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Is a marathon possible? PoopRunner
Ahoy /fit/

We don't see enough running threads, so here's a query. . . about if I should dedicate to my first marathon or not.

I started running occasionally over the past 3 years, but for the last year I've actually been training pretty regularly. I did a few 5k's intermixed with regular running and ran a 1:52 half-marathon this May 1st.

Now, after the half marathon, I rested for like a damn week, then was quite lazy with the recover, and I wonder if I can snap back in time for a marathon that will be taking place in October (14 weeks away). So that's the question, am I ready to train up for 26.2 crazy fucking miles so soon and for the first time ever?

I currently am at 19 miles a week ( 3mi[ez] mon, 5 mi[tempo] wed, 3 mi[ez] thurs, 8 mi[long] sat )

but before my lazy-days after the half-marathon I was at 28 miles a week ( 4mi[ez] mon, 3 mi[ez] tues, 7mi[tempo] wed, 3mi[ez] thurs, 10mi[long] sat )
>> PoopRunner
>>184454
er, just delete the word before in there
>> Anonymous
SAGE

run somewhere else faggot. It's HIIT Friday! YEAAAH!
>> PoopRunner
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Seriously? None of you guys run? None?
>> Anonymous
I'll tell you something that's going to make /fit/ rage, so listen carefully.

Two years ago, I was a weightloss-oriented runner, but a somewhat lazy one. I ran 3 miles a day, stopping to rest a few minutes between each mile until I was down to 160 lb. This was going against conventional wisdom, I wasn't getting omg injured doing it too often as a lot of people liked to throw at me. This was probably because I was gradually losing weight while doing it, relieving intensity all the while etc.

Now, 6 months ago during winter break, I set out to train for the LA Marathon. I had 3 weeks to do it, as back at school I didn't really have the appropriate areas for distance running (100% inclines/declines). But what I did in three weeks was what mattered to me. I ran EVERY of those 21 days. First day I ran 2 miles, connected without rest. Next day, 3 without rest. Next day, 4. Next day, 7. Next day, 4. Next day, 8. Next day, 3. Next day, 10. At 10, my body gave up and I was fully discouraged. Next day, 2... next day, 14. Next day, 5. Next day 20. Next day, 4. Next day, 22. Next day, 3. Next day, 26.2. This was only two weeks in. I rested for 4 days, and did 3 miles for the following days, and at last pulled off another 26.2 miles in 3 hours 15 minutes. Yes, I ran sore--but the soreness went away and became unfelt in time.

I didn't die. Protein protein protein. I ended up running the marathon some 1.5 months later though, undertrained at that point due to laziness and malnutrition, and due to frat events I drank 3 gallons of liquids the night before under the shitty obligation of brotherhood. Still pulled out at 4 hours, which is alright considering I did, unbeknown to me, HIIT style running for the last 8 miles when my endurance gave up.
>> PoopRunner
>>184468
Good lord. That's crazy harsh! the 3 mile thang at the start is fine, but fucking just jumping up to 26 like that! fuck!! What was the recovery like after that event? Stiff as shit?
>> Anonymous
>>184468
pics or it didn't happen
>> Anonymous
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>>184468
found you
>> Anonymous
Tell me, poop, how old are you?
I know I'm going to wait at least my mid twenties before I run a full marathon.
>> Anonymous
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>>184471
I did the three mile thing in order to aid recovery, as apparently "some" 'light' running works to that effect--but I made it relatively light and relatively some compared to the full 26.2 distance.

At a point, you find yourself blessed with the runner's high. First time I hit 10 miles, I was really just ready to die, not thinking I could ever go the full distance ever, having met my limits. But when I was able to run 14 two days later, that was the biggest motivation ever for me. I hit wall after wall and rested a day between each only to conquer the next.

