Moving on up...

[dragitoff]

I've got a question for those who've made the move from half-marathon to marathon. I started running a year ago to lose weight. Little did I know I'd fall in love with running and it would be a part of who I am. I've started running longer distances and will be competing in my first half marathon in less than 3 weeks. I'm quite pleased with my progress and my goal of running my first half in under 2 hours seems easily attained (just ran 13.1 miles this past Saturday in 2:01:23).

My question for those seasoned marathoners is did you ever feel a sense of fear that you wouldn't be able to make the transition from 1/2 marathon to marathon? I ask only because I feel really good after most of my 12+ mile runs; however I don't feel like I could double that run. At best, I feel fresh enough to maybe tack on another 2-3 miles to my current run. My splits are getting better (now I'm about an even split from first half to second half of the 13.1 miles); however I just feel like there's not enough left in the tank.

This has been really bothering me alot lately. I'm currently a heavier runner at about 205lbs. (although 50lbs lighter than when I started running) so I don't have aspirations of being an elite runner or anything, but I am competitive and would like to finish my runs in respectable times. At this point, I'm just concerned that I won't be able to make the transition.

My youngest brother ran track in high school (1 mile mostly) and he encouraged me this weekend reminding I went from running 0 miles to 13 miles in a year. I essentially increased my mileage 130% in one year. Now, I've only got to increase it 100%.

Thanks in advance for the feedback.

 

[PrincessRhi]

I think the important thing to keep in mind is that as long as you are serious and realistic about your training, it is easy to make the jump to add more distance. I went from my first 5k to marathon five months later.

There's nothing saying you can't walk (I usually walk during water stops partially for safety, partially to just take a breath) at any point if you need to. I'm a good 30 pounds heavier than you and still run. You'll see that there are all kinds on the course.

Just stick to your training, and you'll be amazed with how much more you can add.

 

[dragitoff]

I didn't metion my current and future training regimen. I run for 9 minutes and walk for 1 minute. This gives me brief breaks to keep my legs fresh at the end of my runs. After my first half in 3 weeks, I plan to increase my mileage by 1 mile every 2 weeks. That should still give me a good deal of time to work on shaving time off my full marathon pace before I actuallly have the marathon. Ultimately, I'd love to run a 3:30 or under marathon pace to qualify for Boston, but I'm shooting for a sub 4 hour on my first one.

I use Clif shot blocks every 45-60 minutes. I also drink a little bit of Gatorade as needed.

I'm a believer in a little walking though. It has kept me fresher IMO and allowed me to put some pretty decent times up.

 

[EddieMccoy2]

I weigh about 195, so I'm not exactly your weight, but close. I just picked up running last year with the Wine & Dine being my first Half. I didn't do any running before that race and struggled to finish under 2 hours. Since then, I've signed up for as many races, mainly 5K's for October, November & December as I could. The races were the only running I was doing outside at the time. I do live on the elliptical machine though, but I finally started training for longer distances in December by running long runs on the weekends and I was able to shave my time down by over 20 minutes at the Disney Half this year by just running long rungs (Between 8-12 Miles) in December. I've since decided that I wanted to run a Full Marathon and have started to train properly for it by running 40-50 miles per week since the Disney Half. I've already ran 2 more half's and done very well on them due to the training. I would just ramp up the miles with a good training plan. The more you run, the easier it gets. Also, you have to develop an understanding of pace, and which pace pushes you and which one is smart to run when running longer distance. I definitely run faster the shorter the distance of the race. I'm excited about the Full. I've never thought of running that distance, but last year this time I never thought of running a 5K, much less the 18 miles I just did in training. You can definitely step up for the full. The amount of training you do will depend on what time you run, more so than if you finish IMO if you are running close to 2 hours at a Half distance already. I think it is important to sign up for a race, and then train to it. Good luck, I'm on that journey that you are contemplating at this point, and I will have gone from zero running last September to running 5 Half's & a Full in 6 months. Each week of distance will bring confidence, especially if you are motivated to do this, which it sounds like you are given the weight loss. I lost over 120 LB's before I even picked up running, and if you can lose weight, this will be a cake to do IMO at least from a motivational stand point. Sorry for the ramble, hope it helps.

