Howdy, Stranger!
Categories
Anybody think I'm being over ambitious?
The materials in this website are in no way intended to replace the professional medical care, advice, diagnosis or treatment of a doctor, qualified personal trainer, therapist, dietitian or nutritionist Runners's World, Part of the Hearst UK well-being network © Copyright 2017
Comments
Why not try a mara later in the yr next yr and go for ldn in 2011, you'll give your body the chance to adapt to the pressures it places on it. The enormity of a marathon - your first anyway, won't hit you until that day, belive me its a chuffin long way and i wish i had had more time to prepare. I was hampered by injury and illness and i'm a fit, healthy, average weight person but all that training really takes it's toll, particularly on us novices! Sorry if that all sounds negative, just trying to give advice based on my experiences - I guess everyone is different and if you feel it's your time then go for it but make sure you are prepared, get your nutrition right, get your warm up warm down routine right (massively important for me), get your rest ..........and enjoy!!!
Ok guys here's whats on my mind.
A couple of guys have said that its not worth doing the marathon if I am going to walk because its not seen as big as an achievement, and yes to the seasoned runner it probably stinks.. but for me... being morbidly obese 10 months prior to the marathon and completing it, not only is a massive achievement but also caps the last 12 months!
Yeah no one on here really knows me, so they dont know my character, I am known to go into things head first without thinking things through but this just feels right. And as far as the experience, I will be exhausted afterwards, and probably be in absolute agony but I can guarantee one thing, in 2011 I will be back planning to obliterate my first attempt!
There are a couple of issues that I want to ask everyone.
Firstly assuming I am successful in my application for a Golden Bond, what happens if during training I have a serious injury and cannot take part in the race? Do I still have to raise the minimum pledge?
Also a couple of people have suggested applying to more than one charity, what happens if I am successful with more than one application? Can I reject a place?
Finally, I really appreciate all the advice and support everyone have given me and I will be keeping everyone posted with my progress. Seems like I have found a few people who know what they are talking about which is what I need, lol even if it seems that I dont listen!
I think I will, depending on what the answers are to the above questions, apply to the charities and try and secure a place. My aim will be to be able to complete the marathon. Like all goals I'll keep re assessing every couple of weeks and see whether I feel I can achieve my target.
Thanks again everyone!!
If you are forced to drop out once you have a gold bond place then the charity will endeavour to find another runner to replace you - you can't get sponsorship money from people for a race you don't complete. The charities understand how it goes. They may have a deadline date that you have to 'agree' to - but that will be individual to each charity as the place belongs to the charity and not to you so you can't defer like a normal entrant would.
You can turn a place down from a charity if you get offered more than one - not a problem.
I know a lot of people don't like running for a charity but i have done it a few times and have found that despite the training advice being rubbish - the camaraderie, cheering points and the after run party etc was brilliant.
'it just feels right' - say that again after 20 miles
I get the feeling that you are seeing this as a event or a watershed of some kind to mark this change in your life. That is a fabulous idea - I just think that this is possibly the wrong event to pick. The TV coverage and that bloomin 'going for gold' programme has a lot of answer for.
Gym Addict your right.
Like you said though, can I not apply for the place, train as though I am going to take part and then re assess as I go along?
Surely if by say January/ February I am nowhere near then I can just pull out?
Lol in a way its a safety net yeah... but its not gonna affect my training because I know once I put my mind to it, thats it.
Is that a bad thing to look at it like that?
My overall thinking has been to set myself a big target like the VLM and if I dont achieve it I'll still a lot further along than if I didnt set it as my target... its something to aim for... a real challenge!
At the end of the day, you've got to do what you want to do, its obvious you've got this into your head and won't budge on it, so I wish you good luck.
To answer your original question, "Anybody think I am being over ambitious", I'd say yes, and are potentially setting yourself up for a fall, I'd personally rather do something as big as my first marathon properly, rather than trying to hatchet it together.
I hope you prove me wrong, you've got a hell of a task ahead of you in the coming months.
