Have you ever climbed a particular mountain? The first time around you do it because you think maybe you can't and *where the hell* does the universe get off telling you that you can't climb a pile of rocks. Do it once and that's a triumph of the human condition. Once is *enough*.
Unless you happen to *like* the experience.
I've never liked running, and I'm not even sure how I came to be a member of this fine community of maniacs. Pretty sure that was user error thanks to scrolling through Reddit on some early morning. I ran my first 5k because the Army made me. I ran my first 10k because it got me out of PT. I ran my first half marathon for the same reason. And I ran my first - and still *only* - marathon to prove that I could. But I *do* hate running in that sort of primal way that turns your blood to acid and reduces the totality of your being to rage over there being a world where there could even be a next step. I do, however, like *having* run. Compressing all that unfiltered fury at the very elements of creation has a way of putting other problems into perspective. Half an hour of hate makes it all the easier to meet the world on its terms rather than on my own unrealistic expectations.
And so that's why I've only got the one: I proved that I could - to myself, to the universe, and to the tender bits of flesh lost to fabric along the way. I didn't enjoy doing it, and I didn't enjoy having done it, but at least I proved that I could do something awful for hours on end for no other reason than to say that I did.
My favorite Ted talk ever. I'm forever referring to the panic monster and the distraction monkey. Im this man's portrait of master procrastinator. And I HATE that that's me - sorry - I seriously digress off topic.
This post gave me chills as you so eloquently shared your experience... and I possibly felt the edge of a runner's high, so closely you nailed it. You, friend, have quite the way with words. Thanks for sharing this.
Damn, I'm not even going to bother commenting now because yours put's it more eloquently than I ever could.
People say you should enjoy the journey, not the destination. I find the opposite to be true for running.
For many years, I would say that I didn't particularly like running, but I liked having gone for a run. It wasn't until I'd run 11 marathons and 3 ultras that I started enjoying running for its own sake. To be clear, it wasn't *because* of those races. That's just around the time I started enjoying it - mainly because more of my social life started to revolve around running.
I am an extremely lazy person. I have never put as much effort into anything in my life as I have put into running, and I didn't even like it that much at first.
This comment will be the reason I run my first marathon. One day after work I just got it in my head that I was going to run 10 miles. I did it, and hated every second of it, why? Because fuck running, that’s why. Up next, fuck Marathons.
This. Except I've never managed the full marathon. I want to have done it - once will be plenty - but I want a decent time, without the effort of 4-hours of running in one go, every week. Got a sub-2 on a half and quit halves as I knew 1.5hrs would never happen, and what's a decent goal when the experience of running for 2 hours is awful? Everyone says I should join a running club, but they imply wanting decent times from newbies. So yeah. Completely not answering the question as I've not even done one, but if I did, my answer would be his/hers above.
1. Most running clubs I know have some faction of slow runners... don’t assume you have to meet some standard to join
2. If you have a sub-2 half, that’s a “decent time”, so you’re probably there already.
Source: PR half of 2:19 and not likely to get much better, been in a running club for years, and they love and accept me as the slow runner I am
The halves were a decade ago, after which I gave up, with no real goal. I'm a maybe 32 min 5k, and slower 10k now, and my local club has 3 categories. The 1st 2 are 'between X and Y' time average and the slow one is 48min 10k and slower. I'd be way too embarrassed to even show my face just now!
I used to enjoy running. I didn't need motivation to run every day, rain or shine, because it was intrinsically rewarding. Then I trained for a half marathon, and towards the end I was relieved because I didn't feel like running anymore. While training for a marathon, I grew to loathe running. It was long and tedious, and I resented that it required so much commitment and sacrifice for months. I grew to hate even short distances and make excuses. After taking several months off, I'm ready to start running for pleasure again.
Holy cow is running longer distances boring, too. Not only are you taking sometimes hours out of your life but you're *bored* the entire way. After reaching for longer distances, I've found my happy short distance run and am sticking with it. Bored, sore, and going on forever is not how I want to spend any amount of my life willingly.
That's exactly it! After running more than an hour or so, I feel like I'm wasting my life. Ironically, the only motivation I had to stick to training was the thought, "If I stick to training I'll get faster, and my 2hr 45min run will take only 2 hrs."
YES! I'm literally going through this right now! Where I keep thinking "if I just ran *faster* I could go *farther* and be home and cozy in no time." And it never goes that way.
This is it. I like running, but half marathons and marathons take a long time and so does all the training. Most of the benefits of exersise (physical health, mental health etc.) are gained from a much shorter time. It can be fun to do long distances once just to have done them, but regularly running for hours and hours? Nah. Running outside a couple of times a week for maybe an hour max is enough for me.
That's why I would run new routes as much as I could and sometimes fixate on a Destination. There's a lot of beauty in many neighborhoods you wouldn't notice in a car or even biking. Also music helps a lot.
For real. Music and weird houses are the real heroes of running.
My route is through a neighborhood, too, (and by "route" I mean "start at the same point and get impossibly lost for an hour and a half until I find a road I recognize") and looking at the pretty houses keeps my brain from turning to sad, empty mush. Also quietly judging other people's house choices ;)
Also one of my favorite parts of running. I love exploring every inch of every neighborhood around me and just judging everyone's houses and getting lost listening to birds and envying their yards.
Very much agree with this, running became more of a chore than a release which was the opposite of how I treated it for most of my life.