 

[bunnyfoo]

I trained for a 30K race when I transitioned from half to full. Training for that race got me use to running 13 miles on a regular basis. Plus the distance is only an additional 9K or so longer than a half marathon so I thought it was great for seeing how I would handle extra mileage without having to double it.

I also did my first full at Disney (2011) and I had done the last 15K of the full route as part of another race. I think running my first full at Disney (lots of distractions), being familiar with the route and running with a fellow WISHer really helped. I also used run/walk intervals (10/1) and the walk breaks were really welcome toward the end of the race. I think the only fear I had of not finishing was because I had a knee injury and did not feel confident with my training.

 

[dragitoff]

I weigh about 195, so I'm not exactly your weight, but close. I just picked up running last year with the Wine & Dine being my first Half. I didn't do any running before that race and struggled to finish under 2 hours. Since then, I've signed up for as many races, mainly 5K's for October, November & December as I could. The races were the only running I was doing outside at the time. I do live on the elliptical machine though, but I finally started training for longer distances in December by running long runs on the weekends and I was able to shave my time down by over 20 minutes at the Disney Half this year by just running long rungs (Between 8-12 Miles) in December. I've since decided that I wanted to run a Full Marathon and have started to train properly for it by running 40-50 miles per week since the Disney Half. I've already ran 2 more half's and done very well on them due to the training. I would just ramp up the miles with a good training plan. The more you run, the easier it gets. Also, you have to develop an understanding of pace, and which pace pushes you and which one is smart to run when running longer distance. I definitely run faster the shorter the distance of the race. I'm excited about the Full. I've never thought of running that distance, but last year this time I never thought of running a 5K, much less the 18 miles I just did in training. You can definitely step up for the full. The amount of training you do will depend on what time you run, more so than if you finish IMO if you are running close to 2 hours at a Half distance already. I think it is important to sign up for a race, and then train to it. Good luck, I'm on that journey that you are contemplating at this point, and I will have gone from zero running last September to running 5 Half's & a Full in 6 months. Each week of distance will bring confidence, especially if you are motivated to do this, which it sounds like you are given the weight loss. I lost over 120 LB's before I even picked up running, and if you can lose weight, this will be a cake to do IMO at least from a motivational stand point. Sorry for the ramble, hope it helps.

It absolutely helps! I have no doubt I can do it (although that glimmer in the back of my mind feels like it's going to be tougher than it will be), but I was mainly curious if any other runners encounter this feeling. Is it normal? What did you do to overcome?

As for my personal training, I've learned my paces really well during this year of running. Since I didn't have a formal trainer and didn't use a formal training program, I've had to listen to my body well. I document every run. Distance, time, etc...

My goal pace for 5k is usually around 7:40mm and my goal pace for half marathon is currently 9:00mm. I have some runs I run at race pace and others are slightly slower. Most of my daily 3.5-4 mile runs are done with DW and she's a slower runner so I do them at her pace which is around my half-marathon pace. That has really helped me I believe to settle into that pace comfortably. The only difference is I don't ever walk on any runs less than 8 miles. Either way, I get into a rythmn of the pace and stay fairly consistent unless I get too tired.

 

[EddieMccoy2]

It absolutely helps! I have no doubt I can do it (although that glimmer in the back of my mind feels like it's going to be tougher than it will be), but I was mainly curious if any other runners encounter this feeling. Is it normal? What did you do to overcome?

It is very normal to have that doubt, especially after the first few times you run a Half distance. It's a struggle, and you think how in the world would I keep that up for another 13.1. The fact is that you can't just go and run that distance, you have to train. Only when you start training will you start feeling confident that you can do this at the pace you want to do this at. The only formal training Guide I use is a Runner World's Smart Coach App. It's very inexpensive and allows you to plug in your variables and it lays it out for you, on what you should do and what pace you should run. I would highly recommend, if you are starting to get serious about this, buying a GPS watch that gives you pace info and distance so that you can monitor yourself. If you buy into training, you will no doubt succeed. I let that fuel my doubts. It feels great every time you extend your distance to new levels. Also, fueling is critical also.

 

[dragitoff]

Oh yes! I live and die by my Garmin Forerunner! I've seen considerable improvement on my times since I got it. I've also got the Runner's World Ap on my tablet. I haven't used it much, but I'll give it a deeper look.