I think George you might have to consider the selfish nature of what you're wanting to actualy do; you're willing to take the place of someone who is committed to running (maybe walking a little) one of the longest road races there are to be had to mere mortals just because you want to "have a go". You're denying someone else, who has prepared and trained, a possibility of raising many hundreds of pounds for charity just so that you might drop out if it doesn't suit you.
Go for something a litle bit more realistic - a half marathon. It isn't easy and as people on here have already said unless you're pulling one extra mile a week running, every week, adding injuries (which you will get) to the regime you don't really have much of a chance of doing a full marathon. If you had a year to train then most people would say an emphatic YES but with jut over six months to go you need to re-evalate your goals.
Believe me George, going from a total non runnner to someone who has lost over ten stone and is running a realistic half marahon is a massive achievement.
To be frank nobody knows how this will turn out for you and much will depend on how your body takes to running, which at this stage quite frankly you won't know... not after shuffling a couple of miles once. Once you train properly you'll just have to see how your body takes to it. You may be lucky, more weight will drop off, you find you're mechanically efficient, suffer no set backs and cruise through the training doing a successful marathon - and good luck to you...
You may also go from one injury to the next and end up getting very familiar with terms such as plantar faciitis, ITB, tibialis posterior tendonitis yada yada...
You'll just have to suck it and see.
Good luck.
If I were to reconsider, which I can't believe I am considering, what races should I think of entering. As I am a beginner I think I have to have a race to aim for to help keep me motivated.
At the end of the day everyone here is offering advice using their head while I am thinking with my heart. I am gutted because I had psyched myself up for this.
You need to start, George, with a clear head and a proper start to running. Did you read any of the links I posted for beginners? If not go on and read them : http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/news/article.asp?UAN=1461
At this moment in time, as Nam has said, you have shuffled along once for a 30 minutes walk with a little run inbetween and you've talked yourself into the London Marathon!
Your focus should be running in stages. Aim for one mile, then two, three etc, it's all in the links I posted. Then you can aim for smaller organised races 5K, 10K etc as you get fitter.
Don't forget you need decent running shoes, not random fashion ones from JJB sports as well. Get yer plates of meat in a gait analysis runing shop for the right fit.
George that's the nature of running.
It can be great fun, lift your mood etc... and sometimes it can be a bit heart breaking too.
Be optimistic, keep that enthusiasm, that drive but also do things properly!
Do everything right, get proper running shoes from a reputable running shop that are right for your feet, get a good novice schedule (Hal Higdon has been mentioned), don't be tempted to get ahead of the schedule, use your rest wisely, don't overtrain, and you might be one of those lucky beggars that gets away with murder.
I do wish you all the best.
My first was the Great Scottish Run (otherwise known as the Glasgow Half). I loved it and felt on top of the world when I finished. I lost 4.5 stone before becoming a runner and running this race felt like the biggest achievement in the world. The minute I finished I called just about everyone I knew to tell them and got some very bizarre responses as most folks just don't understand just how big a deal a Half is. (again the problem with televising london - people don't understand the scale of a marathon and correspondingly don't realise how much work goes into running any long distance race).
There is a MASSIVE difference between shuffling round something like London in upwards of 6 hours (i shudder at the thought to be honest) and really running a 10K or half marathon. A proper race is exhiliarating and very rewarding and you know you have earned the medal at the end of it. Just doing VLM and somehow getting to the finish - is NOT doing the london marathon. It's 'something' but it isn't running a marathon.
And the reason we are all being super cautious is because we know from experience what long distance running feels like. How much training it takes and how much it takes out of your body and your mind to run these kinds of distances.
I know that walking a marathon is a controversial subject on here so I'm going to put my tin hat on and say that walking my first without doubt got me into running which I otherwise wouldn't have done. My aim from the start was to walk it - but OH wanted to run so I started running bits, but knew I couldnt run the full 26 miles within 6 months, so as I said earlier, I walked it (ducks) in 6hrs 2mins. But it made me then WANT to run a whole race. It might not be the best way to start but it changed my life completely and I now love running - and cycling - and swimming. Had it not been for that first mad idea to do a marathon I'd be a couch potato now. And I disagree about it not being a challenge. Anything new, and that disciplines you to follow a schedule is a challenge.
