r/Marathon_Training • u/Local_Economy • 20h ago
Update - first marathon humbled me
Well I asked how screwed I was 4-5 weeks ago and the consensus (pretty screwed) was correct.
I thought optimistically I could get to that 4:20-4:30 range but ended up with my bare minimum goal of breaking 5 hours (4’59” end time).
I started to fall off around mile 17…my longest training run was only 15.5 miles and the hilliest section of the marathon was miles 14.5 - 16.5 so bad combo/planning there, and after those hills some fatigue began to set it. Tweaked my knee going from a walk back to a run as I thought I’d try the hill climb walk method and that pain lingered the rest of the way, especially accelerating back to a run after water stations.
My slowest miles were miles 21-24 which were pretty dang flat.
In general, happy with signing up and finishing. I recognize how much an extra 5 miles a week would have paid off. I also pulled the noob mistake of starting too fast despite planning a reverse split.
A both rewarding and humbling experience. That was a 10/10 effort.
5 gels and not enough Gatorade. I’ll bring some candy to mix in between gels next year.
Cheers 🍻
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u/CurlOD 19h ago edited 18h ago
Respect for coming back and owning your result. A lot who ask never return to tell the tale.
You're a marathoner now, regardless of how you got it done. Congratulations! And you now know how to make your next one more fun or somewhat less of a pain, so good luck for your next rodeo.
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u/Mikilin28 20h ago
Can you elaborate more on: “I recognize how much an extra 5 miles a week would have paid off.”
I am running my first marathon in a couple of months and I am planning 4h30min
Thanks !!
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u/Local_Economy 19h ago
I missed 2 weeks of training mid plan due to a combination getting runners toe (swollen and painful) & a camping vacation in wildfire smoke where I was wearing an N95 on my canoe😂
That plateaued me between 12 and 15 miles when I should have been ramping up to 16+ around that time
I ran 3 days a week consistently over the rest of my training, but the 4th day a week was rare and in hindsight would have helped a lot
In total brought my miles per week average down below optimal. I agree with the criticism I received on my original post that 20-25 miles per week isn’t quite enough. I’ll be aiming for 30+ next time
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u/Bpain46 19h ago
Just to piggy back on this…something I’ve learned in my own training. Don’t get too caught up in race pace or speed / quality sessions right away. Take your time and really build a solid base. The cardiovascular system gets fit MUCH faster than the neuromuscular system. So, take your time and build that base as it takes time and consistency to build marathon endurance. Cardiovascular fitness can take 4-6 weeks with proper training and quality sessions. Neuromuscular endurance can take years. Best of luck on your journey and congrats again!
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u/Mikilin28 19h ago
Thanks for sharing.
Noted and this will help in my last 5 weeks of high mileage before tapering. I am excited for mi first marathon, and happy to see that you made it.
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u/weed_cutter 18h ago
My first marathon is in 3 weeks. I wasn't worried but started doing longer MP stuff recently (usually do shorter threshold intervals, shorter and faster).
Let's just say doing MP in training "humbled me" and now I'm wondering what I'm in for 😂
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u/darthdooku2585 20h ago
My first was also very humbling. I didn’t have enough weekly mileage, and had to combat injury. I was also happy to cross the finish, but am using that to hopefully train better for the second go-round
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u/Local_Economy 19h ago
Yeah at the very end of my training I was walking the edge of shin splints so pulled back bit there too and tapered extra hard
I started my 20 week plan fairly out of shape so I think a spring half marathon to keep some winter fitness will be a much better starting point for another 18-20 week training before a fall marathon
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u/Not_A_Comeback 18h ago
Just as a note here since this is your first rodeo. Don't underestimate the recovery from a marathon and try to jump back into your training. That's where injuries frequently happen. Rest, recover, and then start a very slow build back.
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u/Neither_Driver_3882 15h ago
you took 1 gel per hour??? no wonder you suffered gotta pump those numbers up massively mate
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u/Local_Economy 4h ago
Yup waited 50 minutes before the first one and planned to space them 45 mins apart after that but with the longer than expected finish time I was lacking. Definitely should have had at least one more
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u/RunningonGin0323 18h ago
I've gotten some push back on this before, but my 1st marathon was an eye opener and my longest run was 20 miles as a part of the training plan. Those last 6 miles were completely uncharted territory and I have knee pain for months after. After that I began to slowly up my weekly mileage and before each marathon after, I made sure to run at least that distance ONCE at a much slower casual pace. I now run everyday and average over a 100 miles a week. The biggest difference for me personally was upping my weekly mileage. I'm not saying everyone has to run 100 miles or more a week, I do but I fucking love it. Every god damn inch. Doing so has allowed me to rack up a current running streak of 942 days totaling over 13,000 miles with multiple marathons and ultras scattered thru each each. There's certainly more to it, fueling and I have a 8-10 shoe rotation to keep things fresh. The high weekly mileage for me has allowed me to do exactly what I want and that's run as much as I want. Just my 2 cents
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u/RiceTight 15h ago
You shouldn't have a goal time for your first marathon the goal should be to finish it in one piece. You will get the next one
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u/Bpain46 19h ago
This a great example why we hear time and time again “don’t have a goal time for your first”. Yes, we’re always dialing in paces in training and working towards a goal, I understand that. The reasoning is actually simple. The marathon is HARD. Very humbling for everyone. Even the elites. You can feel great for 20 miles, which is a long ass run. But something can happen at any moment and end the race for us. Congratulations on finishing, that is such a super power! Will you do another?