Marathon training

S

SV_Dude

Moderator
I recently got into running a lot more serious that I used to be. For the last several years I would cap my runs at 4 miles and eke my running to somewhat of a minimum. I did my first half marathon over the weekend and it was definitely in some less than desirable conditions... 3 degrees, snow/icy trails, light snowfall and light wind. My time wasn't pretty but I was happy to complete the event. I didn't do much to prep for the run. Most of my training was in a nice warm gym, mistake number one. Also my longest run was 6 miles before the event, mistake number two. I finished the event at a hair over 3 hours and my legs were somewhat cramped making even a light jog tough.

I am doing another half marathon on February 2nd with [MENTION=75090]Footofgod[/MENTION]. This time I'm going to do all of my running outside and get used to the cold and get my legs and body prepared to run on the streets and in the elements. I did my first run today to re-train myself for the next half marathon. I ran 3 miles at about a 8-9 minute/mile pace in about 15 degrees wearing shorts and a light hoodie.

What do our runners here do to train for long runs? I have done a fair amount of online research but I figured it couldn't hurt to open a discussion on the topic. Maybe we can get some runners in the springs area to run with?
 
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I'd say you need to lose the cotton hoodie and invest in some good outdoor running gear. I love the Nike Pro Combat Hyperwarm gear. The Merrell Mix Master 2 is also proving to be a great shoe for traction in the snow.

My favorite item for out door training is-



You can borrow it at any time.
 

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If it makes him feel any better, I did train outside for more than 6 miles and only finished 10 minutes ahead of him.
 
Today I wasn't wearing my cotton hoodie. I was actually wearing a sweat wicking light weight hoodie. I do need to get new running shoes though, my shoes now have way too many miles on them and are barely adequate.
 
I've been running competitively for quite some time now, 4 years of high school cross country and some college, now i do some road races here and there. i always try to focus on running basics when i train for long distance, cause it will matter more how you move your arms and the way you roll your feel as you stride. something my coach in high school always told me is that "quiet is efficient" the quieter you run, the less energy is being wasted in the form of noise.
 
Shoes are by far the most important thing. Miles makes time, the farther you can go at a steady pace, the faster you can go at a smaller distance. I ran Cross Country from 6th-11th grade, can't anymore, but by the end of my running days I was doing 16-20 mile long runs and at least 5 every day to train for 5k's. My goal had been to run a marathon on my 18th birthday, but I fell short of that due to injury, but at my point of peak performance I could have easily done so. The added mileage as your training goes on is what will help you stop from the cramps, and make sure you stretch A LOT to avoid injury like me. I was always a terrible stretcher and now as an 18 year old I can barely run 3 miles anymore without serious pain and if I really try to train hard again I'll be forced into 2 knee replacements. So I'm not really sure if this helped at all, but stretch, shoes, mileage, and eat as healthy as possible.
 
I wish I could get back into running but my back won't have any of it. I never felt better than when I was doing my morning runs 5 days a week.


SV, not sure how you are running in this stuff man... must be exhilarating though. Good luck!
 
My eating habits used to be garbage. I have gotten a lot better and have almost quit smoking. I went about 2 months without a single cigarette and now I smoke a few a week, sometimes more depending on the crowd I'm around. I need to completely cut out the cigarettes for good and tighten up my diet. The last few months I have made a few big changes for the better and I can definitely feel the benefits of it.
 
bofa said:
I wish I could get back into running but my back won't have any of it. I never felt better than when I was doing my morning runs 5 days a week.


SV, not sure how you are running in this stuff man... must be exhilarating though. Good luck!
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How much I wish I could just put on my running shoes and go jog a few miles.
 
bofa said:
I wish I could get back into running but my back won't have any of it. I never felt better than when I was doing my morning runs 5 days a week.


SV, not sure how you are running in this stuff man... must be exhilarating though. Good luck!
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I feel very good when I get done running. I used to feel very sore, coughing a lot and all around not very good. With my recent changes I feel great!

As for running in the cold, I put the weather in the back of my mind and focus on the running until my body says otherwise. I feel very accomplished when I run in these conditions though. I'm very excited to continue to train and do this next half marathon. My wife is doing the 5k portion of the event too.
 
HHIRunner said:
How much I wish I could just put on my running shoes and go jog a few miles.
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I hear ya. There's tons of stuff on my bucket list if they ever create a permanent fix for my issues.

Footofgod said:
Chi Running

Injury free running.
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That's interesting.. I'm not sure if that will work with spinal injuries though. I'll read up.

SV_Dude said:
I feel very good when I get done running. I used to feel very sore, coughing a lot and all around not very good. With my recent changes I feel great!

As for running in the cold, I put the weather in the back of my mind and focus on the running until my body says otherwise. I feel very accomplished when I run in these conditions though. I'm very excited to continue to train and do this next half marathon. My wife is doing the 5k portion of the event too.
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That's awesome man. I do like that there seems to be a concerted effort to maintain the paths around here.
 
Glad to hear there are some runners here. Congrats SV on your half!

I too am a runner, maybe to excess. I started exactly where you are and just built slowly. The best thing that I ever did was to get off the pavement and start running trails. Better scenery and more fun. Think of how much better it is to have your 4runner off road than on the Hwy. Well, same for running.

I almost died when I did my first 5k 7 years ago. Last year I ran a 50 miler and four 50k's. Those plus all the training runs put me close to 2000 miles for the year.

Don't underestimate what a little training can do. PM me if you have any specific training questions and I'll try to help. As someone who didn't pick up running until after the age of 30, I learned a few tricks along the way.
 
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