What sort of precautions should one take before running a marathon?

Pisco Sour

Am running my first marathon next April. I had a read about the Irish lad who died in the Barcelona Marathon earlier this year and its absoulutely frightening stuff, especially considering he was young and fit (played hurling and football at a high level). What sort of precautions should one take to ensure this doesnt happen?

earlyevening

04072511 wrote: »

Am running my first marathon next April. I had a read about the Irish lad who died in the Barcelona Marathon earlier this year and its absoulutely frightening stuff, especially considering he was young and fit (played hurling and football at a high level). What sort of precautions should one take to ensure this doesnt happen?

To ENSURE it doesnt happen, its probably best not to do the marathon.

Otherwise I suppose you should visit your GP before you begin training and get a full check (esp listen to your heart) and let him know your marathon plans.

Then, build up milage slowly. Get to 25 miles per week before following one of the conventional 18wk marathon plans that are all over the web.

Then, I would imagine the risks are very much reduced.

aero2k

earlyevening wrote: »

To ENSURE it doesnt happen, its probably best not to do the marathon.

I think I read that statistically, you have less chance of dying during a marathon than otherwise. If you take any group of people with a similar size and profile to a big city marathon field, then there is a chance that at least one of them will die within a given 3-5 hour time period. In other words, not running the marathon won't do anything to prevent you dying while watching the race on TV.
earlyevening's advice is still very sensible.

RJC

If you're really worried then get yourself to a session where they trace your stress ECG & resting ECG and do an ultra sound of your heart and get a cardiologist to review it. He'll (or She'll) tell you if you have any dickey ticker issues.

That and do lots of running


and wear good shoes


and hydrate



and tape your nipples!

Pisco Sour

RJC wrote: »

If you're really worried then get yourself to a session where they trace your stress ECG & resting ECG and do an ultra sound of your heart and get a cardiologist to review it. He'll (or She'll) tell you if you have any dickey ticker issues.

Where in Dublin can this be done? How long does it take? How much would it cost? Would it be covered in my VHI health insurance?

earlyevening

04072511 wrote: »

Where in Dublin can this be done? How long does it take? How much would it cost? Would it be covered in my VHI health insurance?

ECG here.

http://www.materprivate.ie/services/specialities/healthcheck.htm

Pisco Sour

earlyevening wrote: »

ECG here.

http://www.materprivate.ie/services/specialities/healthcheck.htm

Thanks. That all seems a bit much. I just want insurance that my heart is A-OK to run a marathon. I want an ECG, not all the added extra bonus features. No mention of how much it costs either. Does anybody know?

Any other Dublin Hospitals do ECG?

--amadeus--

Best advice I can offer is to go and talk all of this through with a medical professional, preferably one with some exposure to sports science / medicine.

Your GP can do a basic heart check and will then be able to tell you if you need to do an ECG, etc as well as the best place to get it done. To be honest I'm not that comfortable with the direction this thread is going - we can't give medical advice on here.

Hundreds of thousands of ordinary people run marathons every year and yet deaths are so rare as to be front page news. As aero2k says if you took a random sample of 10,000 people and monitored them for 4 hours there is a good chance someone will have a heart attack - but it's only news if they have it while running. And teh top scientists agree that running slightly increases your risk of heart attack during teh exercise but exponentially reduces it when not running, so it's a safer all round bet.

On another point you seem very, very nervous about the marathon. By my count this is at least three threads you've put up with concerns; about the "right" method of training, injury prevention and now this one. Are you sure that you are going into this with the right frame of mind? Maybe it would be better to build to a marathon over a number of years?

Pisco Sour

--amadeus-- wrote: »

Best advice I can offer is to go and talk all of this through with a medical professional, preferably one with some exposure to sports science / medicine.

Your GP can do a basic heart check and will then be able to tell you if you need to do an ECG, etc as well as the best place to get it done. To be honest I'm not that comfortable with the direction this thread is going - we can't give medical advice on here.

