Marathon this year? Not Dublin

Utdfan20titles

Hi runners,

Long time reader of many forums on here but only registered recently so I could start posting. I'm not a serious runner by any means (20m a week approx), but completing a marathon has always been a lifetime ambition of mine. I suppose I should probably commit to it sooner rather than later before i get too old! I was looking at the Dublin Marathon of 2016 as a target so I would have enough time to put in the huge amount of training I've heard is required first.

However, the FB updates around yesterday's closing date for the 2015 race piqued my interest and had me reading many threads on the athletics forums here with great interest. What I've learned from that is that I seem have been overly cautious and put this race on an unnecessary pedastal.

So my question is where can I sign up to run a marathon asap since it's too late for Dublin now

There are 12 weeks left until Christmas, that leaves a maximum of 10 weeks training if you are running on Christmas Day. Realistically, the latest marathon you're probably looking at would be early December, which means you have 6 weeks of training available to you.

Spring would be a more realistic target.

aquinn

You are running 20pw which is the first week of the Boards plan of a 17 week marathon training plan. It's good to have a target race but factor in sickness/holidays and Winter is coming. If you have a good training plan and can't follow it due to commitments you may find yourself booked in for a race and unable to do it so see how increasing your mileage goes and have a target race in mind but I wouldn't enter it immediately. I did DCM last year and started the 17 week plan but still didn't enter the marathon until the end of July.

Utdfan20titles

[Deleted User] wrote: »

There are 12 weeks left until Christmas, that leaves a maximum of 10 weeks training if you are running on Christmas Day. Realistically, the latest marathon you're probably looking at would be early December, which means you have 6 weeks of training available to you.

Spring would be a more realistic target.

Your probably right . Wish I'd signed up yesterday now.

Utdfan20titles

Utdfan20titles wrote: »

Your probably right . Wish I'd signed up yesterday now.

You would have thrown €90 down the drain if you had signed up yesterday, most runners doing Dublin have already completed a 20 mile run or will do so this weekend, and then the 2-3 weeks immediately prior to the marathon (which is three weeks away on Monday) are tapering to prepare the body for the big day.

Look for something in Spring/Summer.

Ososlo

Utdfan20titles wrote: »

What I've learned from that is that I seem have been overly cautious and put this race on an unnecessary pedestal.

So my question is where can I sign up to run a marathon asap since it's too late for Dublin now

Clonakilty is in December. http://runclon.ie/

I don't think you're being overly-cautious at all.

You're only currently running 20 miles per week. I don't think you should consider one for another year or so. Dublin 2016 sounds like a perfect target.
Get your basic weekly mileage up safely to about 40-50 miles per week and you'll find the marathon specific training much easier and will have less likelihood of ending up injured like so many novices who jump into a marathon before they're properly ready for it.

Yes of course you could get around a marathon sooner than that but what's the rush? Why not wait until you're better prepared and do it justice? What age are you anyway?

Utdfan20titles

aquinn wrote: »

You are running 20pw which is the first week of the Boards plan of a 17 week marathon training plan. It's good to have a target race but factor in sickness/holidays and Winter is coming. If you have a good training plan and can't follow it due to commitments you may find yourself booked in for a race and unable to do it so see how increasing your mileage goes and have a target race in mind but I wouldn't enter it immediately. I did DCM last year and started the 17 week plan but still didn't enter the marathon until the end of July.

Jaysus, that's only the first week?
I thought I read plans here with much less than that. Is that one for pros?

Utdfan20titles

Utdfan20titles wrote: »

Jaysus, that's only the first week?
I thought I read plans here with much less than that. Is that one for pros?

That's a novice plan for first timers!

adrian522

I think it would way too late to sign up to Dublin yesterday if you are only doing 20 Miles per week.

You should target something in February, March or April if you are eager to get it done early 2016. Bear in mind that you will be doing most of your training through the winter in that case.

If you are willing to travel to Europe there are loads of great options in the Spring. If you'd rather wait until Dublin 2016, you could slowly build up your mileage and look at starting a full Marathon plan around late June/early July and be properly prepared for your first Marathon.

adrian522

Utdfan20titles wrote: »

Jaysus, that's only the first week?
I thought I read plans here with much less than that. Is that one for pros?

Hal Higdon Novice 1 may suit you, starts at 15 MPW

http://www.halhigdon.com/training/51137/Marathon-Novice-1-Training-Program

Utdfan20titles

Thanks for the responses whoopsdaisy, aquinn & Osolo .
Maybe I will leave it until next year so. Seems like a lot more effort than I originally expected. 20 miles in the first week of 17!

What's with the personal question Osolo? Id rather not discuss my age.

Ososlo

Utdfan20titles wrote: »

What's with the personal question Osolo? Id rather not discuss my age.

When you said 'before I get too old' I wondered if maybe you were 102! Then you might be too old. Then again...

Notwork Error

On second thought, might be serious. I'd give it a miss for this year too Utdfan. You should already be built up to the amount of mileage that a plan starts with before doing doing the actual full plan. Something to focus on over the next few months and get in shape for the training.

ultraman1

Utdfan20titles wrote: »

What's with the personal question Osolo? Id rather not discuss my age.

Ososlo wrote: »

Hhhmmm interesting. .....get knocked up for the sake of my running???

Life begins at 40ish....:)

Utdfan20titles

After reading the replies and other threads on the forum and thinking about it a bit I've decided to leave my first marathon until Dublin next year. It seems that there's no comparison unless I want to travel abroad which I don't.

This place is a bit weird.
You get loads of people asking for advice, then completely ignoring it.
Why ask in the first place?

aquinn

Wise decision. DCM 2016 would also help you prepare with the race series so you can race with your training with a plan that incorporates them. There is Cork Marathon on June Bank Holiday and Belfast in April maybe but I've heard it's tough. The support in Dublin is incredible.