Marathon Plan

pavb2 · 26-06-2025 10:24AM #1

Hi all

I'm 62 and run for general fitness average times are about 30 - 35 minutes for 5km and 65 - 70 minutes for 10 km. I have been offered a place in the London Marathon so need to put together a plan. At the moment I'm not trying for a specific finishing time just in getting round. The worst case scenario is not to finish so I don't mind walking part of it so far I've got the following plan.

Downloaded Hal Higdon Novice Half & Marathon plans

I'm using the Garmin Vivoactive 5 watch

I've signed up for a half marathon mid September should I do one or two more next year?

I'll incorporate two gym sessions a week probably spinning and aerobic

Any help would be much appreciated.

Murph_D · 26-06-2025 12:25PM

Hal Higdon novice 1 or 2 will get you there alright without too much fuss. I used Novice 2 for my own debut. Just try to do the runs at the appropriate training paces. Maybe consider signing up for the coaching from the HH people, although you’ll be fine just reading the notes and sticking to the schedule. For London 2026, you would be starting the schedule in December so use the time between now and then building a base, perhaps following a HM plan along the way as you suggest, will keep you motivated. Good luck!

pavb2 · 09-09-2025 05:46PM

Update

I’ve followed the Hal Higdon plan it’s took me 12 weeks to add the 6 km to my long run now at 16 km doing about 120 km per month. Im doing a half marathon this Saturday hope to complete in 2.5 hours. No noticeable weight loss but can improve on my diet.

What is the strategy for water I’m considering a vest and water bladder as I generally use 500 ml after 15/16 km.

Also gels at what point should I take before and during and how often, likewise electrolytes before, during and after.

TheRef · 10-09-2025 09:35AM

Well done getting up to 16km - its a serious achievement. Saying that, 30km/week is on the low side for marathon training, but seeing as you are going for London, you have plenty of time.

Weight loss - you may not see any and that is probably a good thing as calorie decifits will impact your recovery/gains and increase the risk of injury.

Water - when I trained for my first marathon many many years ago I just stashed a water bottle in bushed about a mile from my house and circled back to collect it after an hour or two. You can also get belts that hold 500ml of water without the need for a bladder that is typically 1.5l+.

Gels - for beginners to marathon distance, aim is to take them every 35-40 mins in the race itself, so training is about getting used to taking them as much as it is about needing them. In training, you could take them less frequently as your long run will be less intense and should be partially fueled by your fat stores and not just glycogen that needs replacing. If you don't feel you need them on a 16km run, then don't, but you might find that it does give you a boost. Its somewhat unique to the person. I used to take them every 7km in training on runs over 12k, but now I only take them on runs over 23k, and even then just one every 10km. Then again, I often don't take any water on a 21km training run. Not that I suggest doing it, just that you need to find out what works for you. I wouldn't suggest taking them before a run as I don't see the need. Instead have a good breakfast (or whatever meal/snack you typically have) a little before hand. Gels only really exist as they are easy to carry and consume and generally lower the risk of GI issues. Some don't even bother and instead use jellies or biscuits.

Electrolytes - again, like water and gels, its down to the individual. Some people don't take them except in race week whereas I take 250g Precision Hydration Sodium capsules every 10km on runs over 23k. I sometime take them after a hard run if I didn't take any capsules. Others might pop an electrolyte tablet into their water bottle.

So, I guess what I'm saying is that it all depends on you and your needs and it will take trial and error.

Murph_D · 14-09-2025 10:58PM

How did the half marathon go?

pavb2 · 15-09-2025 12:07PM

Thanks Murph the Kilkenny half went very well the course was good with not too many steep hills, I completed in just over two and a half hours which was fine as I didn't walk, avoided injury and didn't feel any twinges at all. I did feel as though I had a bit more left in me as I deliberately didn't push myself to the limit so all in all a very good milestone towards the marathon.

I was in Malin Head two weeks ago and this was the breakout session for me I ran 15 km around the head with some steep hills and walked 5 km so knew I could get around a half marathon.

The Hal Higdon half marathon programme's last long run was 16 km and I would have liked to have got nearer the half marathon distance as my pace dropped quite a bit for that last 5 km. Gels, electrolyte and water intake was fine I probably drank about 1.5 to 2 litres of water.

I'll drop on to the Hal Higdon 18 week marathon programme but noticed that there are some significant jumps in the long runs for example Week 9 to 10, 16.1 - 24.1 km, Week 12 to 13, 19.3 to 29 km and Week 14 to 15, 22.5 to 32.2 km.

What are people's thoughts on strategy there are 32 weeks to the marathon but 10 weeks left on the Hal Higdon programme if I jump in at the half marathon point. Should I complete the programme and then repeat the last weeks?

I'll complete another half marathon this side of Christmas possibly Waterford and another early next year and maybe find a 32.2 km for my last long run.

Thanks to all for your help and advice so far.