After the event itself, which was much more harsh on me that my practice runs over break (since I had gained weight since and didn't eat up properly beforehand only to be pushed by the crowds to keep going), yeah I was stiff as shit, especially considering I pulled both calve and thigh muscles on the 20th mile but made myself keep going after a little rest walking. I didn't prepare with lotion or wax strips for my thighs, so those got rashes on them for a week or two, and it hurt like shit to walk up and down stairs for a week--which was shit since that's mostly ll my school is composed of. All in all, good experience, but since I discovered HIIT>cardio for fitness, probably never ever again.

Pic related, me thinking I would never get to the end.
>> PoopRunner
>>184477
I'm 23, so yeah, mid twenties.
>> Anonymous
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>>184473
My legs hurt so much during that thing, man, and the crowds were all telling me to keep going and shit, especially near the finish when I just had to quit even sprinting at all, just walking--goddamn.

Marathons are fun shit though. Some serious-lookin' Indian dude in a turban had a big bowl of jelly beans and I took a handful omnomnomnom. It was a big feast. Best view was when some people gave out half-bananas with the peels still on, and out before me all I saw was banana peels all over the street path. Uhoh.
>> PoopRunner
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>>184491
Holy fucking shit, are you serious in that pic.

You are running in the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 7!! That is totally what I ran / run in!
>> PoopRunner
>>184493
Wait, no, i guess that's kinda different. Looked damn similar tho!
>> Anonymous
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>>184496
Probably are the same basic everything, except yours are newer. Mine, I got back in 2005. This is what they look like now, after a few failed repair attempts.
>> PoopRunner
>>184499
Ahh, I see now, the gts 5. Same basic shoe.

Well shit. If you ran yourself through that, I ought to just suck it up and get started.
>> Anonymous
>>184501
Just remember:
Don't get discouraged by walls (figurative usage)
Max out every other run
Protein protein protein

Also try to keep on your toes every once in a while. My style was heel-first which helped a lot for endurance, but it ended up giving me a bad knee for a while afterwards which was what prevented me from keeping in shape between end of winter break and the actual marathon.
>> Anonymous
>>184503
>Max out every other run

With 14 weeks, I'm not sure how wise that would be.
>> Anonymous
>>184504
For the initial training, it could work. Get yourself up to marathon running level asap, then rest for a bit, and then retrain to improve your time. Rinse, repeat till marathon.
>> Phidippides !!1Ul3u8GWmqI
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>>184505
That really goes against a lot of basic marathon training guides out there man, they rarely even ask you to hit 26.2 on your long run the week before.

I'd say run 4 weeks of your previous half-marathon training style shit, building distance onto all runs over those weeks, then take 1 week of easy mid-distance runs in-between, 4 more again building up all the distance so your touching like 18-20 miles on the long run, then again 1 week easy runs. two more weeks of structure but cut out the tuesday run and relax the monday run a bit for aided recovery from your long runs that should hit 23 and then 25 miles, the next week just do what you did before the half-marathon, and your long run will be the actual race. I swear you'll fucking bullit on out at 3hr 30min, fucking-A.
>> Phidippides !!1Ul3u8GWmqI
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>>184505
That really goes against a lot of basic marathon training guides out there man, they rarely even ask you to hit 26.2 on your long run the week before.

I'd say:
run 4 weeks of your previous half-marathon training style shit, building distance onto all runs over those weeks,
then take 1 week of easy mid-distance runs in-between,
4 more again building up all the distance so your touching like 18-20 miles on the long run,
then again 1 week easy runs.
two more weeks of structure but cut out the tuesday run and make the monday run only as long as thursday's for aided recovery from your saturday long runs that should hit 23 and then 25 miles,
the next week just do what you did before the half-marathon, and your long run will be the actual race.

I swear you'll fucking bullit on out at 3hr 30min, I'm fucking serious, goddamn, serious man.
>> Anonymous
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>>184495
You sir, are awesome.
Mine are a bit more worn out though, I've had 'em since spring.