Should I run the Cork Marathon?

nellocono

Hoping to get some positive comments back here rather then negativity so here it goes...

Tomorrow is the last day to sign up for the Cork Marathon. I am dissapointed with my situation. I havent run a single step in about 4 weeks due to work commitments bla bla bla...

Anyway, I really want to run Cork...but with only 3 weeks to go, can I do it?

My longest slow run which was my last run 4 weeks ago was 16 miles. I had a couple of 13s and a 14 miler also so there is some endurance there.

Anyway, my question is really, if I do decide to sign up tomorrow, whats the best approach to this in terms of training? Should I try to get another long run in before marathon day and just fill the rest with easy miles to keep ticking over?

rom

I presume that it will be your first marathon ? If it wasn't then you would not be asking this questions. If it is then any doubt you have now about yourself will be magnified a lot on the day. I have been training consistently and done long runs similar to yourself but I wouldn't dream of doing the full instead of the 1/2. June can be a hot day. You will never feel you did your best without proper training. Why not try for Dublin with a full program ? So in summary if you don't have the belief now then 20+ miles you won't have it there also. Personally I would rather a good experience than bad on the day. I hated my first last year even though I did a full program. Enjoy your first, do Dublin instead.

pconn062

nellocono wrote: »

Hoping to get some positive comments back here rather then negativity so here it goes...

Tomorrow is the last day to sign up for the Cork Marathon. I am dissapointed with my situation. I havent run a single step in about 4 weeks due to work commitments bla bla bla...

Anyway, I really want to run Cork...but with only 3 weeks to go, can I do it?

My longest slow run which was my last run 4 weeks ago was 16 miles. I had a couple of 13s and a 14 miler also so there is some endurance there.

Anyway, my question is really, if I do decide to sign up tomorrow, whats the best approach to this in terms of training? Should I try to get another long run in before marathon day and just fill the rest with easy miles to keep ticking over?

Would it be your first marathon? It really depends on what you want to get out of the marathon. You're not going to run a good marathon without doing the training and there is always the possibility of injury. You could probably get round with a run/walk strategy but is that really how you want to finish a marathon? Only you can answer that. What's the hurry, why not wait until Dublin in October and train properly?

If you decide to do it, this weekend is the latest you should do a LSR and then just jog easy to the day. My opinion is it's bad idea, the marathon is long and hard and should be treated with respect and trained for appropriately.

rom

"should be treated with respect and trained for appropriately" you can turn up at a half or 10 mile and get through it. You can't do that on marathon day. I did 47 miles the month after Dublin last year. I was not prepared, I will be this time. I'd say do the half instead.

rainbow kirby

rom wrote: »

I'd say do the half instead.

+1 to this.

If the longest you've done is 16 miles, and you haven't run long in a while, you're going to have an absolute nightmare if you do the full.

EauRouge79

Im with the others. I would suggest the half or if you have any friends taking part see if they need someone for a relay, you could run a couple of legs if required.
So by all means take part in the event, but not the marathon. You wont enjoy it, the experience might put you off future races and you may end up with an injury.

beco2010

im in the same boat as you. i am doing the marathon for my first time and i have got injured not bad but its 3 weeks till the marathon and i have the belief that im going to do it. so even though i know notting about running a marathon if you want to do it why not

kit3

You'll only ever have one first marathon . Give youself every chance to make that experience one you'll want to repeat again and again. Do the half, soak up the athmosphere and you'll train well for Dublin or Longford or some other Autumn marathon. Would highly recommend Dublin. Good luck with whatever you decide

Pisco Sour

nellocono wrote: »

Hoping to get some positive comments back here rather then negativity so here it goes...

If this is what you’re after then you should chat to your mates or some people who know nothing about the marathon. They’ll give you all the positivity you need.

But I think you already knew the answer to this question before you posted it.

You’re not prepared, so it would be pretty silly to do the marathon, but that didn’t stop Jedward…

Rolex_

Do the half. And enjoy it. The first half of the marathon course in Cork can be cold wet windy and very lonely. Ran my first marathon many years ago with good lungs but minimal training. My experienced turned me off marathon running to the extent I didn't run another for nearly 30 years! Now training properly and enjoying them in my late 40s. Stick with the Half..... though I suspect you won't!

TFBubendorfer

Rolex_ wrote: »

The first half of the marathon course in Cork can be cold wet windy and very lonely.

While the first half of the marathon can certainly be wet and windy (though we only had one year of hurricane weather, really), it's rather unlikely to be lonely. There might not be a lot of supporters at the roadside but you are sharing the road with plenty of runners and the relay changeover points are always buzzing with excitement.

Rolex_

TFBubendorfer wrote: »

While the first half of the marathon can certainly be wet and windy (though we only had one year of hurricane weather, really), it's rather unlikely to be lonely. There might not be a lot of supporters at the roadside but you are sharing the road with plenty of runners and the relay changeover points are always buzzing with excitement.

I take your point.. I still think though that Cork isn't the course I would choose to run my (?) first marathon if I were unprepared for it. Having half-marathoners blitzing past me and around me during the second half wouldn't exactly help either:D

Krusty_Clown

Hoping to get some positive comments back here rather then negativity so here it goes...

Positive comments: Waterford at the end of June would allow you the opportunity to get some proper training done. Longford in August would be even better.

Rolex_

A wise man indeed. They've extended the closing date for Cork to today. You could use the Cork 1/2 as a good tempo run en route to Waterford or Longford. Or even Dublin if it's not too far away...

Cabaal

Rolex_ wrote: »

A wise man indeed. They've extended the closing date for Cork to today. You could use the Cork 1/2 as a good tempo run en route to Waterford or Longford. Or even Dublin if it's not too far away...

I think doing a half now or very soon and perhaps then upping the training with the aim of Dublin would give you a much more enjoyable experience then trying to run cork marathon with not enough training done.