Murph_D · 17-09-2025 07:33AM

If London is a goal race, I'd be doing a specific, marathon-focused training block for that race. Assuming a standard 16-18 week schedule (such as Higdon), that would be starting sometime in December. Between now and then, you could concentrate on base building, consolidating your recent half marathon.

I don't know why you are anxious to do another half this year. Certainly it is a good idea in the final build up to London (5-6 weeks before the marathon, ideally), but targeting another in the meantime is unncessary, and carries risks.

Those significant jumps you mention are possibly because there are 'step back' weeks built into most plans, where you do a recovery week before pushing on to new heights. There's nothing in Higdon beginner or intermediate plans that is not doable by any reasonably committed novice.

Best of luck with it all.

pavb2 · 18-09-2025 02:04PM

Yes that makes sense to have a specific training block aimed towards the London Marathon. My concern is that now I have run a half marathon not having a goal to aim for up to Christmas might make me regress and having got to this level sooner than expected I don’t want to lose momentum

Murph_D · 18-09-2025 10:44PM

I get you, but it really would stand to you long term just to keep working on increasing that weekly mileage, maybe trying to work up your monthly average to 40, then maybe even 50 kms per week. That might be motivational, and maybe you could do some parkruns along the way to see your progress? Ultimately, increasing the mileage is the best and possibly the least complicated way to get faster and more resilient. As long as you keep most of those runs easy. Congrats again on your half.

pavb2 · 24-09-2025 05:04PM

I always need something to aim for so I’ll put together a plan to get up to 40 or 50 km per week.

What distances should I aim to do and how many runs per week?

Would it be realistic or advisable to do this by Jan 1 next year? Excluding the half marathon my long run is currently 16 km.

Murph_D · 29-09-2025 03:20PM

I would keep it as simple as possible - just increase your mileage by about 10% per week (either by adding an extra run, or keep to your schedule while adding a little more distance to one or two of your runs). Don't increase by more than 10% a week, and take a step back week (reduced by a few kms) every fourth week or so. This is to give some recovery. Yes, as part of this I would be building that long run up - but no need to be at much much more than 18-20k or so before heading into a marathon training block.

pavb2 · 26-11-2025 04:38PM

Good afternoon all

I'm running some longer distances now 16 km - 19 km and averaging 35 - 40 km per week. The Hal Higdon 18 week novice training plan starts on 22nd December with 25 km in the first week.

I'm conscious of completing the training plan/block from start to finish but my concern is that following this to the letter I'll be running less than I am at the moment. I could jump in at the eight week stage which is half marathon but this would finish ahead of the marathon date.

So just wondering what my options are and the best way to proceed.

27-11-2025 09:54AM

From a purely social side of things, having a few small volume weeks around Christmas and the new year might not be a bad thing. Fitness wise you won't lose it much dropping back to 25 from 35k for a few weeks. On the other hand if you really want to stay at the level your at then do so,but just make sure you do the sessions as prescribed and the rest slow slow.

pavb2 · 02-12-2025 03:03PM

I was listening to a Paula Ratcliffe podcast about breathing which was very interesting are there any other podcasts or Youtube videos people would recommend.

TheRef · 02-12-2025 03:55PM

Coincidently, I watched the following this morning and it has so much great content that I wish I found it years ago.

https://youtu.be/yxJi-C33ZzY?si=68kXssZvKYHXEIEu

pavb2 · 15-12-2025 03:23PM

Update

I've been doing Parkrun for a few years and its taken me 6 months but I'm now beating previous PB's not because I'm necessarily running faster but my pace would always drop off after about 2.5 - 3 km, now I'm maintaining it for much longer.

The longest run I've done recently is 21.5 km and I have reached my limit I know I'm not ready to run a marathon just yet.

So the plan is to start the 18 week Hal Higdon Novice Plan 2 from the beginning starting on 22nd December and see where that takes me.

Thanks to all for your help and support so far.

pavb2 · 22-12-2025 06:05PM

Up until now I would run by monitoring pace, distance and speed but listening to the best of advice I'm now looking at heart rate and staying in the right training zone.

According to my Garmin watch my resting heart rate is 48 bpm and maximum 172 bpm age 62, weight 86 kg, height 1.75m so what should I aim for to get the most out of my runs?

Trampas · 22-12-2025 06:16PM

Big thing for marathon training is being honest with yourself. What is your easy pace. A lot of people pretend their easy pace is a lot faster than it should be. Most people it leads to one place and it’s an injury

JohnnyChimpo · 24-12-2025 07:09PM

The biggest improvement you'll see is by losing some weight. Only if you feel like doing that though, you're 62 and not a professional athlete so it's whatever you'll get the most personal satisfaction from.

pavb2 · 25-12-2025 01:12AM

Yes I’m conscious that a lot of the information out there is for serious and elite runners whereas my goal is simply to get round.

