Just completed my first Marathon(greater Manchester) last week and raised some good money for Pendleside Hospice but i found it really tough even though i put in the hard yards in training.

The last 10k was a killer, my pace dropped from 8.30m to 11 minute miles- anyway, because of that im after some tips advice from other runners out there please as id like to run another one this year and get under 4hrs.............

I did 3hrs 14 mins but it was a very very long time ago , probably take me 3 days now

Me and the wife are doing our first marathon at the Windermere marathon 20th May, silly old sods, just looking to get round and survive

Im not into organising anything

Join your local club. Running with others brings you along at your own pace. You will get great advice from experienced runners. The social side is usually very good.
Break your marathon down=you can’t run a 4hr marathon if you can’t run a 2hr 1/2marathon or a 1hr 10k.
Get the miles in, my last marathon I did 6 weeks of 120miles/week before tapering down the last week. I still blew up at 20miles.

Pheidippides

I have run 7 marathons the last being in 2003, I have a best time of 3 hours 29 minutes, my only advice is to make your training count and don’t run too many junk miles, good luck and well done on actually running a marathon , it’s harder then people realise

Done a The London Marathon.....4 hours 20 and nearly got overtaken by a soddin Womble on the last 100 yards to the finish! Brilliant experience, but never again!

Im doing a 10k in London at the end of May on the Bank holiday Monday and I can guarantee (or promise) I’ll be doing it with a hangover and will take it nice a sensibly!!!

Windermere marathon? How’s that work on a lake?!

Ran Brighton yesterday in 3.32, best advise would be to train smart with a proper plan, including hill and interval sessions. Hill sessions are brilliant for stamina and strength.
Train for hydration and nutrition so you know what energy you need and when to take it, taper properly at least two weeks before race day. Keep to a plan for race pace and stick to it - don’t go off too fast.
Most importantly try to enjoy it.

lifelongclaret wrote:I have run 7 marathons the last being in 2003, I have a best time of 3 hours 29 minutes, my only advice is to make your training count and don’t run too many junk miles, good luck and well done on actually running a marathon , it’s harder then people realise

Really? I’ve always thought they were really hard, that’s why I’ve never done one.

Well done on completing your marathon - great feeling to do it isn't it? That 4-hour barrier you mention can be a frustrating goal - finally cracking that was just sheer elation for me. Oh, and the first thing any marathon runner should pack for the run is Vaseline, then use it liberally

Done a few half marathons, Great North run was my best time of 1hr 47mins. Then did the Berlin marathon in 2007 for my 40th birthday, always wanted to do one but kept getting injured in training and having to withdraw, so decided to train lightly and hope I had enough in the tank. First 16 miles were fine, last 10 a very different story but I got round in one piece. Will never forget sitting in a Berlin coffee shop, straight after the race, medal round my neck, eating the biggest cream cake I've ever seen. Legs were aching, but felt on top of the world. Absolutely amazing experience.

Done a few marathons, best time at Liverpool 3hrs 14mins 58 secs. Might have been 20 odd years since but still remember time.

Haven't done a marathon for years. Done a lot of snickers of late though.

Ran two last year - the first I trained properly for and did even splits on every mile to the end - I was dead chuffed The second, skipped some training and had an awful time from mile 18... I was just dead.
You'll find lots of training plans on the internet and mostly they say the same stuff. Just remember that the half way point in a marathon in terms of effort expenditure is mile 20! Oh, and if someone does come by in fancy dress or a blackburn top, then kick em

Ran the Edinburgh marathon 5 years ago. My first marathon and my last!

piston broke wrote:Join your local club. Running with others brings you along at your own pace. You will get great advice from experienced runners. The social side is usually very good.
Break your marathon down=you can’t run a 4hr marathon if you can’t run a 2hr 1/2marathon or a 1hr 10k.
Get the miles in, my last marathon I did 6 weeks of 120miles/week before tapering down the last week. I still blew up at 20miles.