 

[fashionista311]

I think the biggest part of going for half marathon to full marathon is respecting the distance. A full marathon is much, much tougher than just doubling the distance of 13.1. Understanding this, and setting realistic expectations, is the best way to be successful at your first full imo.

Sorry to be a negative nancy, but a goal of sub-4 marathon for your first is pretty unrealistic based on your current fitness. The mcmillan running calculator (not perfect, but a pretty well-known running tool) will spit out a 4:15 marathon prediction based off a 2:01 half. And even then, most people don't hit their mcmillan marathon predictions. Why? because mcmillan is based off the assumption that are running 70 mile/weeks and are trained for maximum endurance. And also not to mention that it is more common than not for people to hit some sort of wall, especially in their first full.

In his book, bob glover recommends first-time/beginner marathoners take the race at the faster end of their long run training pace (and then pick it up for the last 10k if you are feeling good) and I think that is a smart strategy rather than attempting to race it for the majority of folks. But if you do want to try and race your first marathon, you should pick up peter pfitzinger's book "advanced marathoning." His plans are *hard* (i'll be honest i'm scared of them!) but they do work.

I don't mean to be negative and I have absolutely full confidence you will be able to complete your first 26.2 with proper training! I just think it's important to have realistic expectations.

 

[dragitoff]

I think the biggest part of going for half marathon to full marathon is respecting the distance. A full marathon is much, much tougher than just doubling the distance of 13.1. Understanding this, and setting realistic expectations, is the best way to be successful at your first full imo.

Sorry to be a negative nancy, but a goal of sub-4 marathon for your first is pretty unrealistic based on your current fitness. The mcmillan running calculator (not perfect, but a pretty well-known running tool) will spit out a 4:15 marathon prediction based off a 2:01 half. And even then, most people don't hit their mcmillan marathon predictions. Why? because mcmillan is based off the assumption that are running 70 mile/weeks and are trained for maximum endurance. And also not to mention that it is more common than not for people to hit some sort of wall, especially in their first full.

In his book, bob glover recommends first-time/beginner marathoners take the race at the faster end of their long run training pace (and then pick it up for the last 10k if you are feeling good) and I think that is a smart strategy rather than attempting to race it for the majority of folks. But if you do want to try and race your first marathon, you should pick up peter pfitzinger's book "advanced marathoning." His plans are *hard* (i'll be honest i'm scared of them!) but they do work.

I don't mean to be negative and I have absolutely full confidence you will be able to complete your first 26.2 with proper training! I just think it's important to have realistic expectations.

Thanks for the feeback. To be honest with you, I'm a "set the bar real high kind of guy". It's what pushes me to excel. I'm kinda like Walt when I like to do what they say can't be done. When I said I wanted to lose 50lbs, people said that was going to be really hard to do and not to be discouraged if I didn't do it. I got it in my mind that's what I was going to do and did it and have kept it off for almost a year now.

When I said I wanted to run my first half in under 2 hours, everyone said I was being a little too ambitious. That pushed me to train in a way that I could accomplish it. Ultimately, I'd prefer to be running it well under 2 hours. That was just my goal for my first one.

I know how I am. My first 5k, I set the bar very high. I said I wanted to run a sub 24 minute 5k despite my best 5k run being 24:34. I said I wanted to finish in the top 50 overall and top 3 in my age group. I finished in the top 50 overall and 4th in my age group and finished in 24:44 (.6 miles was trail running). I fell a little short of my goals but I wasn't disappointed. I set the bar very high for myself and trained hard to give my self a chance at meeting my goals. Honestly, if I finish my first marathon anywhere near the 4 hour mark, I'll be satisfied, but if I say I want to finish it in under 4:30, I'll train that way and could have done better.

I have to push myself by going hard after things, but doing so with the realistic understanding that this is going to be hard. When I finish, if I gave it everything I had and came up a little short, I'm not completely disappointed.

 

[fashionista311]

Thanks for the feeback. To be honest with you, I'm a "set the bar real high kind of guy". It's what pushes me to excel. I'm kinda like Walt when I like to do what they say can't be done. When I said I wanted to lose 50lbs, people said that was going to be really hard to do and not to be discouraged if I didn't do it. I got it in my mind that's what I was going to do and did it and have kept it off for almost a year now.

