Walking a Marathon.

RonanP77

If it is a thing that I'm not running any more I intend walking a few evenings a week instead as well as swimming and cycling. I absolutely love running but I'll keep my fitness levels up anyway even if/when I can't run.

rainbow kirby

^ Tri forum!

Not joking btw, I am ridiculously injury prone and I've found that mixing up my training has been great this year. Almost a year with no injuries which required time off running, when I'm generally running 3 times a week with swimming and cycling included too.

Also, on the 5k time to marathon comparison, my 5km PB is 23:40 but I've run a sub-4 marathon. When I did my first, my 5km PB was 24:30 ish and I ran 4:24. Someone in the 22s probably should be around 4-ish for their first *if* they train properly.

orubiru

I kind of don't get why anyone would have "do a marathon" on their bucket list?

The way I see it, a Marathon or a 10k or whatever is a race. You should be going out there to do the best you can on the day. I don't really understand the mentality of showing up on the day with "I just want to finish" as your goal?

Surely if you can run but can't run 26.2 miles then it would be much better to enter yourself into 5k or 10k races?

I mean if you like running then wouldn't get more out of running a 5k to the best of your ability than you would out of slogging round a 26.2 mile course just because it's on some "bucket list"?

Nothing against anyone who walks a marathon I just question the reasons for doing it.

RonanP77

Run a marathon is on my bucket list, the whole point is that I get a lot of injuries and that were to continue I could still walk it. I'd love to run it in under 4 hrs, as much under it as I could.

Walking that far is no easy task, it's still a challenge. I'd walk it in my best time instead of running it in my best time.

Chivito550

RonanP77 wrote: »

Run a marathon is on my bucket list, the whole point is that I get a lot of injuries and that were to continue I could still walk it. I'd love to run it in under 4 hrs, as much under it as I could.

Walking that far is no easy task, it's still a challenge. I'd walk it in my best time instead of running it in my best time.

Get the thoughts of walking a marathon out of your head asap. Ask yourself why are you getting all these injuries? You shouldn't be if you are doing things properly. Learn how to train properly, get yourself to an appropriate race weight (from your log title this appears to be a goal). Do the small things right and the big things will come.

eviltwin

RonanP77 wrote: »

Run a marathon is on my bucket list, the whole point is that I get a lot of injuries and that were to continue I could still walk it. I'd love to run it in under 4 hrs, as much under it as I could.

Walking that far is no easy task, it's still a challenge. I'd walk it in my best time instead of running it in my best time.

Unless you're getting on in years then you can still have it on your bucket list. Plenty of people do their marathons in their later years and nothing wrong with that. I think you are jumping the gun a bit, sort out your injury issues and then work on building up your distance.

RonanP77

I dropped 2 stone so I'm at my target weight. I'm 5' 6" and 11 stone. I managed it within about 8 weeks of starting.

I'm at the physio, I've been given strengthening exercises for my ankle, learned how to do correct stretches and use the foam roller. I have a training plan drawn up and I'm joining the athletics club as soon as I can run again.

This is all based on if that all doesn't work out for me. The hope is that it will and that I can slowly work my way to a half next year and a full another year or two down the line.

If it does come to it, meaning that I'm advised not to run any more at all, I've decided I'll definitely walk it. I'd set it as a yearly event and keep trying to best my time.

Chivito550

RonanP77 wrote: »

I dropped 2 stone so I'm at my target weight. I'm 5' 6" and 11 stone. I managed it within about 8 weeks of starting.

Don't take this the wrong way, and it is meant as constructive advice to help improve your running, but 11 stone (or 70kg) is too heavy for somebody who is 5'6''. It's 25 on the BMI which is on the borderline of normal and overweight, but if you want to be a runner, and get the best out of yourself, and reduce injury risk, you need to get that weight down further. At least a full stone should be coming off that IMO.

If you want to walk long distances in the future, save yourself the money and go hiking the Wicklow Mountains. Beautiful out that direction.

RonanP77

I've always been fairly broad across the chest and shoulders and didn't want to go too light or I'd look desperate. I suppose I could drop another half stone if I wanted but certainly wouldn't like to go below that. My initial target was 2 stone and friends/family have said I shouldn't go below it.

I'm setting targets for myself, realistic ones. Cut 2 mins off my 5k, 7 mins off my 10k, the 6 min mile has me interested now that it was mentioned and obviously push for longer distances. I'd hope I can do all of that at my current weight. I'll put in 3 days running a week + swimming/cycling but wouldn't do any more. I love running, it's for fun and fitness, I don't want to push it to a level that it's leaving very little time for anything else or I'll stop enjoying it.

I will mention it to the physio though and get her opinion, if she says a little extra weight off will help prevent injuries then I'd do it. I do appreciate any constructive advice like that from people.

Chivito550

RonanP77 wrote: »

I've always been fairly broad across the chest and shoulders and didn't want to go too light or I'd look desperate. I suppose I could drop another half stone if I wanted but certainly wouldn't like to go below that. My initial target was 2 stone and friends/family have said I shouldn't go below it.

I'm setting targets for myself, realistic ones. Cut 2 mins off my 5k, 7 mins off my 10k, the 6 min mile has me interested now that it was mentioned and obviously push for longer distances. I'd hope I can do all of that at my current weight. I'll put in 3 days running a week + swimming/cycling but wouldn't do any more. I love running, it's for fun and fitness, I don't want to push it to a level that it's leaving very little time for anything else or I'll stop enjoying it.

I will mention it to the physio though and get her opinion, if she says a little extra weight off will help prevent injuries then I'd do it. I do appreciate any constructive advice like that from people.

