I’ve gotten a number of questions about how and why I decided to run a marathon. Usually, when people are thinking about a marathon, one of their first comments is “oh I’m not sure if I could do that.” The thing is if you’d like to run a marathon, you can!
Here’s the thing about running a marathon. The race is hard (the hardest thing I’ve ever done) but it’s the training that is the biggest challenge. After running two (and a half, kinda) marathons, these are the things I think you should consider if you are asking yourself if you should run a marathon:
- Do you have the time to devote a few hours to running each weekend? This was the biggest challenge for me. I got used to it, but running double digit miles each weekend takes up time. And recovering from running double digit miles (especially when you are running 16, 18, 20+) takes quite a bit of time as well. I got used to waking up with the sun each Saturday morning to run.
- Are you prepared to change your social life a bit to accommodate your running? This looks differently for everyone, but for me, it meant that I pretty much didn’t go out on Friday nights during marathon training. I wouldn’t drink on Friday nights either (not that that was a huge adjustment, but it sometimes stunk) because I always wanted to be as clearheaded as possible before running for 2+ hours Saturday am.
- Do you have training partners? For me, this was huge. I never would’ve made it through this winter without my training group. You might not like running with others, but I would urge you to consider trying it for your long runs. Running for hours alone every weekend can be very taxing and it’s more fun if you have others to commiserate with! Plus, everyone gets a bit crazy during points in marathon training and having folks you understand your crazy is key. 🙂
Those are three things that I think everyone should think about before signing up for a marathon. Obviously you should examine your fitness level and all those good things (maybe get a physical, too!), but I imagine you’re all thinking about that already.
Ran a marathon? What else do you think folks should consider before they sign up?
I am thinking of questions #2 and #3 as I prepare for marathon #2 this fall! For #2 – I am debating whether I would like to do my long runs on Saturday or Sunday (I am looking at the PRR distance program – #3, luckily they said I could switch between locations). I am thinking I would prefer to do my long runs on Saturday morning since I tend to be a hermit Friday nights after a long work week 🙂
I also consider training conditions (spring marathon = training through cold DC winter, fall marathon = training through hot DC summers). Luckily, I am getting use to training in the winter – perhaps a spring marathon in my future.
Jennifer recently posted…Tasty Thursday: Tomato Soup and a Smoothie
I HIGHLY recommend the PRR DTP – it is fantastic and well worth the cost! I may do the program to help get ready for my goal fall race 🙂
This post came at just the right time as there are so many folks out here on the interweb deciding if they should sign up for the WDW marathon which just opened up. Myself included!
Meranda@fairytalesandfitness recently posted…Fitness Contest!
These are great points to consider. I am just getting back into the swing of running post motherhood. Training for my first 10K and aiming for my first Half later in the year. Now a full marathon… One day.
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Thanks for the tips! I’m considering running one in a year or two. I hope to get a few more half marathons under my belt before I start running crazy long distances!
Kristen recently posted…My Summer/Fall Racing Schedule!
Great post and all the things I’ve been thinking about more and more. 2015 could be my year 😉
Michelle @ Running with Attitude recently posted…Training Check-in Week 6
I think people have to realize that the training is way harder than the actual race.
Abby @ BackAtSquareZero recently posted…All Blinged Out: Jewelry Time
Great points! At this point I’ve only ever run halfs (halves? surely it’s halfs….) – because of the training commitment. Long runs of 20 miles take so much time, it’s hard to imagine fitting it in. A running group would help hugely. Also I find a lot of the marathons near me to be super expensive! Finding a smaller one with a smaller cap on entry (and, yes, less cool bling, but that’s okay) would be my ideal.
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