When I said I wanted to run my first half in under 2 hours, everyone said I was being a little too ambitious. That pushed me to train in a way that I could accomplish it. Ultimately, I'd prefer to be running it well under 2 hours. That was just my goal for my first one.

I know how I am. My first 5k, I set the bar very high. I said I wanted to run a sub 24 minute 5k despite my best 5k run being 24:34. I said I wanted to finish in the top 50 overall and top 3 in my age group. I finished in the top 50 overall and 4th in my age group and finished in 24:44 (.6 miles was trail running). I fell a little short of my goals but I wasn't disappointed. I set the bar very high for myself and trained hard to give my self a chance at meeting my goals. Honestly, if I finish my first marathon anywhere near the 4 hour mark, I'll be satisfied, but if I say I want to finish it in under 4:30, I'll train that way and could have done better.

I have to push myself by going hard after things, but doing so with the realistic understanding that this is going to be hard. When I finish, if I gave it everything I had and came up a little short, I'm not completely disappointed.

The problem with the marathon though is that in order to run a successful race, you *have* to run a smart race. And that means starting out at a pace you can maintain for 26.2 miles. If you start out at a 9 min/mile and you don't have have the fitness to to handle it, you will end up bonking out, and will end up with a much slower time than if you started out at the correct pace and maintained it for the whole race. It's not the lack of leg speed that most don't have, but rather the endurance to maintain that leg speed for 26.2 miles.

The intellect component is one of the aspects that personally really draws me to 26.2. You can't fake the training, and you have to run a smart race in order to be successful.

As you get closer to the full marathon, you can run (and probably should, unless you are injury-prone) a tune up half marathon to assess your fitness. You can take that time, double it, add *at least* 10 minutes to it (although I would add another 10 minutes since it's your first time) and set that as your goal marathon time. And who knows? by the time you finish marathon training, you can end up running a 1:45 half marathon, and then yes, a 4 hour marathon will be a realistic goal for you!

But you have to factor in fade into your pacing, and that's why you have to set realistic goals. Even elites fade, and that's why we have a sub hour half marathon record, but (at least I think) we are several years away from seeing a sub 2 hour marathon.

 

[jmasgat]

Did I ever have the fear I couldn't do it? Yes....for every distance I ever did--going from nothing to 15k, up to 1/2, up to full. I think you'd be nuts if you didn't!

One thing that I have learned--and I am not by nature a patient person--is that "this is why we train". You said you felt that you couldn't do 12 more after your 12 mile run--and you probably couldn't--not at your current training. But you could 2-3 more. And that is the thing. YOu just build slowly. Some days you may feel like you can do 1 more mile, and other days you will struggle to just get through the ones you have on the plate. BUt if you stick with it and take it slowly, you can make it.

As for goals--it is good to have one. Actually, I favor the A,B,C thing. For my first marathon, I felt--based on my training--that I wanted to run 4:15 or better. If things went wll, I wanted sub-4 (I also wanted to BQ and thought my BQ time was 4:00. Turend out it was 4:05) and if things really tanked, no worse than 4:30. I finished in 4:09. And I was satisfied with that. I would make 2 points: don't put too much pressure on yourself make a tough goal. Second, make sure the goal(s) is/are supported by your training. Mine were based on specific training and paces.

As for BQ--don't sweat it right now. Make it through your first marathon and then assess. I will add that after my first marathon (WDW 2010), I did commit to try and BQ later that year (since I was pretty close). I changed up my training plan and ran one in the fall. I did BQ (and PR'ed at 3:52) and ran Boston in 2011. It can be done--and I have only been running since 2008.

Good luck,

Maura

 

[1slowdaddy]

As already stated above, the jump from a 1/2 to a full marathon is big. I had doubts about being able to complete a full prior to my first. But now, I believe that most any healthy person with proper training can complete a marathon; achieving a specific goal time is a different story. I recommend going slow on your first, get the feel for it, and enjoy yourself. Set your later goals (sub-4, Boston Qual) based on how that one feels. Good luck.

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

You can do it for sure.

I would aim for a 4:30 full and train for it; running too fast when training for your first full has negative effects come race day.

