 10K with no speedwork three months later I learned a little about the benefits of high mileage, but not enough to crank up the mileage even more. 11 since but none recently.

Detroit Free-Press in 06 at the age of 26.

2:46

Rough first experience! Ran a decent amount of mileage (high 80's/low 90's for 18 weeks prior) going into it but only went 23 as my longest run. Didn't practice drinking and taking gels while running at marathon pace, came back to haunt me around 21 miles when my body stopped absorbing water and gatorade and I couldn't keep anything down. Puked three different times in the last 3 miles which were bascially a walk. Will take the volume up a little more next time as well as run a little further than 23.

Rock n Roll SD

Age 23

Things learned

1. More long tempo/MP running. Did the usual 5 mile tempos, 1000s, 400s etc during the week, but all of my long runs (which were sufficient in number) were at an easy/steady pace.

2. Less taper. Felt a bit flat on race day and all of race week. Did my best workouts and felt the best two weeks before the race.

3. Once things really fall apart, no amount of mental toughness will save you.

Three races since then, with prs of 8 mins and 9 mins in the last two.

Marine Corps

29 - because running a marathon was on my "to do before I'm 30 list"

Learned that I had never knew such agony and ecstacy were possible, and that I wanted to do it again. Also, actually training for it might help next time.

San Diego RnR Marathon, '04 (27 years old). Ran a piss poor embarrassing time, but probably had something to do with the "newbie runner" thing (I'd only just started running seriously in fall '03). Two since then (incl. Boston); PR'd by 23 minutes in the second, and then again by 40 seconds in the third.

Things learned: [1] If you up mileage too quickly, you get injured (duh). [2] If you cross train smart, you can recover quickly. [3] Training at marathon race pace is essential (see Hall's training regime). [4] Day-of-race issues can completely jack up everything (bad nutrition, unexpected physiological events, insomnia, etc.), so even though some of it is out of your control, be as prepared as you can, and don't do anything stupid the night before.

Age - 22

Marathon - Grandma's 1999

Time - 2:42

What I have learned: Not much, I ran a marathon 7 years later in 2:42. However, my splits were very even, and the last 4 miles did not eat me alive this time. Tempo runs have been key, whether they are part of my long run or on a hard workout day.

Hyannis.

I was 21.

I didn't learn much that was substantial, except I thought I over-tapered. Oh yeah, and 28 degrees is too warm for a hat.

Learned the most important thing was the length of the long run, not the pace. Learned its far better to go slower than hammer a long run. Stayed off injuries and pr'd big time just putting the time on my feet and not worrying about weather my long runs ended with marathon or tempo paces- I could do those another day.

Houston

age 21

put in some 100+ mile weeks

learned that the half-way point really is at 20 miles as the last 10k is where I lost all the time I had accumulated ahead of pace in the first 20 miles.

Should've done more long runs of 20-22 miles, more long tempo runs in the 8-12 mile range.

I was worried about the speed of maintaining my goal pace, but in the end it was my endurance that gave out and because it was simply a matter of not hitting the wall so hard and slowing to what felt like a "painful jog"

Chicago 1997

Age 29

3:23

Run 11 more since then - one a year.

Learned that an ok runner can run under 3:30 with minimal training if you go out slow and just try to run 7:30s. (My training consisted of running twice a week - one hard run and one long run).