You get out what you put in in the end of the day. I wouldn't listen to the advice of non active/fit people when it comes to what weight you should be. I've seen it time and time again where people think somebody who loses weight is now "too skinny". This is their view because they are used to seeing you look a different way. The average in this day and age is overweight and people confuse average with normal. Normal is no longer average in today's sedentary lifestyles. The logic to it all is twisted. Forget about elite runners and have a look at the guys running sub 3 or thereabouts for the marathon. You won't find any with a 25 BMI, except the odd exception.

rom

Chivito550 wrote: »

You get out what you put in in the end of the day. I wouldn't listen to the advice of non active/fit people when it comes to what weight you should be. I've seen it time and time again where people think somebody who loses weight is now "too skinny". This is their view because they are used to seeing you look a different way. The average in this day and age is overweight and people confuse average with normal. Normal is no longer average in today's sedentary lifestyles. The logic to it all is twisted. Forget about elite runners and have a look at the guys running sub 3 or thereabouts for the marathon. You won't find any with a 25 BMI, except the odd exception.

Telling the OP that he needs to lose weight to get faster at the stage he is at is complete BS.

I do agree on not listening to other people regarding weight. I was told I had broad shoulders when I was as big as a house with a BMI in excess of 30.

As the OP is clearly lacking training any toning up will come from proper training.
Weight should not be the focus with a BMI of 24.9 as it is in this case. Now it is was 25 then ....

Regards
- The odd exception

pgmcpq

RonanP77 wrote: »

I will mention it to the physio though and get her opinion, if she says a little extra weight off will help prevent injuries then I'd do it. I do appreciate any constructive advice like that from people.

Given that your priority is training to finish a marathon, in a relatively short time, while avoiding injury, you should look at the plans of Jeff Galloway. He advocates a run/walk strategy, where the walk intervals allow the running muscles a recovery period. As fitness improves the run periods can be extended. There is is a "get around" plan based on 4 days a week (iirc). Is it optimum : no, will it achieve what you want: probably. Run it by the physio.

Personally I tried it in my early days and hated it - the disruption to my rhythm was sucked the joy out of the run - but I do know several people who use it to achieve sub-4hr times.

On your original post: Forget about about what people think - you're doing this for yourself. If you finish before the cut off time and don't get in anyone's way (i.e. don't start near the front), then you can achieveyourgoals.

Chivito550

rom wrote: »

Telling the OP that he needs to lose weight to get faster at the stage he is at is complete BS.

I do agree on not listening to other people regarding weight. I was told I had broad shoulders when I was as big as a house with a BMI in excess of 30.

As the OP is clearly lacking training any toning up will come from proper training.
Weight should not be the focus with a BMI of 24.9 as it is in this case. Now it is was 25 then ....

Regards
- The odd exception

It's not BS if it could be a cause of his injuries.

rom

Chivito550 wrote: »

It's not BS if it could be a cause of his injuries.

It much more likely its the trails he is running on but I wouldn't like to speculate.

RonanP77

A mixture of flat feet, rough surface and overdoing it most likely caused the injuries to start with.

Dubgal72

RonanP77 wrote: »

A mixture of flat feet, rough surface and overdoing it most likely caused the injuries to start with.

Hi Ronan, just dipped into this thread, fair play you're still here :-) I trained for the marathon this year and yes, it is possible to do it in 5-8 months. But....
If you're already injury prone, sort that out first. Also go to a specialist running shop and have your gait looked at (amphibian King for example). They can recommend a shoe for flat feet (my prob too!). Seriously, marathon training, you are gonna be asking a lot from your poor ol body so give it a chance and get the injuries sorted.There's a good chance your injuries may be exacerbated by poor running form so have a look into that. A good site to start with is chi running, there are several practitioners in Ireland and a very very good one in Dublin area.Your 5k time suggests you have potential but if you want to get the max out of yourself, build an injury-free base of at least 12 months. Think Dublin 2016. Good luck!

Enduro

RonanP77 wrote: »

A mixture of flat feet, rough surface and overdoing it most likely caused the injuries to start with.

Actually rough surfaces are more likely to stenghten up your "stabilising" muscles by actually training them, and make you less injury prone in the long term.

RonanP77

I twisted my ankle on rocks and tree roots a few times while running in Bailieborough and Virginia forests. The physio agrees though that in general it's better for me than road running.

I've been to Amphibian King and got Brooks runners with a band that pulls my arches up a bit while I run. The damage was already done at that stage though. I'll have to google Chi running and see what I think of it.

kerry4sam

RonanP77 wrote: »

One of my big things on my bucket list is to run a Marathon. If I never get to that level through running, for what ever reason, is it frowned upon to walk one? Or walk 75% of it?

I'm just talking about the Irish ones now so I'd imagine there's no time limit on them but if you hobble home after 6ish hours do people reckon you had no business being there? Or is it accepted that maybe people like walking really long distances too?

RonanP77 wrote: »

I hadn't thought about it like that. Hopefully I'll get the all clear to run again in the new year anyway and build up my distances slowly to eventually run one. The walking or run/walk is a fall back plan. If I were to do that, I'd be starting behind all the runners, no point in holding up anyone faster than you. Even when I'm running at events I start with the walkers so I don't get in anyones way.

I'm just going to Thank You for starting this thread. Wishing you Well in 2015 in perhaps jogging/running-portions/walking some of the way BUT Completing a Marathon.

Something for me to look into for 2015 if I'm honest. Getting my body back into fitness mode again now after so long, and some very good & helpful tips & linkies in your thread here

Thanks Again,
kerry4sam