 

[RunRookie]

I ran my first Half at the WDW Marathon Weekend last month. Two weeks after returning home, I decided to run my first Full Marathon and signed up for the Chicago Marathon this October. To say that I have some anxiety around being able to run 26.2 would be an understatement.

After running two Halfs in January, I know I can run that distance. And I can remember last August thinking that 13.1 miles was 'crazy far' and was I being overly optimistic to think I could run it. And then I did it. Intellectually, I know that I have plenty of time to train and prepare myself for the Full. But emotionally, I still have those doubts. But like before, my confidence will increase as my training takes me closer to my goal.

I agree with others here. You can definitely run a Full Marathon! Just like I can! Of course, you will be running it faster than me... I am also like you in that goal setting is a strong motivator (my goal is to finish in under 5 hours).

But I will not slave myself to it, or be disappointed if I fail to reach that goal, because in the end, what matters most to me is to "Finish" -- to be a Marathoner. And to do so without getting injured so I can run the WDW Full Marathon in January 2013.

Train well, train smart, and stay healthy and you will 'win the day'. Remember, in the end it's the "finish" that will mean the most.

 

[FFigawi]

As long as you've got a training program and coach you feel confident in, there's no question you'll be able to finish your first marathon. In my first year of running, I signed up for and ran a 10k in April, started my marathon training in June, and ran my first full in November, all with the same coaches and training team. I knew they had trained all kinds of new-to-running people to run a marathon and finish it strong and upright, so I never really questioned the distances we were running and how we got there. I just followed the program, put in the miles (getting a new "longest run ever" almost every week), and their confidence in their program and in me gave me the confidence to know I'd be fine. If you're confident in the coaches and program you're training with and you know it's gotten first-timers across the line in the past, then I'm sure you'll be fine too.

 

[dragitoff]

Thanks for all the great feedback. It's good to know I'm not the only one who has doubts despite being really confident in my willpower and abilities. I guess it's just one of those "mental" blocks you have to get past when making this type of fitness commitment.

I'm definitely going to take my training slow. I plan to run nothing but halfs, 5k's and 10k's in 2012. My goal is for my first full at WDW in January 2013 so I've got plenty of time to get my distances settled in and then working on my time. I love this type of challenge and I'm renewed in my vigor to pursue and accomplish it!!!

 

[LuzzBightyear]

dragitoff:
I too am not the lightest runner out there (~195) and like you, the prospect of running my first full seems daunting.

I am not a big fan of overly aggressive goals for something that I am trying for the first time. The aggressive goals come once I have a rough idea of what I am actually capable of. So I am thinking 4:15 as a reasonable goal for my first...and that is with a 1:52 PB in a half marathon.

Also, I know a lot of people do their first marathon at Disney, and I am planning on doing Goofy myself next January, but I chose a race in October as my first full. IMO, I think the WDW marathon will have too many distractions, reasons to want to stop, too much crowd congestion ect to really test my capabilities and reach my goal.

 

[dragitoff]

dragitoff:
I too am not the lightest runner out there (~195) and like you, the prospect of running my first full seems daunting.

I am not a big fan of overly aggressive goals for something that I am trying for the first time. The aggressive goals come once I have a rough idea of what I am actually capable of. So I am thinking 4:15 as a reasonable goal for my first...and that is with a 1:52 PB in a half marathon.

Also, I know a lot of people do their first marathon at Disney, and I am planning on doing Goofy myself next January, but I chose a race in October as my first full. IMO, I think the WDW marathon will have too many distractions, reasons to want to stop, too much crowd congestion ect to really test my capabilities and reach my goal.

I hadn't honestly thought about the crowds at such a big race slowing my pace down. That's a great point!

 

[PrincessRhi]

I find with Disney races, as long as you're correctly corralled, after you're clear of the starting line it's less the crowd slowing you down and more that they have characters on the side of the road for you to take your picture with and such. And of course, who doesn't want to stop in front of the castle and take a picture in front of it? Things like that take time, and usually there's a line of people who want to do them.

If I decide to do the full at Disney in 2013, I'm definitely budgeting time to stop for margaritas or beer to cross the finish line with. I'll have to add an extra 10 minutes or so to my time