How to know if you are able for a full marathon

SomeUnusedName

hi there

I m preparing for a half marathon and the training is going well, I m enjoying it.
The 1/2 marathon is the 3rd of July.
Today I received an email about the Dingle marathon in september, it looks like a cool race and I was wondering how does one know if your body is able for a ful marathon (ie without injury)
When training, on the longer runs I start getting knee and a bit of shoulder pain
So how do oyu know? visit a phisio to be sure to be sure? wait till after the half ( I m afraid the places might be gone by then)
Cheers

jeffontour

No way of knowing but following a training plan for a marathon and seeing how your body reacts. Then if that goes well get yourself on the start line of a marathon and go for it. It's a short reply but it's pretty much what you need to do!

TFBubendorfer

The physio won't be able to tell you either.

Once you have been running regularly for a few years and a half marathon is not that much of a challenge any more, you are ready to tackle a marathon.

Of course some people run a marathon 4 moths after taking their first step - I should know, cause that's what I did. That's the route that's generally being frowned upon.

SomeUnusedName

lol

Cheers for that...signing up

Pisco Sour

Dont sign up for a marathon until you have completed your half marathon:

1) As only after the half marathon will you know how easy/ difficult that was for you

2) By signing up for the marathon before you have even done the half, you will lose focus on the half, which is what you should be solely focusing on right now.

And it doesn't have to be Dingle. Better off pushing your first marathon back a few months. Theres tons to choose from. You dont have to do one in Ireland.

shotgunmcos

04072511 wrote: »

Dont sign up for a marathon until you have completed your half marathon:

1) As only after the half marathon will you know how easy/ difficult that was for you

2) By signing up for the marathon before you have even done the half, you will lose focus on the half, which is what you should be solely focusing on right now.

And it doesn't have to be Dingle. Better off pushing your first marathon back a few months. Theres tons to choose from. You dont have to do one in Ireland.

With the greatest of respect I have a problem with anyone that starts a post with 'don't...'. I'd rather advise the OP to shoot for the stars but take it a step at a time and listen to their body

The half marathon and marathon are very different, more than likely you will run faster than your PMP for staters. Fueling isn't as much a concern etc...

Your second point is very valid though. Entering the marathon before the half is a certain way to remove your focus for the shorter and more immediate one. If you can still enter the Marathon after the half then I'd hold off too but if the entry might fill or close before the half I'd enter.

I wonder if are we seeing a classic case of goal inflation here? Its common to start out aiming to finish a half marathon or doing it in xx:yy and as you get fitter to start thinking bigger or faster.

If you started the year hoping to finish a half marathon in 2011, stick to the goal! If the secret desire has always been to run a Marathon, well...

SomeUnusedName

I have done a 1/2 marathon before, what happened is that after I did it I did very little training for a few months and then it was hard to pick it up again and get to the level I am now
so I was thinking that I need a goal after I finish so I keep the training up . I want to probably reduce mileage for a few weeks after the race... and then pick it up again.
I ve never done a marathon so it would be an interesting goal

BrokenMan

There are 2 months between the Half and Dingle which may be a little tight depending on where you peak at training for the half. you are going to need 2-weeks taper before the marathon and as you say a week or so easy effort after your half. That is really only giving you 4-5 weeks of quality training.

Dingle is also as far as I know a pretty tough course.

As the half is currently your goal I would stick with that with the option of entering a marathon later in the year, Dublin or Clonakilty maybe. Dublin or any big city marathon as your first is I think ideal as your first marathon with the crowds and the support.

G-Money

I'd still consider myself a newbie even though I've been running and jogging for about a year now at this stage. I can tell myself that I'm nowhere near ready for a marathon, but that is based off how fit/unfit I am and how I've got on with the races I've done so far (5k, 4 mile, 10k).

The 10k race really took it out of me. Perhaps it was due to the weather (it was the Great Ireland Run earlier this year and it was sweltering). But I was surprised how much the 10k took out of me and it dawned on me that I'd have to do double that just to do the half marathon.

Listen to your body, sign up for a few shorter distance races and see how you get on. There are some who have completed a marathon without years of running, and those who have. I guess it's really down to each person's own ability.

See how you get on and there's no rush. Marathon's are unlikely to disappear off the calendar anytime soon!

TFBubendorfer

BrokenMan wrote: »

Dingle is also as far as I know a pretty tough course.

It is. It's the toughest road marathon in Ireland, as far as I know (I've done plenty of them but not all). But since there is no such thing as an easy marathon, that's not THAT much of a difference. Your time in Dingle will be slower than Cork or Dublin, but the effort required is very similar for all of them.

Tipp man running

My two pence worth...you know now how long it takes to get back up to the level of fitness for a half marathon so I think you should definitely train on for a full marathon if you really want to do it.....but train smart.

As already mentioned I think Dingle is too soon...somewhere like Dublin is fantastic for a first attempt and gives you more of a time frame to build up the mileage properly....You'll enjoy it more been properly prepared for the day.

Clearlier

I'd imagine that you could probably walk/jog a marathon right now. It would probably hurt a lot and there would be a decent chance you'd get injured and be put off running for the rest of your life but you could finish.

I don't recommend it though. It's much more enjoyable and you'll get a lot more out of the whole experience if you follow a training plan. You'll also get fitter and do better.

If your set on doing Dingle I'd forget about focusing on the half - maybe turn it into a training run. In my experience unless you're doing 50+ miles a week or have a substantial running background it's difficult to nail a half and a marathon within a couple of months (suspect I'll have some disagreeing with this) of each other. You can certainly complete both though.

SomeUnusedName

thanks for all the advice