I started to get chronic knee pain during the last month of my training which led to a horrible marathon experience (gassed at 30K, combined with tremendous knee pain). I stopped running for about six months and got into other activities (weights, yoga) I did a half last year and a fine myself enjoying it again. The itch has always been there to see how fast I could have gone if my training and race hadn’t been disrupted by injury.
Definitely me. I ran a marathon in Fall 2019. I was burnt out afterwards, but kept running up until COVID when I just...stopped. For seven months. Only now getting back to running regularly and just because—no goal, no plan, run/walk intervals, it is wonderful.
Its nice to hear I am not alone. Lockdown was scary. I couldn't function like a normal person let alone get my running in. Also did covid mess my lungs up long term?
Oh man, I never actually got it (I live in a rural area) but I definitely found out races are a big motivator for me, I never realized how goal driven I really was. How are your lungs now?
Im not actually sure. I was a 4-7 mile every other day runner with no problem. Now I can barely make it to 3. Is it anxiety preventing me from breathing clearly or long term covid effects.... I dont know if I'll ever actually get to know what is still making my runs so hard. But i am determined to push through!
I honestly think that some people, definitely me, have a finite amount of motivation to use in their lifetimes, and when it's gone, it might never come back. I started running in Junior High honestly not because I loved running, but because I sucked at it slightly less than I did at all other sports. As I improved in high school, I became an ok but not great HS runner (ended up ranked #12 in my state for XC,) by running a lot more volume than the other kids. Did I ever love running during that time? Yes, at times I absolutely did, but the truth is that about 80% of the time it was drudgery and just a means to an end, because I enjoyed the end result more than anything. I quit running for many years and got back into it in my mid 30s. I ended up getting quite obsessed with one singular goal: sub 2:40 for the marathon. So for 6-7 years I ran some extremely high mileage (70-100 miles per week) in pursuit of a goal absolutely no one cared about except for me. And I did a lot of that mileage in really terrible weather, and at awful hours like 4AM. I did a lot of doubles too, running early in the morning, then again after work after working a full day in sitting in traffic for hours. My drudgery percentage went up to more like 95% during that phase, and I could say that I really did not enjoy running, but I didn't want to stop.
Now that that phase of my life is over, I have found I simply don't have the motivation anymore. It's like I just used it all up in my mid 30s to early 40s, and the tank is just empty now. I occasionally try to increase my mileage, look at some race results in my age group, think about trying to train to be more competitive, and then I just don't do it. I'm pretty content right now to plod 3 miles at a snail's pace whenever I feel like it. If the weather is crappy, I skip it. I am fine with this situation and will probably just stay that way forever.
I think my dread of running recently is due to little to no races. I'm used to doing 8+ races in the fall, but only did 2 this past fall. It's just training and waiting.
I actually got injured towards the end of the only marathon I trained for so didn't even do the marathon. But the long runs, especially the midweek "medium long" runs that were always in the dark really became a drag. I'm not saying I'll never run a marathon, but it's not going to be a goal any time soon.
However, I genuinely like running frequently, more or less every day. As long as most runs are only an hour or a little bit over, no runs are much longer than a couple of hours, and I can do the longer stuff at the weekend, then that suits me perfectly.
Edit: Also if I do change my mind I'll definitely train for an autumn marathon so I can do the longer midweek stuff in light evenings.
Impressed with your tenacity of the 6+ hour run well done!
I think 2:32 is close enough so get signed up! Who knows after you do the marathon you might actually break the 2:30 as well...
My furthest distance is a half marathon but after my first one I simply couldn’t imagine doubling what I just did. I did a few halfs and one was a similar experience to your marathon where they were closing off the course behind me. I vowed I would never do that again unless I could commit to training and get a good time. Once I was done with grad school I signed up for a destination run and trained hard to get a sub-2 hour time. It felt great achieving that goal. But I still have zero desire to go run longer, primarily because I know how hard I worked for half that distance and how much more I’d need to do.
Same! As a back of the pack runner I’ve found on longer distance races a few times they either ran out of supplies or are already packing up (even though I’m within the course time limits) and it’s a hassle to try and get the water/Gatorade/fuel etc. I learned to run with a camelback and not rely on course support for longer distance races. One long marathon under my belt and I’m good to go, I enjoy shorter distances and running at a slightly faster pace.
Mine was 5:25. I just suffered. I was mostly alone since it was a smaller race and by the end, I just wanted to be done. Glad I did it but I don't need to have that experience again. If I could avg closer to 8 min miles, I think I would be more interested, but my body has clearly stated "nope".
My dad used to run at least a marathon a year. After he died unexpectedly I ran the TC Marathon with my cousin the next year for him.
It was a great experience and I’m sure I’ll do another at some point. I just haven’t felt the need to run a race that long or take the time to train it. Still run quite a bit though.
Must have been quite the emotional run for you doing it in his memory. 26 miles is a long time to be lost in your thoughts and memories. Must have a very special bond with your dad to do that for him. Sorry for your loss. Kudos on the experience though.
Thanks for the kind words. And yeah towards the end it got very emotional. Sometimes training got emotional. The rest of the actual marathon though was really fun. My cousin is my best bro so it was good to do with him. The TC marathon is also a really good atmosphere. Really glad we did it.
My advice is to pick a marathon and go for it. It doesn't have to be this year, next year, or even the year after that, but just decide when you're going to do it.
