First Marathon

by Bonnie Raso
(Des Moines, Iowa)

First Marathon - An Inspirational Challenge

To run your first marathon you generally need about 5-6 months of marathon preparation beforehand.

The most important thing to remember in preparing yourself for the event is to start slowly and avoid injuries in the first phase of marathon training - before building up the work through interval training once your legs are "ready for it".

I received this question from Bonnie ;

"I am new to running (only a casual run here and there in my younger years); however, my husband is not. He has run several marathons in the past.. With that, we decided to run a marathon together. He said I have 10 months to get in shape!

I think it would be an awesome bonding experience as well as a physical and mental challenge that I am really looking forward to... but not sure how to get started and am looking for some guidance/ advice.

We are newlyweds (he 37, I 40) and I would like to accomplish my first marathon with my best friend & #8230;. My husband & #61514;

Anxiously waiting to get started in Iowa :-)
Bonnie Raso"

Bonnie, thank for for the inspirational question - it is always nice to read that people are taking up running and aiming for a marathon !

First up : it is more than enough time for you to prepare. Generally, one only needs about 5-6 months to get ready (even when starting for scratch) so you are more than ok with your 10 months.

I do have a few advice for you on your way to your first marathon :

Avoid Injuries In the First Marathon Buildup

I am going to start with this one - because it is so important. Research shows that over 70 % of running injuries come in the first 8-10 weeks of running.

So what you want to do is to start very,very gradual.

First you decide how many runs you want to do weekly, say 3 runs. And each workout should be around 1 hour in total length (as for now).

What you want is to spend the entire first 6-8 weeks of your running building up to that

Now, this is the nice part, say you want to run 3 times a week for an hour each. You can still be out for 1 hour the very first week of training - but you walk for most of the time and only say 10-15 minutes of running.

Next workout, you run 15-20 minutes and walk the rest of the hour. You do not want to run 15-20 minutes first, then walk 45 minutes - you alternate all the way.

But point is : you stay out for 1 hour - and gradually larger parts of it will be running.

Example - First Marathon Step Out

1. First week : 3 workouts. Run/walk alternate the miles

Two of the workouts you just walk for 1 hour (at ok pace) the third workout you walk 5 minutes, run 3 minutes, walk 5 minutes, run 3 minutes etc. so that total running time is 15-20 miuntes.

2. Second week : 3 workouts. More running

Two of the workouts you still only walk for 1 hour, but then on the third one you do 5 minutes run, 3 minute walk, 5 minutes run etc.

3. Third week : 3 workouts. Two of them running.

The third week, two of the workouts running, one of them 3 minutes run, 5 minutes walk etc., the other one 5 minutes run, 3 minutes walk.

You continue building up like this gradually until you get to 6-8 weeks of training.

By that time into your marathon training you are ready to go into harder work 100 % injury free AND with good strength in your legs from the walk/runs.

After that initial period, I suggest getting into a good first marathon training program - but where the workouts says say 3 miles running, instead of doing it continously instead split it into intervalls - where you run 3 x 1 mile with 5 minutes walk in between.

Doing interval training (with walk breaks) is alot more effective and keeps you out of injuries as well.

I suggest 1/3 of the weekly runs continously, 2/3 intervalls. So pick a nice beginner marathon schedule and then you just implement the above suggestion.

Wish you all the best for your upcoming first marathon !

Marius