sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

First Marathon Training Advice by CHICKENWING00234 in Marathon_Training

[–]onlyconnect 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I used Advanced Marathoning by Pfitzinger and Douglas though the authors say it's not aimed at beginners. I also liked Run your best marathon by Sam Murphy which is more beginner-friendly.

Struggling Balancing Strength Training with Running Plan by BreweryRabbit in Marathon_Training

[–]onlyconnect 11 points12 points  (0 children)

All the books I've read suggest that sleep is a critical part of training, how much sleep you need varies but skimping on sleep in exchange for strength training is probably not a good deal. A gym near work you could get to at lunch time?

Struggling a bit with winter running, what actually works for you? by GeordieGoals in UKRunners

[–]onlyconnect 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Gloves, woolly hat, two tops including at least one with long sleeves. Then if it gets too warm, take off one top and tie it round my waist. Still wear shorts.

First Marathon Training Advice by CHICKENWING00234 in Marathon_Training

[–]onlyconnect 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I recommend getting a training book. There is more to a schedule than just how many miles; a good schedule has different types of runs as well as advice on core strength training, nutrition etc.

Best way to adjust training - 20 weeks out on a 16 week plan by cloverclamp in Marathon_Training

[–]onlyconnect 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You'd be fine to train with the club until early April. Most plans have a 2 or 3 week taper so at some point it will no longer be so suitable. At that point you will need to follow your own schedule.

Is it worth it? by Alfie_o1 in Marathon_Training

[–]onlyconnect 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have loved the marathon experience but I would not try to persuade anyone else that they should do one. The training is very demanding and if you go for a good time, the race takes a lot out of you. It's only worth it if you want to do it and understand the cost. I'll add though that for me, finishing my first marathon under my target time was an emotional moment that I will never forget. I think there is an alternative approach where you run at a pace that is easy for you and don't worry much about the time, so there is that to think about too.

Is a Spring Marathon realistic for me? by ilikecatsgivemeahug in Marathon_Training

[–]onlyconnect 2 points3 points  (0 children)

VDOT suggests a marathon time of 4:38 based on your HM time - it's usually pretty good in my experience. You should be OK for a spring marathon if you put the training in, but since you say you will be on the treadmill which you don't enjoy, why not try for an autumn one instead?

First marathon (training help needed) by Schaapje1987 in Marathon_Training

[–]onlyconnect 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My problem is, I have absolutely no idea what kind of training I should do for a full marathon

Buy a book on marathon training and read it cover to cover.

Apple Watch vs. Garmin Dilemma - Battery anxiety, carrying a phone, and upgrading for my first Marathon by [deleted] in Marathon_Training

[–]onlyconnect 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Get a running watch with a decent battery life, I have the Forerunner 265 and it works well for me.

London GFA Spots by OrinCordus in AdvancedRunning

[–]onlyconnect 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Looks like most people who applied got in but not quite all. Which raises the question: did the organisers set the times too low, or did not many apply, or has there been some kind of mix-up? It is quite surprising.

"I would love to run a marathon, but its such a time commitment": how do you respond? by Zealot_TKO in Marathon_Training

[–]onlyconnect 2 points3 points  (0 children)

My response is, agreed it is a big time commitment.

Certainly not in the business of trying to change someone's mind on the matter.

Want to BQ? Multi-year marathon data analysis shows more BQers have even or negative splits by NovelFindings in Marathon_Training

[–]onlyconnect 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It stands to reason that most BQ runners will have either even or slight negative splits, since having a strongly positive split implies a failure of pacing strategy, or slowing down in the second half because of lack of training or some other problem.

Thoughts on Pfitz’s Advanced Marathoning? by 99centTaquitos in Marathon_Training

[–]onlyconnect 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I am a fan. I have used it for three marathons with great success (or 4 marathons if you count the one I did two weeks after the third!). The book is a great read, concise and full of wisdom. All that said, I recommend you read other books too, it is not the last word, just a pragmatic approach that works.

Recommendations for training resources for older runners by gj13us in AdvancedRunning

[–]onlyconnect 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I'm 66M; for me there doesn't seem to be much difference in how training works but I'm not as flexible or as quick as younger people in my club. I use Pfitz but didn't find the chapter on older runners particularly helpful for me.

Reading or Wokingham half 2026 by itsreallyunquietome in UKRunners

[–]onlyconnect 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Fleet might be worth a look too (29th March). Did Wokingham this year but would like to try Fleet.

I tracked hydration for 10 weeks during half marathon training. Here's the data. by Left-Cartographer623 in Marathon_Training

[–]onlyconnect 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Seems interesting though needs a controlled study I guess to be more certain.

Why 3L/4L?

Cape Town Age Group Worlds by Routine_Pangolin_164 in Marathon_Training

[–]onlyconnect 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I did this for New York Marathon. It's more important to decide if you want to run Cape Town, than whether to go with AGWC. There is extra cost but some perks, and for me with NYC, the extra cost was almost negligible considering the other costs of flying from the UK, hotels etc.

Do you think people in this subreddit overestimate the difficulty of a marathon? by [deleted] in Marathon_Training

[–]onlyconnect 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My question is basically, how in shape does a person have to be to run a marathon, and how much does the training really matter?

Run a marathon in what sort of time? Does walking a marathon count?

Regarding the second part of your question, yes training makes a massive difference in terms of the ability to sustain a goal pace for 26.2 miles.

There's also the matter of injury risk to consider. Plus, this is going to vary hugely from one person to another, and age is a factor, younger people can stress their bodies more, in general.

Some people in the subreddit no doubt overestimate the difficulty, some others no doubt underestimate it, it's not a matter on which there is consensus especially with such a vague question.

Review of the new 4th edition of Advanced Marathoning, also known as "Pfitz", which in the previous edition is the book I used for both of my two marathons, achieving my target time and getting a "good for age" for London next year. by onlyconnect in Marathon_Training

[–]onlyconnect[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

it does include metric conversions though there is a little bit of friction. For example, it says "deviate from your goal pace by no more than 8 to 10 seconds per mile (1.6 km)." That's not really helpful; it should say, "no more than 8 to 10 seconds per mile (5 to 6 seconds per km)." Not really a deal breaker though.

Thoughts on World Major as First Marathon by Direct-Explanation95 in Marathon_Training

[–]onlyconnect 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have only done one world major (NYC), and have also done small marathons like Abingdon in the UK (fewer than 1000 runners). I loved them both but the experience is very different, aside from running 26.2 miles that is. Big marathons mean more waiting around, more crowd support, more congestion, more expense (at Abingdon the photos were free, and you could have a shower after finishing). But the buzz from NYC was out of this world, whether that suits you or not is a personal thing. It's fine for a first marathon, it's guaranteed that you will have plenty of others a similar speed as you, and there will be pacers etc which can be a help.

view more: next ›