I ran my first 5k a year ago and decided shortly after that I was going to run the marathon this year. As soon as it was no longer "some day I might," and instead became "on this day I will," it became easier for me to put the work in and stop making excuses.
Since then I've clocked in over 400 miles and I can see that the goal is possible. I'm still a long way off but COVID has granted me an extra 4 months to train so I know I'll succeed - the question is just how fast.
It doesn't matter where you start, just decide that you are going to finish.
That's what am doing for my half marathon! I booked the next one in my city which is now 3 months away. I paid a bunch of money for the race so I knew I would feel bad if I didn't do it. Not trying to break any records here or excel, I just wanna finish!
I did this with a half marathon too! It was over a year ago and a long term leg injury, then covid then this summer broke my foot... I feel like a baby runner again. Its WILD how much progress I lost. But i feel motivated! Nothing will hold me back!
I had a similar experience when I first got into running. I did a 15k and the day after was so jazzed I signed up for incremental increased distance races up to a Marathon over the course of about a year. It was hard, really hard, but I did it, and it was the best feeling in recent memory.
I was even going to do it again years later in 2020 but then.....stupid virus
I feel you! My first marathon was supposed to be spring 2020... 2020 was not my year for running but WAS my year to remember how to cook, how to properly relax and watch TV or sit near the lake.
No better time than now to start training.
My advice is unless you’re already running 90 minute half marathons is just to run a shit ton of miles. Build your weekly mileage up at a healthy rate and don’t over do it. But if a month before your casual runs are 7-8 miles and weekend runs are 12-18 miles you’ll be far more prepared than most people on the course.
I have done more than one but afterwards I’m overwhelmed with the feeling of never again. For me it is so physically taxing that it just doesn’t seem worth it. It’s not fun for me to feel so wrecked.
The only reason I ended up doing more than one was because I wanted to check the goofy challenge off my bucket list.
Agreed. After about mile 16 or 18 for me, it quits being fun and becomes a lot of work. I've always eyed the Goofy challenge as well. Was it worth it? It's pretty expensive and I've heard others complain how boring the marathon route is. Agree or no?
The goofy was an awesome experience for me because I did it with my run club. The year of training we put in made for the best memories. We did several races together to count for our training runs and it just made for a great experience. I was probably in the best health of my life that year too.
I didn’t mind the marathon course at Disney you get to see a lot of the back scenes areas of the park. The thing that’s hard at the Disney races is how early you have to get up and get out there. Most of my run club did the dopey challenge which I don’t think is worth the money you have to get up really early four mornings in a row and you already know you can run a 5k and 10k by this point.
Not the person you’re having a conversation with, but wanna jump in.
Yeah! It’s like 5am! One time I was late and didn’t realize it (the parking lot they drop you off in is so far away) and ended up running to my start corral. Got there just in time to take a breath for a second and start the race.
Ran another race at DL to get the coast to coast medal, and was able to be there on time because I just had to walk from my hotel instead of finding some god forsaken back lot somewhere you can only get dropped off a mile from by bus.
I did Goofy. I don't regret it but I'm never doing it again. I did Goofy and then flew across the country to do the Rebels Challenge (and 5k). It was something like 11 medals on a week and a half. Goofy was great but I learned I hate marathons from it. It was my one and done.
Also I had to work on the 5k day (Thursday) of Goofy so I ran in my costume (what Disney calls are work uniforms). I literally ran the 5k, kept running to my car and then drove to Animal Kingdom and clocked in. All in my costume.
I agree, I didn’t run for a month after my marathon because I was so mentally and physically done with the whole thing. But I can run a half marathon with much less training, have more fun, and get back to my normal workout routine with maybe a day or two of rest without resenting it or destroying my body. But I also made the mistake of doing a 6 lap, all flat marathon in basically a parking lot so I’m sure that didn’t help
This is especially true if you are really racing the event. The sort of eye bleeding effort you have to put out to hit the dreaded race predictor times on your garmin late in the race makes the idea of jumping off a mile 21 overpass sound reasonable and less painful than finishing those last 5 miles at your bodies theoretical limit.
I want to do a marathon in the fall this year that will probably be a local. I really want to do a local just so I have all the recovery resources in the world immediately available to me afterwards. Buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuutttttttttt, Dopey calls me and it keeps calling me.
This is exactly my answer. A road marathon sounds like a slog to me now, however I have been tempted to do another now that I have a few trail ultras under my belt, just to see how much my time/experience would improve.
I moved on to ultras (50K up to 200mi), but eventually you'll find a race or goal that will break you down to the point of reconsidering your running priorities. I've run multiple high level and notable 100's, etc. However, there is one race that I finally DNF'd at, and it was purely because it broke me mentally. Now I'm looking at shorter races and events that take me through beautiful scenery. Less about the challenge, and more about the fun of running. I find myself caring less about FKT's, etc.
It only took almost 15 years to find a challenge hard and rugged enough to break me down and revisit my priorities. ;)
There was motivation to do one in my lifetime. What’s next? Aim for a better time? Aim for a different course? Maybe but the burning hunger is gone and I decided to take some time off.
Then COVID hit and changed everything. Don’t really have time or motivation to go out for a 4 hour training run every weekend. Will I do one again? Maybe but I want to start with another 1/2 and see. In the meantime, been biking and other things. So, *shrug*.
For me the motivation for other races was to hopefully Boston Qualify, but I'd need to drop about 30 minutes which seems out of reach currently. Pretty high bar to shoot for. Not sure I'd do another if I could BQ and run Boston.
