When to start marathon plan

kukkanen

Right, after missing out on DCM in October, I have booked a spring marathon in mid-April next year.

Currently running 3 times a week, averaging 25-30 km a week, but planning on increasing this slowly.

This will be my first ever marathon, so looking to get advice on plans and when to start - how long would a novice plan need to be to get me over the finish line ?

Should I follow the novice plan that was posted here and start from week 1?

LukFwd

Most plans for Novices are 16-18 weeks long. Mid April means you could start a 16 week plan in the last week of Dec. I’d concentrate on building up the mileage between now and then.

kukkanen

Excellent - I found an 18 week plan which I'll kick off mid December. What's the recommended mileage I should aim for - bearing in mind that I am doing approx 25km a week at the moment - so need to increase it slowly.

BKWDR

Im carbon copy on this, signed up for marathon in March.

Start my 16 week plan next week.

Was reading too much into the 'plan' and what days to do what runs etc. Im just going to personally focus on planning the week ahead and making sure i get out and to factor in a long run a week and to increase the distance gradually (up to 20 mile then taper)

Factor in plenty of rest days, dont be trying to catch up on mileage and factor in something else other than running into your training. For me its doing a bit of yoga, even off youtube, it helps build strength and doubles up as a good stretching routine, which i was lacking when i ran DCM in 2017.

kukkanen

This makes so much sense. I don't want to start resenting the "plan" as have a very busy life with two smallies, a long commute (2hr each way most days), so need to be flexible.

I am looking at different activities to add in, sound advice here !

ooter

kukkanen wrote: »

Right, after missing out on DCM in October, I have booked a spring marathon in mid-April next year.

Currently running 3 times a week, averaging 25-30 km a week, but planning on increasing this slowly.

This will be my first ever marathon, so looking to get advice on plans and when to start - how long would a novice plan need to be to get me over the finish line ?

Should I follow the novice plan that was posted here and start from week 1?

when i trained for my first marathon the furthest i had ran was 10k and like yourself i was getting out 3 times a week and doing about 15 miles a week. i followed the hal higdon novice 1 plan and it worked out grand.
best of luck with your spring marathon.

BKWDR

kukkanen wrote: »

This makes so much sense. I don't want to start resenting the "plan" as have a very busy life with two smallies, a long commute (2hr each way most days), so need to be flexible.

I am looking at different activities to add in, sound advice here !

I dont have that commute but i have the two smallies too so im trying to get my training done at times that have least impact on family life.

Look up a sports massage person too ... maybe get the legs rubbed down every 4 weeks or so, big benefit when you start cranking the miles up.
The main aim is to get to the start line injury free and with some sense of looking forward to it and enjoying it.

kukkanen

Perfect, this is the plan I had earmarked as well. Thanks !

Ceepo

BKWDR wrote: »

Im carbon copy on this, signed up for marathon in March.

Start my 16 week plan next week.

Was reading too much into the 'plan' and what days to do what runs etc. Im just going to personally focus on planning the week ahead and making sure i get out and to factor in a long run a week and to increase the distance gradually (up to 20 mile then taper)

Factor in plenty of rest days, dont be trying to catch up on mileage and factor in something else other than running into your training. For me its doing a bit of yoga, even off youtube, it helps build strength and doubles up as a good stretching routine, which i was lacking when i ran DCM in 2017.

I'd agree with most of the post tbh..
But yoga building strength.....really?
That's a new one in me!

BKWDR

Ceepo wrote: »

I'd agree with most of the post tbh..
But yoga building strength.....really?
That's a new one in me!

Core strength and upper body! For me anyways

A lot of the poses held for a while help upper body

It's not like HIT or free weights but if running only it definitely works as a cross train element if working to a plan and added bonus that it's a great stretch for hamstrings / calves back

Ceepo

BKWDR wrote: »

Core strength and upper body! For me anyways

A lot of the poses held for a while help upper body

It's not like HIT or free weights but if running only it definitely works as a cross train element if working to a plan and added bonus that it's a great stretch for hamstrings / calves back

As I cant feel what you feel, I cant say that you are not building strength.... but you are the 1st person I've heard say that yoga builds strength..
As for stretching your hamstring/calves... you might be better off looking to see why they're getting tight in the 1st place...;)

BKWDR

Ceepo wrote: »

As I cant feel what you feel, I cant say that you are not building strength.... but you are the 1st person I've heard say that yoga builds strength..
As for stretching your hamstring/calves... you might be better off looking to see why they're getting tight in the 1st place...;)

I suppose strength in the sense that planking every day does but I find its good. But yah accept that

Am bit of a divil for not stretching so it kills two birds with one stone

Ceepo

BKWDR wrote: »

I suppose strength in the sense that planking every day does but I find its good. But yah accept that

Am bit of a divil for not stretching so it kills two birds with one stone

Only if you think holding stretching for a period of time is a good thing.
As I said before, find out why they are getting tight in the 1st place, instead of going around the roundabout of stretching muscles and then making them tight again.

ultrapercy

Ceepo wrote: »

As I cant feel what you feel, I cant say that you are not building strength.... but you are the 1st person I've heard say that yoga builds strength..
As for stretching your hamstring/calves... you might be better off looking to see why they're getting tight in the 1st place...;)

Of course yoga increases the strength of muscles thats the whole point surely?

Ceepo

ultrapercy wrote: »

Of course yoga increases the strength of muscles thats the whole point surely?

How and in what context ?

ultrapercy

Ceepo wrote: »

How and in what context ?

By imcreasong durability and range of motion therefore gaining more return for exergy expended. I have very little experience of yoga myself but anyone i know who does it says it makes them stronger.

Ceepo

ultrapercy wrote: »

By imcreasong durability and range of motion therefore gaining more return for exergy expended. I have very little experience of yoga myself but anyone i know who does it says it makes them stronger.

While that sounds good and even plausible, I'm not sure its accurate.
Increased ROM doesn't increase strength. Can it allow for it, maybe in some context..
And holding a muscle in a static stretch like most yoga poses will not increase durability. In order to increase durability or strength you would need to have some form of muscle contraction even in a isometric context. Also holding a muscle in a static stretch has no neurological benefits or transfers into better movement unless you are also activating the opposing muscle..
How would you say that it " returns more energy for energy expended" ?

ted1

kukkanen wrote: »

This makes so much sense. I don't want to start resenting the "plan" as have a very busy life with two smallies, a long commute (2hr each way most days), so need to be flexible.

I am looking at different activities to add in, sound advice here !

Can you incorporate your training into your commute?

kukkanen

ted1 wrote: »

Can you incorporate your training into your commute?

Unfortunately not, it's a near two hour drive, so no chance of running. I have started in the past could of weeks though, to get up at my usual time of 5.15am, hop in the car and drive to the office and do a run before the work day starts. That way I avoid the traffic, get a decent run in and still be showered and ready to go by 9am.

If there is a will there is a way, they say.