I thought I’d lose weight as a consequence of the training but that hasn’t been the case. My weight doesn’t seem to change even at times when I’ve cut out sweet things. There is of course the often repeated mantra that you can’t outrun a bad diet so will look at improving that over the next four months unfortunately I don’t drink otherwise that would be the first to go.

Happy Christmas to everyone

JohnnyChimpo · 27-12-2025 10:16AM

Yeah I ran 3700km last year and didn't lose a single ounce. In the last month, I decided to lose some weight to get into optimal racing weight and I've been losing about 1lb/wk, but you absolutely have to track all your calories (I use MyFitnessPal)

liamooooo · 29-12-2025 12:21AM

Check out marathon 50 on YouTube an aussie 68 year old running a marathon in April so the timeliness should merge with yours fairly well , first few ep8sodes have been interesting

pavb2 · 29-12-2025 10:10PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124089559#Comment_124089559

I appreciate going off the Garmin watch isn’t as accurate as other methods and to keep me in the aerobic zone the watch states my heart rate bpm should be 137.

I’ve completed a few 13 km runs at this rate and found it adds about a minute to my pace which to me seems quite slow like a medium jog. I’ll keep going at this as it means I am spending longer running though I do sometimes have to slow right down to keep the heart rate from going into the threshold zone which seems counter intuitive.

I suppose I have to trust the process and hope that training in the heart rate zones rather than by pace or distance will increase my endurance.

Murph_D · 30-12-2025 10:50AM

If you are going to run by heart rate (which I would highly recommend), get yourself a chest strap - the wrist sensor on your watch is not reliable for many runners.

You'll need to test for your maximum - an all out raced 5k or parkrun wearing the chest strap should get you close to the data you need. Then enter the data on your Garmin app to get the various zones.

Going well for you so far. Good luck!

liamooooo · 30-12-2025 04:42PM

I'd be inclined to go on feel. Nice and simple can you have a conversation while doing your zone 2 long stedy runs. How do you recover that day, are you sleeping well and do you feel.motivated for your next run. If yiu are consistently saying yes to all those questions you are training in a range that is letting you develop your aerobic base and run consistently 4 or 5 times a week . That way the fitness comes to you , you don't go chasing it.

Definitely dont use the watch for heart rate and dont focus on pace for your runs. Good to think of running for a lenght of time to get used to been on your feet for longer durations

pavb2 · 16-01-2026 01:28PM

Had a bit of a set back as I had a bad case of the flu, burning like razor blades in the throat for over a week so I'm behind about 40 km of my plan. I'm also going skiing next week so this will probably end up being nearer 80 km including two long runs of about 17 km and 20km. Not sure how detrimental this will be to my progress.

The overall total on the Hal Higdon plan is about 800 km over 18 weeks, I'll have to re-evaluate when I get back as my understanding is you shouldn't try to catch up.

pavb2 · 28-01-2026 05:50PM

So overall I'm abut 67 km behind on my plan but not getting hung up on this I'll just one or two km's to my midweek runs.

I got the heart rate chest monitor the result being that I'm now going slower than with the watch HM. Training by heart rate is really a leap of faith as until I run at my usual pace I wont know how effective this method is.

pavb2 · 20-02-2026 06:50PM

Update

End of week 9 and halfway through the Hal Higdon Plan, 9 more weeks to go. Still training in the aerobic zone as best as possible long run today was 24.1 km. I'm at the end of my endurance level at the finish and probably couldn't go faster but maybe that's the way it should be.

I only took one gel not sure if I should be taking more.

I went with the wife and dog for a 12 km during the week so zone 2 training went out the window and I unintentionally got a new 10 km PB, encouraging and a nice win so maybe the zone 2 training is actually working.

Got about 55 km per week from here on in with long runs from 22 to 32 km.

MisterJinx · 20-02-2026 11:05PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124252026#Comment_124252026

Yes more fuel on the long runs. You need to train your gut as much as training the legs and you need practice taking gels. In training i take them every 40 mins and during the marathon every 25 or 30 mins. It will make a big difference to how you feel during and after the long run when you fuel it properly. Treat these long runs as race day practice for fuel, clothes, shoes etc.

pavb2 · 28-02-2026 10:24PM

Big jump on the long run today to 27.4 I had to walk 2 km out of the last 4 I’m finding it quite tough going at the end. Not even thinking about finishing time will just keep plugging away, 29 km long run next week.

pavb2 · 11-03-2026 02:15PM

The 29km long run was tough but what I found was that usually I would be ok up to 21 km but I found it tough going a lot sooner at 15 km. I'm using electrolytes mixed into alitre of water and gels every half hour.

I’m running about 50 km a week but finding the shorter runs (8 & 13 km ) tough going, legs are very heavy. I can only think this is down to leg fatigue from all the training. I tried an 8 km run yesterday without zone training and didn't find it much easier or myself fitter than before I started the training back in June but again maybe this is down to fatigue.

Anyhow to put things in perspective its a relief to have a 21 km long run this week end which is something I wouldn't have said a year ago.

Marathon Plan

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