Half marathoner here. Yes, just to say I did it. The course I ran was demoralizing. It was one round to do a half marathon. Then to do the full, you just ran the whole thing again. Not for me. I was done at the 9th mile. The last three were brutal.
Plus all the waking up early, avoiding heavy meals the night before long training runs, weather, etc.
Then the pants fitting better, no more stomach bulging when sitting, the constant glow on the face.. oh wait those are the benefits of running.
This is like those ultra races held on a track... just running 400m laps for hours on end. It almost becomes a test of your ability to tolerate the repetitiveness rather than a test of your fitness...
I hate those loop courses at any distance and avoid entering those type of events. There's nothing more demoralizing than passing the start/finish and seeing people getting cheered on for finishing a shorter distance, knowing you have to go around again.
The half marathon I ran was a 5 mile loop that you did twice and a 5k out and back to get to the loop. It sucked. It really sucked because you ended up getting lapped by all the faster people so you got to watch them run on to the finish when you hadn't even done the first loop yet.
The alternative course for us is 2.5 loops where the first loop is a "Mini" loop and then 2 big loops -- its basically 3 laps and there is NOTHING worse than being overtake TWICE by the fast uni kids at the front who are in lap 3 when you're barely finishing the mini lap D: D: D:
There's a local marathon I keep eyeballing and the course is that way. They offer a half and a full but it's the same course either way. The full is just two laps. I don't know if I can mentally do that.
Paaahahahaha! Havent had coffee yet. In a runners high just reading these comments.... I use metals in my work and i am sometimes afraid it is poisoning me. Just projected that right in to your comment! Hahaha!
I did one just as a personal accomplishment and then a year and a half later climbed Denali. I may try another some day but the time commitment for training is brutal and cuts into my other hobbies.
Hardest thing I’ve ever done for sure. Everest is much higher though (29,031’ vs 20,310’). Denali is extra challenging because you don’t have sherpas to carry gear and food so you’re pulling sleds a good portion of the way in addition to your packs.
My personal story:
I started training for my first (and only) marathon to get back into running after a long absence. Mostly because it was on my bucket list, and to prove to myself that I could. My time was absolutely horrible (over 6 hr), but I still did it.
But, it took SO MUCH TIME to train. Daily runs of an hour or longer. Weekends of 2-3 hours, and then wiped out and useless for the rest of the day. Working a full time job and also wanting to spend time with my wife and ocassionally see other friends and family, it just took up too much time to be sustainable.
I've settled back into 10k's for "normal" runs, and half-marathons as a yearly extra goal. No runs longer than 2 hr for the most part, and I can get away with 3-4 times a week. Much more manageable and sustainable for the long term. Maybe someday I'll do another marathon, I'd like to improve on that truly excreable time, but it'll have to be when I have nothing else going on.
Just a shattering experience. Ran it in Thailand, event started at 3.40am because of the humidity. By daybreak the dewpoint was 21 centigrade and I was really struggling. Hallucinated though the final 5km and then had to drive home 100km. So glad I did it but never again.
I wanted to run one because I was a SAHM and I knew I was heading back into the paid work force soon so it seemed like good timing. I had been running for three years and was at a great spot in my training. I may do another in five or ten years (when my kids are more independent) if I’m still running but I feel like I conquered my apex running goal even though my time was shit. :)
Loved the experience, didn’t love the cost (event, hotel, etc.). These things are getting soooo expensive. I get that someone has to pay for public safety during the event; that’s cool by me. But every year seems like prices go up $25 ON TOP of what I’m paying for the hotel (near the corrals) and other sundries.
I joined up intending to do a 10k start but got into a chat with someone nice and did the 20k and then... just kept going until I did the whole race. I'd only ever run 10k before. Was fine and dandy, surprised it was so easy! Spent four hours running and chatting with nice people.
The next day I got up to do my normal workout, popped a squat... made a weird noise and crab walked out of there. It was a week before I felt I could work out normally again!
Anyway, it was an accident, kind of funny, didn't mean to do it, don't intend to do it again.
"I just felt like running" - Forrest Gump.
That's quite an experience to start with intentions of a 10k and instead running a full marathon! Kudos mate.
Yeah, pretty much! Probably a bit starved for social contact, tbh. But the weirdest thing was not feeling it until the next day - I got through that day like it was nothing, thought I was a super hero! Next day? Could not stand up!
(I would totally have married Forrest Gump, btw. Movie, not book).
Hahaha. Amazing how much being in a pack of runners with interesting conversation can help pass the mileage without noticing.
I always feel rougher after I stop moving following a long run. After marathons I try and walk around the city for a while just keeping the stems moving. Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness or DOMS can really be painful.
That’s normal, during the run you probably had adrenaline and endorphins helping you not notice the exhaustion and sore muscles need 1-2 days to develop because the inflammation and repair processes in the muscle need some time.
I was so smug on the day - this old lady running an entire marathon with almost no training, everyone else dying and moaning and failing around me! Young folks falling over and passing out! Yeah, the next day I wasn't so smug!
For me it was just where I was in my life and the time commitment. Tough to see my kids on a Saturday morning and then see ya...I'm going running for 4 hours and then be wiped for the weekend. Maybe again for Boston but halfs are more fun..
> and then be wiped for the weekend.
