Steve1967 says:

Today I was going to run a full 26 training marathon. I only was able to get 21 in. Heat, lack of water and quite frankly the distance hit me at about mile 18. I think I could have finished it, but the sun was blazing hot today (for me) and did not want to risk an injury to finish.

I am training for the PF Chang's marathon in Jan and would like to ask the masses for tips and what works best. I have been going by trial and error, but it's getting too close to figure it out along the way.

Any insight would be most appreciated.

 Hogpharm says:

If you can get 21 in on a training run, you will be able to do 26.2 without much increase in training, especially a big event like PFCM. The crowd and aid stations will make it much easier than what you did today. Most will say your first should be about finishing and not stressing to much about how fast you finish, probably some wisdom in that. If you are not using some type of gel or other energy supplement during your training runs you should be and I would say at minimum you want to use them every 45 mins when you are going further than 18 to avoid glycogen depletion and the bonk. Probably the biggest trick now is staying injury free until then. Congrats on the 21 miler.

 azkarenrun says:

Steve,

Wow! 21 miles this far out from the race is a lot, especially for someone who has not done a marathon before. Most training plans recommend slowly building to one 20-mile run three weeks before the race. A few do slightly longer runs (21-22) and some do multiple 20-milers for experienced marathoners. I recommend following a training plan. If you go to halhigdon.com, you can get a training plan for free. Since you've already proven you're able to go a super-long distance, you may want to pick the Novice II or Intermediate plan. Whatever you do, give your body time to recover from your run yesterday. Anything over 18 miles requires some serious rest so your cells can recover. Not taking that rest time can set you up for injury/illness.

Hogpharm is right about the crowds and the music. They both help so much in getting you from mile to mile. Have fun in Phoenix! I'll be there cheering for the runners.

 beerRahn says:

I concur with Hogpen and Azkarenrun.
You're way to far out to be stressed about that kind of mileage. 3 months away, your long runs are in most training plans would barely be hitting the half marathon distance.

As far as experimenting with food/drink/gels etc, you have more than enough time. 12+ weekends to go, gives you 12 runs, plus any shorter ones you want to experiment on.

At this point, I'd start studying the elevation profile, and try to get your training to match, if noy exceed, whatever is on the PFCM course. (Doing more hills won't hurt you. If you don't do any and there are some on the course, you're going to be hating it. Trust me on this one!)

 MarkedMan says:

Steve1967,
You are doing great! I'm training for the Marine Corps Marathon October 26 and wish I had been able to do 21 miles 3 months ago.

I'm guessing from your user name that you are 41 years old. I'm 48, so this is middle-aged advice here: be careful on letting yourself get run down due to lack of water or overheating. I've found that if I really drain myself all the way down during a long run, I am much more likely to get sick a few days later. Then boom, I can't train at all.

Good luck!

 Steve1967 says:

AZKarenrun,

Thank you that is exactly what I am looking for. MUCH appreciated!

I forgot to add that I only had 2 gel packs with me, but doing some follow up research, 2 was no where near enough. Should have had 2 or 3 before mile 10.

MarkedMan, yep 41, middle aged?? OUCH, LOL, I was feeling a little under the weather yesterday, I think it was due to some spicey food I ate though. I am definately letting my body recover, feel much much better today. Gotta go get some new shoes and then maybe do 5-7 afterwards.

bigRahn, I do incorporate hills and such in my runs. Have a few gnarly ones at that, some are short steep ones and others are long gradual inclines.

Thanks for your insight.

 azkarenrun says:

BigRahn is right about checking out the elevation profile. I can tell you from experience, having run it twice. It is absolutely FLAT. There is a very slight downhill starting around mile 18. That tiny bit of a descent killed my quads last year. It may sound goofy, but I would try to get a lot of flat running in if you can, but not sure that's possible in Santa Barbara (not stalking, its in your profile). On hilly courses, your muscles get a bit of a "break" by changing the way they work when you go up or down. On flat courses, its the same the entire time. I know there's a lot to deal with in marathon training. Just remember that hill training will make you stronger and long, flat runs will give you endurance (physical and mental), so both are important.

Keep practicing with the gels. Everybody has their own timing with those. I do them every 45 minutes and other people I know do them every five miles. When I did my last long run, I nearly gagged on my last one so I'm wondering if I need to switch to ShotBloks after mile 15 or so.

Let us know how things go.

Karen

 sudsysgl says:

EEK! I find all the training talk very helpful, somewhat overwhelming, and higly technical for me. I am working off a schedule that tracks time running. some interval runs, some tempo runs, a few hills, sprinting finishes, and some long times, which i am set to start next week. i find myself stronger almost every run, but am getting more and more intimidated by the chat around need for supplements, when to down them, etc. I figure the climate and path in Las Vegas is very similar to here at home, so if I build my endurance and train to schedule I should make the 26,,,,not too worried about how long that takes, although the personal goal is under 5 hours. Am i insane???

 azkarenrun says:

mikkysgl,

You are absolutely NOT insane. You are following a schedule that includes all the components of a good marathon training program. That is the most important part. You've looked at what Vegas will be like so you shouldn't have any big surprises. You may find as you get to your longer runs, that you need supplements. Or you may do just fine without them. That's one of the reasons your long runs are so helpful. Besides building up your endurance, they let you test how your body reacts to being out there so long. Your goals are exactly as they should be for a first marathon. Keep up the great work! I've heard Vegas is a blast!

 sudsysgl says:

thank you Karen....i am insane, but not maybe about this marathon. I suppose the worse that happens is i dont finish, and i know that won't be an option, uess my legs fall off