Run a marathon debut without running for 2 months

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You're hoping somebody will tell you what you want to hear? Sure, I'll bite...

You'll be fine, don't worry.

Don't necessarily want to hear I'll be fine, or won't hurt. I'm more interested in learning about others who did it. It had been done thousands of time, but mostly with people who never run. I'm wondering how it changes for regular runners who just didn't run for a 2 month hiatus. It's a much different situation than for potatoes couches. If I do this I'll still go for a sub 4 job, not a 6 hour crawlathon.

Rosa Mota did not run for any longer than 90 minutes in training for her many successful marathons.

Grete Waitz had not run farther than 12 miles prior to her first marathon where she broke the WR.

Steve Jones had only run 20 miles once and was averaging 70 miles a week prior to breaking the WR in his first marathon.

Oh I see that I misread the title. Oh well.

Yeah good luck if you've not run for 2 months.

The Grete Waitz part is so incredible. I saw that interview when she explained she was looking for Central Park at mile 18-19...close to 5 miles too early. Yet she never bonked!

My question though, is: would I benefit from doing some minimal running (say a few 2-3 milers) before, or can it be beneficial to not do any running in order to maximize full recovery?

In short, if I don't cover 25-30 miles in the 2 weeks before by doing 2-3 milers, I sort of "bank" those miles for the marathon (re: injury recovery). I just want to run and finish it without having to stop because of inflammation, that's it. So doing nothing before seems like the best way in order to maximize finishing probability.

I just don't want it to flare up during the race.

If it was me I would train as much as possible, but everyone does their own thing.

Also I'd keep soaking the injury in icewater to take down the inflammation.

I'm in the same boat. I signed up for a marathon back in June, and promptly sprained my ankle playing basketball, then broke my heel at the beginning of August by jumping off of stairs in sandals. Yeah, I'm an idiot.

I just started running 2 weeks ago and I have run one 6 miler, with most runs being 3 miles. My marathon is October 17th. I originally had the goal of just qualifying for Boston, but I'm nowhere near that fitness right now. I'm also debating whether or not I should just run it to see how mentally tough I am.

mlbfan24 wrote:

I just started running 2 weeks ago and I have run one 6 miler, with most runs being 3 miles. My marathon is October 17th. I originally had the goal of just qualifying for Boston, but I'm nowhere near that fitness right now. I'm also debating whether or not I should just run it to see how mentally tough I am.

Keep us posted with updates post marathon. I was in the same boat, 3:10 was the goal, my MP runs were done at 7:15. With no training I'd go with close to 9:00 miles and enjoy the experience. Anyone else did this before?

google this:

roy wallack boston marathon bandit

and you can read the google book excerpt from roy wallack's run for life.

he completed(bandit) boston marathon ~ 4hrs off of very little running training.

also google: rhabdomyolysis marathon

it might influence your decision to run it or not.

I'm in the same boat; marathon in one week, but I have decided it is too risky for me because this would be a very tough, hilly marathon. Hip rotator injury. It seems even the slightest thing aggravates it. For me, better to rest and race another day, though it is very upsetting.

Tough. I'm debating, I know I won't be real injured by then. Part of me wants to go for the challenge of first marathon on no training, while the other part just wants to be able to run consistently, in which case re building a base in both number of days ran and miles is the better approach.

People like me shouldn't attempt to TRAIN for a marathon with about 1-2 experience at low mileage (25-30 mpw base). I can do pretty well even at the half m distance, but the long runs required for the marathon just don't click right.

The weirdest things: the long runs that have caused me the most injuries are the long slow distance ones, around 9 min/mile.

All the faster long runs, including progression runs with say last 30 mins at or faster than MP felt great.

This is also why I debate whether building a large, slow base or miles makes any sense to me. Maybe I am made to run 3x a week only, each one a quality, hard one (tempo/speed/long progression run) with no easy or recovery runs.

I was in your situation a few years ago. Graduated college, decided I was in the best shape of my life so I might has well run a marathon. 6 weeks out from the marathon I started having sharp foot pain. Got an MRI and was told I had a stress fracture [turns out it was arthritis instead (hallux rigidus)]. I called my old college coach and he basically said that it was very unlikely that I would do any further damage by jumping in on race day.

In the month before the race I ran no more than 5 miles at a time and biked a few times a week. My only goal on race day was to qualify for Boston, figured around 3:00 would be good. Started out around 6:50 pace, around mile 10 I dropped to 6:30s, at mile 15 breathing was very easy but my legs started feeling heavy, and from 20 on I was doing the "post-workout shuffle". Ended up running just over 3 hours but it was extremely painful.

You'll definitely finish but I'm not going to say you'll enjoy it.

Best of luck

I remember I was out for a month one time with an awful case of shin splints. When I first started back I did an easy ten - I felt like I was going to die. Of course I certainly could have run another sixteen miles, but still, it felt so weird! I think what happened is that I got a little out of shape, and the part of my brain that is responsible for pacing just went out running like I was in normal shape and it was fairly fast for the kind of shape I was in after a month off.

Moral of the story - be careful about how fast you go out.

Thanks guys keep these coming this is very interesting to learn from other's experiences!

It also highlights the specificy of running, i.e. one can't hope to run long w/ bicycle, swimming training. Prolly due to the impact and eccentric motions.

The other issue with me is I'm basically 2 1/2 years removed from any form of serious training, although I've run off and on a little since then. I'm also 20 lbs over my college racing weight, though not all of that is fat.

I'm not really sure why the mental challenge of finishing something I'm completely unprepared for intrigues me, but it does. I ran 8 miles hard on the treadmill last night in 55:31 with a big negative split, so perhaps I'll try to get in a decent amount of mileage over the next 10 days then rest up before the race. I'll keep you posted on how it goes.

First off, if you're not an elite moving up then don't call your 1st marathon a 'debut'. Unless you're a true debutante. Second, train as much as you can and then get ready for a major hurt for your 'debut'.

FartimusGordon wrote:

First off, if you're not an elite moving up then don't call your 1st marathon a 'debut'. Unless you're a true debutante. Second, train as much as you can and then get ready for a major hurt for your 'debut'.

I think it's Teg.

Or is it just my computer?