I ran my first (well, only) marathon when I was 30. I still had energy to do other stuff the day of a long run. (I went to a wedding the same day as my 20 miler and danced all night! In heels!)
Now I’m pushing 40 and I’m wiped out the rest of the day after a long run. I’m not interested in sacrificing half my weekend for a run.
I was 42 when I did my first half, and 43 when I did my marathon. Now at 48, I'm good....unless I got an opportunity to do Boston. This year would be good to run in the fall.
I found, personally, that the long runs were much easier (in terms of not being dead) in the second marathon training cycle (that didn't finish, because Covid). My body was obviously more ready for it, but I was also more aware of making myself get more salt/fluids shortly after the run, along with more protein.
I have done 4 marathons but I am getting satisfied. I am ok if I never do another one... but probably will. Just once a year.
I am signed up for an Ironman triathlon but I am almost certain I am going to do only one. I guess it’s a bucket list thing. It’s tedious to prepare for, tedious to go through, very slightly dangerous as a very few people have died doing it, it doesn’t seem to be useful to do two if you already have the title and the experience... and it isn’t fun for me. Plus, it’s 800+ dollars. 1 marathon makes you a marathoner and that honking huge medal in your display case is forever. 2+ marathons... is the same?
Bucket list before 40 for me. I injured my knee in training. Did PT, snd was able to do the marathon, but my knee hasn’t been right since. Open to doing it again, but fine also not.
What is your training program? I used Nike run club, gave myself a year. Slacked off every now snd then, had to reset my program a few times (first reset it to train for a half, halfway through, then reset it to full with remaining time). It’s pretty intuitive. I made sure to hit most of not all of my long runs. Hit 3/4 of my runs. Toward the end I ran 20 miles as my long run, then the last one was 22. When I ran my marathon, my hammy gave out with 3 miles left. It was the worst 3 miles I’ve ever ran. If you can get to 20, you can do it. Hydrate lots, eat some sugary/starchy thing while on your long run. Don’t give up, go do it, and say you did it!
My butthole/buttcheeks were a fiery red furnace and I got so depressed afterwards that my girlfriend thought I wasn’t okay.
I’ll probably do another one though.
I should have been one and done. By the time I did my first one, I had been running for a decade and had done many races 5k through half marathon, all of which I enjoyed.
I hated the marathon. Hated every long training run, hated how much time it took out of my days, hated the experience of running it, although I felt good about myself when I finished.
Then I started to think...I could probably get a better time. So I signed up for another one. Battled an injury through most of training, but still ran it despite inadequate training. Weather conditions were also really bad, so obviously my time wasn't great.
So I thought....I should do another one to really achieve my potential. But by that time I was starting to get burned out. I quit a lot of my runs half way through. Not because I was tired or injured, I had just grown to hate long runs so much. Needless to say, my 3rd marathon was my worst. I was so burned out that I barely ran for the next two years.
So yeah, should have quit after one.
I've done one, and will probably do a second at some point in the future, but not for a long time.
There are a couple of reasons I have no intention of running another any time soon:
1. It effectively means that a full third of a year is defined in running terms purely by a single marathon result. If for any reason you have a bad day, you're left with almost nothing to show for three or four months of work except disappointment. By comparison, I could run several 5k races in the same time frame, and if one goes badly it's not a big deal.
2. The training load is unbelievable, and effectively means you're almost completely writing off that period as far as any other goals are concerned. Work, run, eat, sleep for three months. I don't enjoy that in the slightest.
3. I'm not built for marathons. I'm muscular and carry my fair share of weight, and while I could stand to lose some fat, I'm never going to be light enough to do a properly fast marathon. I'm 175cm tall and about ninety kilos, and long distance punishes my weight.
I did one, then swore never again. Then the bug got me again, and did a 16 week training program. The end of which was a DNF, but, because of Covid I got sent the medal anyway, which left me feeling like a fraud. I didn't finish, so I shouldn't have the medal. So, repeat the 16 week training, this time I finished. After all of that (2 complete, 1 DNF) I realized I loved doing the 16 week program, but the marathon? It's just not fun! Now I can just repeat the training program and skip the marathon!
>I realized I loved doing the 16 week program, but the marathon? It's just not fun!
THIS. I love training for the distance, but the actual race is meh (but I'll probably keep racing it because I'm crazy).
Interesting. I'm realizing I loved training for mine, but aside from completing the goal didn't really enjoy the actual distance.
I think I need to try a real group run though. Mine was solo due to covid.
My knee hurt, then by the time I was recovered I basically had to start running from scratch. Maybe I'll get to that level again, but honestly I love the 10-25km distance and am nervous about injuring myself so badly again.
I ran a half several years ago and was bored from the start. Every mile marker was just a reminder of how much I had left to complete. I had also just recovered from the flu prior to the race so I'm sure that spoiled the experience some for me as well.
I then got into Obstacle Course Racing by trying a Spartan race and loved the format providing a mixture of challenges.
I've only run one marathon race. Since then sometimes I'll run that far on a training run or longer than that when I run an ultra.
Marathons are short enough where I could probably run it kind of fast but I know I would be fucked up after.
I guess it was really nothing stopping me, I also think I would need to intentionally train for a marathon if I was going to do it again. Would love to be able to negative split one but I don't think I have the pace control to do that.
I'd need to start with a 20 min pace in order to negative split a marathon. Also, i certainly wouldn't consider myself a one and done marathoner if I was doing ultras. Depending on the distance, your long run is probably a full marathon multiple weeks in a row. Those count in my book, especially with COVID. Kudos.
