MarkedMan says:

I've been training for the Marine Corps and just went for a 3:15 run today. I was only able to run 3:08 minutes and then walked 15 more minutes. I completed 15 miles running and about 2/3 of a mile walking. I was so tired I was literally sucking wind on the walking part - the whole way. My question - Do I have a chance in h*ll of finishing a Marathon running? It is six weekends from now.

Against me: I'm 48, I had pneumonia and pleurisy in July and had to take several weeks off, I am 6' 1" but only a 33" inseam and weigh 205, heat and humidity just wipe me out.

Things going for me: the route I'm training on is very hilly (no real choice, as I live in the hills), I've lost 15 pounds during this training session, the race is the end of October (let's hear it for cloudy and cool in DC).

I know I'll finish, but I really, really want to finish running. Preferably in 4'30" but I'll take any time as long as I run the whole way. Does anyone think I have a shot?

 RunnerGirl77 says:

Marked Man, we all have runs where we "tank" at the end of the distance or time. The purpose of the Long Run is to extend the distance that your body can keep moving, giving yourself a better chance of repeating this EASIER on race day.

You have a few things going for you here. MCM is still 1-1/2 months away, enough time for four more of the "longer" Long Runs to extend your distance. If you are new to running anything over 12 miles, the first time through marathon training can be an "eye opening" experience.

MCM is a late October marathon. Let's hear it for being able to run in cold or at least cool weather! My best race times at ANY distance have been run between late October and late March, and I live in the area of Buffalo, NY, home of the Lake Effect.

Lastly, you are training on hills. MCM does have a bit of an elevation change at the start, but after that, it pretty much resembles a pancake. You will be SO much stronger from your training, that this may feel like a walk in the park. I might suggest driving a bit to an area where you can run a couple Long Runs on flatter terrain, just so you have a feel for it before race day.

Don't be afraid to walk your water stops. Getting fluids into you will improve your running performance, and even with the walking, it will only amount to roughly two minutes of waterstop time during the entire race. Most water stops pass by quicker than we give them credit for.

Please post back and let us know how it goes.

 irpete says:

Marked Man, I too am training for the MCM (my first marathon). I've had a bad time at work lately and just returned home for the first time in the last 3 weeks. I have tried to keep my runs up while I was traveling but the most I could squeeze in was a 5 miler about 3 times a week. I'm hoping that I can hit it hard for the next 3 weeks before scaling back before the race.

As for walking, I too did not want to walk during the race but after talking to several friends who have run the MCM before they say that you pretty much have to walk through the water stations because of the crowds. With this in mind I have tried to add in short 1 min walks every 2 miles to get used to starting and stopping. Prior to this, it has always been very hard for me to get going again once I stopped for a walk.

I also hate the heat and humidity. I have been trying to hit the road at 5am on my long runs to avoid the DC heat during the summer.

I would say to keep plugging away with your program...There is nothing wrong with walking when your body needs it. Good luck!! See you at the finish line.

 MarkedMan says:

Thanks for your encouragement, it helped a lot.

Progress report: I just went for another long run. I was able to run for 3:32, which is 24 more minutes than last week. I ran 17.8 miles, which is 2.8 miles more than last week. I walked maybe another half mile at the end. I felt significantly better when I finished and during the last half hour, except for my legs which were just as bad, but on the other hand, that last half hour came almost a half hour later.

Next week I'll try for 4:00 of running and hope to solidly break 20 miles. If only I could keep my steady pace longer! The last half hour I could have been passed by a toddler, but at least I wasn't walking...