Possible Stupid Question (No really)

MagicMarker · 18-05-2009 8:41am #1

Is it possible for someone who can not even run 1 lap of a football field to train for and complete a marathon in 6 months?

Micky Dolenz · 18-05-2009 8:45am

Why not.It really depends on you. Do you carry extra weight? this will be a factor in getting fit. go for it. you may have to walk the last few miles though.

g'em · 18-05-2009 8:45am

Moved from Fitness - I'll let the experts on this answer your question (and it's not stupid... well, not to a non-runner like me anyway!)

Al_Fernz · 18-05-2009 8:50am

MagicMarker wrote: »

Is it possible for someone who can not even run 1 lap of a football field to train for and complete a marathon in 6 months?

To use a cliched Nike slogan - Just do it

If anybody says otherwise go and prove them wrong.

MagicMarker · 18-05-2009 8:52am

Micky Dolenz wrote: »

Why not.It really depends on you. Do you carry extra weight? this will be a factor in getting fit. go for it. you may have to walk the last few miles though.

Abso-friggin-lutely.

23st.

tunney · 18-05-2009 9:04am

MagicMarker wrote: »

Is it possible for someone who can not even run 1 lap of a football field to train for and complete a marathon in 6 months?

Yes - but they'd be walking large sections of it.

RoyMcC · 18-05-2009 9:18am

tunney wrote: »

Yes - but they'd be walking large sections of it.

+1 I'd be the very last person to discourage someone from taking up exercise and running in particular. The more people we see on the roads the better in my book and the healthier a nation we'll be.

But a marathon is a huge big ask MM. I'd hate to see you set your heart on this only to discover you've maybe bitten so much off you pack in completely. Take it in easier, bite-sized steps and measure your progress.

That said I guess most folk could jog/walk a marathon, though it wouldn't appeal to me.

plodder · 18-05-2009 9:33am

Why not aim for the Dublin Marathon race series instead? The 5 mile in July would be a good start. There is a good buzz about these races, with huge numbers of all standards. Maybe aim for the marathon next year.

Lex Luther · 18-05-2009 9:48am

Hi , this kind of question comes up all the time and usually generates an increasingly scary debate between on the one hand people who say " great, go for it , anything that gets you out is worth doing, don't listen to the elitists etc" and on the other hand people who say " no, its not healthy, respect the distance, do other runs first, it takes 1 year training and running first etc".

so for what its worth (not very much probably !) my take on it is this.

You could probably travel 26.2 miles on foot TODAY if you had to, never mind after six months training . So could my mother. But honestly, so what ? What would that tell you about yourself or your capacity?

It would take you a long, long time , it would hurt horribly during that time and probably cause you serious damage that would take an even longer time to recover from.

The point of proper training is reduce the time , reduce the pain and reduce the risk of injury. And also to find out how well you can survive the challenge and how quickly you can cover such a long distance. And you'll get out of the process exactly what you put in .

Anyway the best thing about asking for advice on something like this is the freedom to completely ignore it.So go for it if you like........but in my opinion, whats the point ?

Woddle · 18-05-2009 9:48am

MagicMarker wrote: »

Is it possible for someone who can not even run 1 lap of a football field to train for and complete a marathon in 6 months?

Probably but I wouldn't recommend it. I did it last year in 6 months and picked up quite a few injuries along the way as there is alot of training required. I ran the marathon but once I hit 20 miles my ITB went and I walked/jogged the rest and I think this will be your biggest stumbling block as you will be putting too much strain on your body in such a short space of time. Great feeling completing it but why not just concentrate on building your running fitness up slowly and have a crack at a marathon next year.

hunnymonster · 18-05-2009 9:53am

I'm usually the cheerleader of the "just go for it" camp (made my own debut in 12 weeks) but 23 stone is a lot of weight to carry around 26.2 miles, particularly if you have absolutely no experience. Is it possible, hell yes, is it sensible, not a chance.

Running Bing · 18-05-2009 10:39am

As others have said it is possible but it couldnt be recommended.

Personally I dont think its a good goal to have (for 09, its a great long term goal) because its simply not a healthy thing to do.

Rusty Cogs 08 · 18-05-2009 12:30pm

At 23 stone I'd make your first session a trip to the doctor for a check up and inform him/her of your intentions.