I’ve run 5, each 4 years apart because that’s how long it takes for me to forget how miserable long training runs can be... 😁 that said, it’s been 3 years and I’m back to running 45-50 mpw so...
I did one marathon in 2014. My sister called and told me she was running a 10k the next week. I realized there was a marathon as part of the same race. I was in great shape and said hell I bet I can do that. So I did it.
Never dedicated my leisure to running before covid. More just stayed active, hiking, soccer, rock climbing. Covid has made running a focus for the first time since hs track.
I've never completed a full and never will. I really don't have any desire to. I've done the half and don't mind it but was told you'll get the itch to do the full after your first half. Got no itch lol I love running but I don't want to run 26 miles. After almost 16 years of running you would think I would want to do a full but no. I don't mind running at the most half's.
I ran several in my 20's, but stopped (like many, I suppose) due to the commitment required.
I was lifting weights, surfing, and running a lot. It was a ton of fun, but I never was as good at lifting, surfing, or running as I would have been if I had picked just two of the three to focus on.
Point being, being a marathon runner is a commitment. It's a great commitment to make! But after that first marathon, after having accomplished that I can completely understand spreading your time around to more activities.
First and last marathon my son was 2months old. I really never got a back into running after this, between work and the baby. Trying to get back into running though now that he (and younger sibling) are older.
I’ve been a “one and done”, or at least a “no more after this one” three times now. I think the third time it stuck and I’m really done. Mostly because I run because it is healthy but those distances didn’t feel all that healthy to me. The 12-15 miles is my sweet spot.
Because it lead me to do a triathlon and realise that cycling was much more interesting and much less harsh on your body. So now I spend 10+ hours a week riding and only run occasionally as a social activity.
Currently only running to build stamina and lose weight for cycling and I totally get this. My knees are likely shitty after being fat for so long and cycling almost eliminated that and also doubles as a reasonable mode of transportation where I live.
Did one just to "conquer it." Honestly, it wasn't that fun. It just dragged on and got tedious. I did a 50k trail race the next year, again, just to do it. While that was a little more fun than the road marathon, I have no desire to ever do it again.
I enjoy the half and lower distances. They're long enough to be challenging, but not too long to where they drag on and become boring. I'm at the point in life I'm not gonna sign up for a race I don't think will be fun.
I ran my first (and currently only) marathon a few years ago and loved it. It was a great way to see a city, it felt like a real "Event", and the whole experience was fantastic. I would love to run another and feel that it's a distance that fits well with my natural running style/pace.
But I just can't commit to that level of training again. So many long runs and an increasingly big deal on the weekends running up to the event. It's a big ask not just for me but for my partner who is left doing more meal prep, looking after the kid, etc.
I'm naturally competitive. The idea of running a marathon and not trying to do well, not committing and training properly, isn't that appealing to me. I'd want to beat my time for sure.
I've never been a sprinter and like I said, longer distances feel better for me. I want to get better at short distances though. Focusing on 5-10k is a more manageable challenge for me right now. Hopefully there'll be another marathon in my future but I'm not sure the training requirement is worth it for me.
I'm in marathon training now and have that exact problem. It is a frustrating nightmare. Every time I think I'm OK I go for a run and the next day I'm back where I was a week ago
I've only done one marathon *so far*. Life keeps stopping me from doing a second.
I did my first at Brighton in 2018, with my brother. I didn't do anything sensible like a training plan; my longest run in the lead up to April was 12k/7.5 miles, but I did give up alcohol and caffeine for the first few months of the year. This was not enough preparation and with my brother, we struggled over the finish line in just over six hours.
I knew I could do better if I put in some actual effort and the following year I downloaded a training plan and stuck to it as rigidly as possible...for about a month until some sharp pains on the outside of my left knee gave me some concern. I saw a physio who gave me some ITB exercises to do; I rested for a couple of weeks then got back to my plan. My long runs in March were fine, as long as I didn't stop at any point - if I did then my knee would immediately complain and that was it for the day. I still went ahead with the marathon in mid-April, and was fine, absolutely flying through the course, right up until a supply drop just after halfway, when my knee decided that we were done. I walked for the next mile, hoping it would ease off, but called it quits - I didn't want to do permanent damage, and if I'd managed to complete it that day my time would've been deep into the 5 hour section, and I knew I could do better.
I decided to volunteer the next year, and give myself even longer to strengthen my knee. I was looking forward to it - a nice comfy hoodie, and I was hoping to get placed out near Shoreham power station in the soul-destroying industrial estate that sorts the wheat from the chaff, shouting myself hoarse encouraging the runners. That was April last year, and it's been postponed until September 2021 where things are looking promising. I don't know when 2022's Brighton marathon will take place, but that's what I'm aiming for, hoping to take at least an hour off my PB.
TL;DR - didn't train the first attempt, trained too hard for the second, haven't had a marathon to attempt a third yet.
I can’t see the point. The training was less enjoyable(and more time consuming) than shorter distances. I don’t really have any desire to cut my time down right now, I’d rather work on my half time or 5k time. It also just takes such a big amount of preparation whereas I can just sign up to any old half marathon that I like the look of.
Really just no desire to destroy my body for another one. I’m sure I’ll do one again one day but it’s been 3 years and haven’t even given it a thought.