Having said all that - I got a bigger buzz (or at least equal) from crossing the line of my first 10k having run the whole way round.
We all get to where we are in different ways I suppose.
The support at Edinburgh isn't the same as London - but it is a really nice race (I may be slightly bias here) and you could have a lovely weekend away in a great city
Same goes for Paris - great excuse for a weekend away.
I don't think that depriving a "desperate runner" a crack at London is a good reason not to do it. Paris has a tight cut-off I think, and Edinburgh is quite lonely at the back of the field. Denying a charity their money is a valid point - but many "good runners" get injured and have to pull out so what's the difference?
George - you sound to me to be very determined and if this is something to focus your mind on and give you some self esteem I would say to you to give it a go, just so long as you don't have ambitions to be fast and then be dissapointed over your time. But from what you've said I think you just want to get round. Look at this thread if it helps a bit more: Just get round.
I was just wondering if George could divorce the distance from the hype, and if he did that would he still want to do it so badly. ie is it the overblown television spectacle that he has got hooked on OR the endurance running event?
ps I have bloody well RUN the WHOLE way several times without a single walked step - and I know lots and lots of folks who have done the same.
At the risk of raising more controversy - I sometimes get the feeling that there is a bit of snobbery over slower or even non-runners completing a marathon.
I think I'd better go now - don't like arguing. (hides in corner)
That's just the nature of folks. It's easy to be charitable and say it's all about taking part when you are a middle packer - then as you get better - train harder - kill yourself yet again on that disgusting long run when all you want to do is be in bed - ...etc etc you start to feel (somewhat justifiably) that you deserve a little respect for all your hard work - (ps I am a total mid packer myself by the way - but I do run it - just slowly)
On the day - the people taking 5 hours are without a doubt having a more miserable time of it than the guys whirling round in 3. However the 3's generally have many many more hours of training in the bank - they have done much more (over a period of time) than the slower runners and so don't want to hear a 'Jordan' crowing over finishing the london marathon and pretending it's the same thing.
I say this having done a 5 hour marathon and a sub 4 - the sub 4 was much easier on the day but was much harder in training.
Gym addict it's not the hype it's the fact that it's going to be so difficult. To achieve a 26.2 mile run is a massive achievement and yeah I won't lie u could argue I could do a later marathon but I want to be able to say to friends and family I lost 14 stone and ran vlm all in 12 months!
There are so many factors to consider but I will be applying for the gold bond! I'll be putting my schedule up later so that everyone can dissect it and give me some more advice!
george - honestly www.halhigdon.com - he's your guy. If anyone can get you round, it's him. Don't let us dissect your plan - it'll only do your head in. Too many cooks and all that. Besides you will need to just go by how you feel and somedays it just won't work and others you will feel great and break all the rules.
You sound really set on it - so in your own words 'go for it big man'.
Jerry-Jerry-Jerry......
Thanks for listening GymAddcit. I'd argue that just because I'm slow doesnt mean I've put in less training. I do all the long runs and mid-week runs but I spend a longer time on my feet - so longer time spent in the rain (and snow/hail) - and I hurt, and want to stay in bed too sometimes. I've earned that medal at the end just as much!
Now my 10k time is slow because I haven't trained hard enough this year - I'll admit that!
And I'm just jealous of faster runners - and cyclists - and swimmers.
I'll probably get caned for this but I think George you're being selfish and ridiculous. You have only run once and that was a few yards into a 30 minute walk! Now you've talked yourself into a marathon!!
I think it is the most unrealistic and completely loony thing I've heard and you are taking a place from someone who would raise money for charity in the process. I personally think you really need to set some realistic goals instead.
But, hey, it isn't up to me is it.
Selfish is a little harsh as well!