I can do 1.45 for a 1/2 and 45 mins for the 10K- i've been told i probably set off to fast for the marathon and i should look at doing negative splits??

rutlandclaret wrote:Ran Brighton yesterday in 3.32, best advise would be to train smart with a proper plan, including hill and interval sessions. Hill sessions are brilliant for stamina and strength.
Train for hydration and nutrition so you know what energy you need and when to take it, taper properly at least two weeks before race day. Keep to a plan for race pace and stick to it - don’t go off too fast.
Most importantly try to enjoy it.

thanks good advice- I know i set off too fast............

Lordlucan wrote:Ran two last year - the first I trained properly for and did even splits on every mile to the end - I was dead chuffed The second, skipped some training and had an awful time from mile 18... I was just dead.
You'll find lots of training plans on the internet and mostly they say the same stuff. Just remember that the half way point in a marathon in terms of effort expenditure is mile 20! Oh, and if someone does come by in fancy dress or a blackburn top, then kick em

a lot of people are telling me to conserve energy for mile 20 onwards- think ill do that next time as id like to finish strong

Good luck. Just to give you some idea - my 1/2 times are sub 1.40 and 10k times about 43 mins, so pretty close to yours. My first marathon (the one I trained properly for), I went around the first half in 1.52 - way slower than my normal 1/2 pace. At that point i said to myself I had done the warm up! That steady approach allowed me to replicate the time in the second half, without blowing up. I was aiming for 4 hrs and got 3.47 - not in rutlandclaret's league, but v happy

If you have time in your training for core and glutes, then do that in addition to the miles. Hill training is also brilliant. I'd echo everything above about hydration.

Only other thing - I cycled around the course the week before - I found that really helpful. I could enjoy the scenery and have other stuff to tick off as I went around rather than look agonisingly at the next mile marker.

ashtonlongsider wrote:Done a few marathons, best time at Liverpool 3hrs 14mins 58 secs. Might have been 20 odd years since but still remember time.

I guess the location of the marathon would give you the extra incentive to get finished quickly and make sure you still had wheels on your car.

Still, there would have been plenty of tracksuits around....

I don't get why anybody would run anywhere. Unless you're running away from something or someone. I see people running around our park in the morning and think. 'Why?'. What drives people to do that for fun?
If I go out, it's with a purpose. I don't see getting aches, pains and sweaty as a purpose.
I do get the incentive to run for charity and almost considered doing the London Marathon once. Then thought better of it.
Maybe I'm just getting more and more cantankerous with old age. I just don't get it.
As a sidenote. You may notice I don't respond to replies. I am superior to you all and therefore. When I post, you are being enlightened with wisdom you should take on board. It'll make your life better.
I can't help being perfect, but someone has to be. It might as well be me.
So next time I post something, just agree. I'm never wrong.

Tis Mee wrote:Me and the wife are doing our first marathon at the Windermere marathon 20th May, silly old sods, just looking to get round and survive

Well don't set off too fast, very undulating, i've done 11, and Windermere is up there as very tough, it is always worthwhile running a measured mile, timing your training pace per mile (athletic track)etc, there will be mile markers along the way making sure to keep below your training pace, otherwise you may blow up and find the last few miles very very hard, always take water on board as it takes a bit to get in your system best wishes and very good luck to you all..

I run afew ultras a year, I like back to back long runs when training and hills are your friend.

Using an app like strava can be good to see how you are improving and also where you are struggling

thelifeofbrian wrote:a lot of people are telling me to conserve energy for mile 20 onwards- think ill do that next time as id like to finish strong

The only way I could finish strong in a marathon, is to take a taxi to the 25mile point and walk the last bit.

I started Marathon running in 2003 and stopped in Nov 2007 after finishing Amsterdam Marathon - my 11th. I did London three times and New York three times (and three years running-literally) I also ran the Marathons in Rotterdam, Stockholm, Hamburg, and Paris. The best time? 3hrs 52m once in New York. Worst 4hrs 30m. In 2004 I did the Paris Marathon and one week later did the London marathon and bizarrely finished in about the same time.

Was in my late 40's at the time of running - nowadays just run 5k a couple of times a week but swim and cycle more now.

Always wanted to go around in a Burnley shirt but when I tried that in training I found the material caused me to have the dreaded 'nipple bleeds' so reverted to a 'wick away the sweat' normal running top.

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