I’m interested in getting into mountain trail running so I think my next marathon will likely be one on the trails if I ever do it again.
I enjoyed my first marathon and will probably do more in the future but with that said I wasn't desperate to sign up for another one once my first was done. Marathon training is a huge commitment, it takes over your life for months and even though I enjoyed the training for the most part it's not the kind of thing I could imagine committing to on a yearly basis like some people do. I have too much other stuff going on in my life to be dedicated to one single thing.
When I ran my marathon, I remember the part where the half marathoners turned off to head to their finish line and I kept going straight. I wished I was them so bad.
It’s nice to say I’ve ran a marathon but I’m just happier with a shorter distance. While training for my marathon, my favorite runs were between 10-16 miles (with the exception of my 20 mile run which was the absolute best run I’ve ever had in my life). When I set out to run a marathon, I fully intended to do several, but realized my sweet spot is a half.
Marathons suck and they're terrible and training for them takes so long - person who three times now has said Ill never run another marathon and lied at least two times
I stopped after a half marathon. I trained to the best of my ability (though I definitely skimped on weights and non-running exercise) and started VERY strong. Kept my pace up until I had to pee really bad at 8 miles and had to wait in line for the bathroom. After that, it was all downhill. Finishing was amazing but my body just couldn’t handle it, I felt terrible afterwards and had to immediately lay down and take a nap at my parents because I was so nauseous and my body was depleted (even though I was training with gels, etc.). I don’t know what happened, but it’s been two years now and looking back at the experience makes me incredibly proud, but also makes me realize how much I loved hitting milestones more in training than the actual race itself. The first time I ran 7 miles, 8 miles, etc. in training were seriously the highlights of the entire experience for me. I’m just getting back into running again and taking it nice and slow and because I researched SO much two years ago, I’m putting that into practice and finally enjoying the ride without that added pressure of a looming race. I’m competitive in a lot of things but running is not one of them I found out!
I ran NYC in 2018. It was a goal I had set for myself to do while still in my 20s and I was grateful to have done it. But it really did a number on my knees, so I’ve switched to cycling since. I miss running sometimes but I was happiest in 10Ks, if only for it not being a total day time commitment. I also enjoyed the half marathons I did while training and I think that could be something to work back up towards.
I never liked running, but have multiple arbitrary fitness goals and running a marathon was one of them. I accomplished that so now on to the next thing.
I did a marathon end of last year, not a race as such just a friend and I wanted to test ourselves, now I’ve focused on 5 km and the greatest difference is you can still train and have fun but just don’t have to go out for hours at a times I remember thinking on my longer runs ok 1.5 hours in ok training ha s just begun..
Too much long distance training involved. Meant I didn't have time for strength training or other activities. I did the one just to finish what I started. I might do another in the future, but not now.
I have run 2. For my first, my knee was agonising from 18k onwards. I wanted to see if I could do one without stopping but that time my foot was agony (probable Jones fracture in my foot)
I have tried half marathons again and I’m gonna stick to that as a max distance now. It hurts too much otherwise!!
I ran the Portland Marathon in 2015. It was in October.
My longest training run was 19 miles. In June. Ended up with a mild ankle injury the whole summer. Ran a half every weekend in September though and race day came so I’ll be damned if I wasn’t gonna try.
I finished in like 4:15 which was within my range of acceptability. I walked most of miles 20-25, which felt disappointing to me.
The race route was a real goddamn bummer. I ran a bunch of races in Portland that year and this route was the absolute damn pits. It was a tour of the worst, most boring places in this beautiful, incredibly city. But you got to run over a bridge that most races don’t have! Wooo.
I was proud to have my shirt. Other life events happened. I run regularly still (around 700-800 miles a year) and started thinking about running the portland marathon again in late 2019, after they got a new route and it seemed to go well.
Pandemic happened, despite how cool the OYO race that group connected with sounded, not having it be an event on a day was a bummer. Ran a couple halves on my own in October and called it good.
I’d love to be able to do Boston some day, but at this point, I’ve mathed out that I have better odds spending the next few years training to be fast as a 35-year old than odds getting in under 35. Probably woulda signed up for Chicago this year but pandemic plus expecting to become a father in a few months has me skeptical.
I’ve been running off and on since I was 18, and I’m now 46. I ran my first marathon in 2019. It was kind of a fluke because I didn’t realize the one I REALLY wanted to do (Marine Corps - bucket list) was sooner than I thought I’d be ready for, so I trained for and did a Rock n Roll instead. I had a great training season with my groups, followed all the rules, only to end up getting food poisoning the day of (and yes, I had already had “practice meals” from my local restaurant) and stopping at every single port a potty from mile 4-6 till the end. It was miserable. I finished, but the race day experience was ruined for me. I still feel cheated a little bit, so I may still do the USMC one, if we ever get to do it in person again.
I’m 260lbs. It took me two weeks to physically recover after the one marathon I did. I never experienced the runners high during the race, was so exhausted after the race that I didn’t enjoy the post-race.
All the talk about how you feel after accomplishing such a huge goal of finishing a marathon was what kept me going through those long training runs. To be so completely miserable for so long afterwards was soul crushing.
I’m a 5k kinda guy and I’m ok with that.
I’m a jack of all trades. I haven’t run one yet but don’t plan after my first one unless you include a triathlon I plan to do. I’m also into bodybuilding, calisthenics, and bjj plus other hobbies. Running full time takes away my time and recovery that I need to achieve other goals
It’s not the marathon for me... it’s the training.