Micky Dolenz · 18-05-2009 1:00pm

MagicMarker wrote: »

Abso-friggin-lutely.

23st.

Good advice here, start with brisk walks and over time increase your distances and times over those distances.

If you push yourself too hard, you will sour yourself and that does the confindence no good.

5 and 10k fun runs are exactly that. enter into a few of these now to have something to aim for.

HardyEustace · 18-05-2009 1:18pm

If you need an end goal of a marathon (I'm quite goal orientated so understand where you're coming from) then I'd suggest maybe a spring marathon.

That way you could aim for the Dublin half marathon in September as a viable goal and then have a spring marathon to look forward to.

There's a wide variety to choose from. Take your pick. Connemara is the most local of races but there's also Paris, Rotterdam and a fleet of others to choose from. Treat yourself to a weekend away for your first one!

Best of luck.

I did a marathon in six months from no exercise and while still a smoker BUT I started out small (five mintues run, ten minutes walk) and was light when I started (7.75 stone). I'd set small achievable goals.

People here as a great support and help. Why not ask for some suggestions for races to aim towards over the summer/autumn/winter/spring to your first marathon?

MagicMarker · 20-05-2009 12:14pm

Thanks to everyone for the responses.

I kinda figured it would be quite a hard achievement, I've only been thinking about it the last few days and I had my mind set on the New York Marathon, as I've always wanted to get back to NYC and this would kill two birds with one stone. It was only when I looked online to see when it was did I realise it was only in November. Definitely next year!!

So, can anyone recommend one in the New Year? Around Feb/March? Preferably not in Ireland:) Or is there a website that would have a 'calender' as such?

Thanks!

SUNGOD · 20-05-2009 12:19pm

www.marathonguide.com

Oryx · 20-05-2009 12:42pm

Deffo back the idea of you doing a few shorter runs to find out what its like to run, and to begin with a do-able goal. Nothing worse than starting off, realising how much youve bitten off and giving up. Aim for a shorter run like the half in September, and use that to build up your fitness base for a good shot at your marathon next year.

Last year I got the same mad idea as you, and it was only as I really got into the training that I realised what a big deal it was. Your six month ambition could be done, but with a high level of commitment and the accompanying risk of injury because of the speed at which you need to improve. I didnt see that till I was really getting into running, and I think now its far better to build your fitness slowly and steadily.

MagicMarker · 20-05-2009 12:50pm

Yeah I'll definitely look into the shorter runs also, would have half marathon be viable? 4 months away?

jlang · 20-05-2009 1:07pm

SUNGOD wrote: »

www.marathonguide.com

Also ...
http://aimsworldrunning.org/Calendar.htm
http://www.42k195.com/

Rusty Cogs 08 · 20-05-2009 2:20pm

MagicMarker, can I ask what your motivation behind this is ?

Reg'stoy · 21-05-2009 10:54am

I did my first, I say first because hopefully I will do another one, last Oct. I too had never been a runner but I made a personal choice to get fit and running was one avenue and it just happened to lead to the Dublin marathon. When I signed up to do it I decided to run/walk it for charity, my thinking being I couldn't back out once I had collected money.

Long story short, you should hopefully know if you have the mental strength to do the training because the training sir is the hard part. No word of a lie getting up early on a saturday morning and heading out for your long run will be tough but you'll learn to enjoy :rolleyes: the runs and believe me, when you cross the finish line 4,5,6,7 or even 8 hours later on the day, every single mile will have been worth it.

I always bow to the expertise of the posters here, they gave me great advice. So listen to what others are telling you and maybe try the addidas series races (signed up myself) or a 10k and see how you are getting on, the 26.2 miles will be still be waiting for you. My journey took me over a year to complete.

If I may paraphrase a poster I saw at the expo when I picked up my number there will be days when you think you can do a marathon but you will have your whole life knowing you did one

You should be rightly proud that you have took the brave decision to change your life, get healthy and maybe just maybe run a marathon.

Best of luck MagicMarker, I'll be cheering on this years runners (hopefully you will be one) as a thank you to all of last years supporters whose shouts of encouragement were a Godsend.

Possible Stupid Question (No really)

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