From: rhemler@ems.cdc.com (Bob Hemler)
Newsgroups: rec.running
Subject: Re: marathon first-timer seeks advice
Date: 9 Sep 92 21:42:52 GMT
Reply-To: rhemler@ems.cdc.com
Organization: Empros Systems International, a division of CDC

In article <1992Sep9.174045.28948@zeus.ieee.org>, tbont@ep.ieee.org writes:
|> I'm a not-so-experienced runner training for his first marathon (New York,
|> November 1). I have no time goals whatsoever, only survival, and I've
|> latched on to Galloway's book. I picked up the thread on this topic
|> rather late. Rather than opening it all up again, I'll just ask a couple
|> of questions:
|> 
|> 1) With under two months to go, my long run (Sept 7) was the New Haven
|>    20K, which I finished comfortably and without residual soreness. My 
|>    weekly mileage is just over 20. Is the marathon out of the question?

Definitely not.  You should run a few longer runs, however.  If you
can manage at least two longer runs of about 18 miles no later than Oct. 18,
then you have a reasonable chance at success.  Spread those long runs out.
Maybe Sept. 20 and Oct. 11, for example.
|> 
|> 2) A friend of mine--an experienced runner--cautioned me against running
|>    the marathon, in view of the wall at ~30K. He said that regardless of
|>    how far I had gone to date, all bets were off at that distance. What

All bets *are* off, but you do have a reasonable chance.

|>    had attracted me most about Galloway's book was his revised thinking
|>    about the wall and the idea that one must acclimate one's body to the
|>    sheer distance of the marathon. On the other hand, I've seen posts to  
|>    this group warning against overtraining. Is Galloway's premise, however
|>    attractive to the novice, just a bunch of hooey?
|

I've talked with lots of marathoners about their first experiences at that
distance and they vary greatly.  The most satisfied first timers seem to
be those who were patient, not running too fast.  Drinking lots of water,
especially at the first few water stops even if you aren't thirsty, gives
you one less problem to worry about.  Many successful marathons have been
run without high mileage training.  Your greatest risk, IMO, is in
increasing your mileage too fast and getting an injury.

> 
|> 3) The marathon experiences I'm interested in, needless to say, are *first*
|>    ones. Any posts about your first marathons and how you would have run them
|>    differently if you had it to do over would be warmly received.
|> 
|> Thanks to everyone,
|> 
|> Tom

My first was with very inadequate training.  I did not run much more
than you have so far.  The weather was warm; about 80 degrees F, and I 
did not appreciate the dangers of dehydration enough.  I walked the
last few miles and felt lousy.  I count this as a success and a heck of
a training run for my second marathon a month later.  BTW, that was
the Marine Corps Marathon in 1978, followed by the Maryland Marathon.
(My times were about 4 hours and ten minutes followed by 3 hours 
and 23 minutes.  I was age 24 at the time.)

In summary, if you have good weather, no injury due to increasing
mileage too fast, drink lots of fluids, and believe you can do it...
you will do it.  Please tell us how you make out.  

I am planning to run the Twin Cities Marathon on Oct. 4, after
a thirteen year rest from marathons.  It feels something like
a first marathon since I've aged a teeny bit in those years.

Bob Hemler -- foolish enough to hope for 3 and a half hours or better
			  but well armed with excuses if I don't.