Hundreds of thousands of ordinary people run marathons every year and yet deaths are so rare as to be front page news. As aero2k says if you took a random sample of 10,000 people and monitored them for 4 hours there is a good chance someone will have a heart attack - but it's only news if they have it while running. And teh top scientists agree that running slightly increases your risk of heart attack during teh exercise but exponentially reduces it when not running, so it's a safer all round bet.

On another point you seem very, very nervous about the marathon. By my count this is at least three threads you've put up with concerns; about the "right" method of training, injury prevention and now this one. Are you sure that you are going into this with the right frame of mind? Maybe it would be better to build to a marathon over a number of years?

I'm in no doubt whatsoever that I will be well able to run the marathon and run it well. I've done a Half in 1.49 and have completed an Olympic Tri. Its no much I'm nervous about the marathon, more that I'm just a bit of a worrier in general I'm pretty risk adverse so I'm the type of person who wants to prepare for something properly and take all the proper precautions, and theres nowhere better to get advice on how to prepare for a marathon properly than this forum.

I'd be 100% certain that there is nothing wrong with me. I had an ECG done about 10 years ago and there was zero problems. I just prefer to be safe rather than sorry even if the risk is minute. I just think its sensible for a first time marathoner to go about it in the right way.

HardyEustace

Have ten euro tucked away somewhere in case you can't find anyone to buy you a pint after the race.

Kissy Lips

Vaseline! In your bum Sir. I lesson I learned during the 20 mile runs.

Do your 20 mile runs with a mental notepad and write down things that annoyed you. For me, I learned that I dont need music, I need vaseline everywhere, my shoes socks shorts and t-shirt were perfectly fitted, gels are great, pacing is key, the deer in the park are lovely.

RJC

HardyEustace wrote: »

Have ten euro tucked away somewhere in case you can't find anyone to buy you a pint after the race.

I had 20 under my insole after DCM. I met a lad from the UK at the finishing photographs and he had 50 euro tucked away for a few pints:)

mloc123

RJC wrote: »

I had 20 under my insole after DCM. I met a lad from the UK at the finishing photographs and he had 50 euro tucked away for a few pints:)

I would not like to be the barman taking that €20 off you... mmm moist

Pisco Sour

mloc123 wrote: »

I would not like to be the barman taking that €20 off you... mmm moist

Would it not make more sense to go back to the hotel/home after the race, shower, get changed, then grab your wallet from the safe/ your house and then head back in for numerous pints? Moist free euro notes.

HardyEustace

04072511 wrote: »

Would it not make more sense to go back to the hotel/home after the race, shower, get changed, then grab your wallet from the safe/ your house and then head back in for numerous pints? Moist free euro notes.

You'll never come back out again. Or not for at least five hours.

It's always great fun after the race. To be honest, two drinks will do you before you succumb to the lure of a hot shower and a soft mattress and limp home.

Pisco Sour

HardyEustace wrote: »

You'll never come back out again. Or not for at least five hours.

It's always great fun after the race. To be honest, two drinks will do you before you succumb to the lure of a hot shower and a soft mattress and limp home.

The pub would absolutely stink though

nerraw1111

HardyEustace wrote: »

You'll never come back out again. Or not for at least five hours.

It's always great fun after the race. To be honest, two drinks will do you before you succumb to the lure of a hot shower and a soft mattress and limp home.

Too true.

I live 10min walk from finishing line so 'popped' home to get changed. It was 7pm by the time I came back out.

RacoonQueen

If you go to your GP he can refer you for an ECG then you should only have to pay for your GP visit.

Pisco Sour

RacoonQueen wrote: »

If you go to your GP he can refer you for an ECG then you should only have to pay for your GP visit.

Oh I wasnt aware of that. Thanks.

ciaran_kdc

04072511 wrote: »

Oh I wasnt aware of that. Thanks.

Some GPs do them... the Stillorgan Medical Centre (John Duignan) for one...

chinguetti

Went for a check up with my doc and told her what i wanted. She sent me off to the Mater for a NCT. All ok and one marathon done, another on the way.

Get yourself checked out before you start any serious training, tis teh smart thing.

Pisco Sour

Well I got an ECG strip done this morning. Its all good. I'm much happier knowing that theres no problem.