So...my London Marathon application has been successful and I'm over the moon!! However, I'm just coming back from illness and don't want to get myself ill from training. How on earth do I get myself ready for 26.2 miles in 7 months.
Please please help!
Thanks
Comments
Yes, I'm currently trying to do that not a great success so far
finding one that suits me. I just dont want to over do it. Do you have any suggestions. Much appreciated
How many days a week do you want to be running?
What is your level of fitness at the moment?
How many runs do you currently do per week?
about 4 and a half hours. 4-5 times a week. I row and swim at the moment, havent been running alot as i have been ill from viral meningitis and shingles however i was running about 15 miles a week in about 2-3 runs.
not much help...sorry
Build up slowly. Don't build up too quickly and risk injury. You have plenty of time. And if you train right, you'll be fantastic on the day.
There are so many plans out there, with so many different theories/styles/time commitments/distances covered. It's a bit of a mind field trying to find one that suits. My advice is find one that most suits your ability to find the time to follow it (I.e. don't find a plan that makes you train 6 days a week if you know you can't do that); also start the plan a couple of weeks early so that if you get sick/have an injury/ have an off week, you still got time to play with.
Good luck!
This time round, I'm taking bits from both plans and making my own.......let's see if that one works better!
Kaffeeg thanks so much for you help, very kind of you! You obviously know what you are doing...unlike me. I will have a look at that marathon plan. also...(sorry to be a pain) i am very very slim and loose weight incredibly easily, which i hate believe it or not, i eat loads but im trying to increase my fat intake by eating nuts and things. do i need to up my food intake even more - i cant seem to keep the weight on.
Millsey1977 - its to run for charity, they tell you sooner then the ballot do.
Thanks for everyones else so far. much appreciated.
Congrats on the place - but like Millsy says, how come you know already? I thought the wait to hear stretched til October. Would I have an email already if I'd been successful?
I found out on my birthday in 2010 that I'd got a place in VLM for 2011.
30 September if you're wondering when to send my presents
I'm sure there are better people on here to give advice about nutrition than me!
The coach I got my training plan from Told me to eat dried apricots on my long runs as they were good for replenishing energy and easy to digest. I did that until I discovers shot bloks.....now these are heaven in a cube and give instant energy!
yes its a charity place. thanks Kaffeeg again!! your help is very very helpful. shot bloks - ill keep an eye out for them. so...do you think its not unrealistic to do this?? sorry again and thanks!!
Can start at various levels of experience.
Won't give you any world records, but that isn't what you are after.
There'll be highs and lows in the training ( and on race day!), but overall it'll be a great experience and you'll be amazed at yourself (and rightly so!) .
Enjoy!
(p.s. lots of people use Hal higdons training plans too, you can get them on the internet)
GG12, the important thin at the moment is to get to the stage where you can comfortably run about 10 miles once per week, and train 4 days per week minimum, before you start a "proper" plan in about december. So start by going out for 3 short runs per week build the distances up, and gradully lengthen the weekend long run, until , by the end of the year, you are hopefully ready to start a trainig plan.
You could start with something like a half marathon "get-you round" plan, and when you're finished with it, then switch over to a marathon plan. I did a get you round marahon plan, followed by an intermediate one, for my first, but did the increases in LSR distances more gradually, spread over the whole time period.
The advantage you have is that you have much more time to build up than the tradtional 16- 18 week plan, so your risk of injury will be less, as you can take it much more slowly.