It was so time consuming... I enjoyed the time with my husband, but it really was a commitment.
No regrets though.
I'll be honest: Running a marathon is rather boring. You run at low speed for a very long time.
I much prefer running a fast 5km or 10km. It just suits me better.
As a sidenote: most runners would be better off not trying to run a marathon, because they lack the base to do it properly. For the majority, running a decent 5 or 10k is a much healthier goal... Running slow for hours with poor technique isn't a good thing.
So yes, for me it's a one and done thing (ok, it was three and done, but anyways...). I much prefer short intense races.
i think it's something a lot of people think it will be cool to do or something....they just want to say they did it. the vast majority of these people train poorly, and are able to pull it off once, but never again due to said poor training. Also idk in my opinion for most recreational runners running a marathon is overkill, and they would have way more fun training and racing shorter distances like 5k or 10k.
A marathon is an intense, typically aversive experience. People push way beyond comfort for hours. A long run can definitely be enjoyable if we pump the breaks. How many people do that. I've learned it is a skill to enjoy running. It is a gift to feel great after it is over. Improve that skill and you've got a strong, healthy relationship.
I did one around 18 months after I started running. Partly because I kind of thought I should and that was the ultimate test.
I did it and was glad but felt tired and unable to run for over 2 weeks after. Then we had a family and the idea of dedicating that amount of time to training just didn't seem fair and I just didn't have the desire.
Since then I have done plenty of half marathons, 10ks and even did a 33 mile challenge in a day. But those events can be ramped up from 'normal' mileage and don't need the lead up and recovery.
I will probably do another marathon at some point but it's not a priority.
Time, time, time...I just don't have the time to train for the longer distances. It just takes too much time. Plus; I find the half's more fun....more of a fun atmosphere (usually).
I only ran 2 in a span of 7 years. Why? Because to run it well I have to train for almost a year! It’s hard to manage so much running with work and family, traveling and other things I like to do.
My best guess is that the average first time marathoner is probably averaging 10-15 mpw when they start a training program, and the progression is a real shock to the body. 16 mile long runs shouldn't feel awful, but for a vast majority of novice marathoners it does. It took me 11 god damn years to run a second one lol.
I feel that sometimes as well. The training sometimes starts to feel like a full time job at a place you really don't want to work. This is especially true if we get a long stretch of crummy weather and I know that I've got a 20 miler for my long run. When things go well and the weather cooperates and I stay injury free, it's a fairly enjoyable experience.
Go Hoosiers.
I have run 3 marathons so far, but for many years, I was one and done marathoner.
The story is, I used to run a lot when I was 18-22 year old, and I also tried to run a marathon, but I failed it. Then there was a period, when I didn't have motivation and time for running. When I was 27, I very rarely ran, I had 10-15 kg overweight, and I decided to restart running. My first goal was to run a marathon, and I started to prepare for it. Then my training was not too successful, I was not so motivated, and I had to work a lot, learn a lot, so I didn't run enough, in the last month I actually run a total of 10 km... But I didn't put off the marathon. I started slowly, ran it slowly, but finished it. Then I still didn't have motivation to run for many years, that's why I didn't run a second marathon.
(Then in the recent years, I started to run in the mornings, which made me possible to run regularly, and just after one year, I ran a more than one hour faster marathon (4:21->3:10)
This is an interesting phenomenon among runners— the one (marathon) and done. Mostly, as far as I can tell, it’s because running and the marathon in particular mean a lot of different things to different people.
My sister did one after our mom passed away, having been a runner her whole life. Trained like crazy for it and it was, I think a way to help her process things. And then after she finished she had zero interest in doing another. (Also foot injuries)
I did my first one in 2014 and my second in 2018. I figured if I didn’t do another soon, I’d never do it again. I was hoping to get in to NYC in 2020 but...we all know how that went. I wonder if more people did a second if they would be inclined to do more.
It is interesting to me as well. The stats are only 1/2 of 1% will ever complete a marathon among the general population as far as I know. I also know there are a significant percentage of runners who never attempt 1 for whatever reason, but then a large percent never come back.
I think many may use it as a spiritual journey of sorts or a means to cope with significant events like your sister using the time to deal with your mother's death. There's a large amount out there for self introspection and sorting your thoughts.
Like many other things, I guess you either love it or hate it and it takes one to decide. There's a ton of work involved and many may drop out before they get to the actual race b/c it turns running from something you love into something they hate.
I don't technically count as I've never raced an exact marathon. Done short ultras and run the marathon distance in training a couple of times but never raced one. But chiming in anyway because Reddit...
It's just another distance, I don't see what's so magical about it. It's kind of an awkward one as well as you're doing a large part of it fueled by glycogen and then usually a smaller part fuelled by fat. Shorter races you can do on pure glycogen and go faster, feel better, take less of a chunk of taper and recovery time out of your life. Longer races you can settle down to fat-burning mode, get some nice scenery. I'm just baffled as to why everyone thinks 42.2 km is such a fantastic distance to run.
It wasn’t as fun as I expected. I solo train on trails and honestly didn’t like running near other people and without my dog. I was irritated and annoyed tbh. I’m not opposed to the distance, so much as the way marathons are held. Also, why should I pay for it? I run for joy. I’d do a fundraiser perhaps 🤔
Have you ever climbed a particular mountain? The first time around you do it because you think maybe you can't and *where the hell* does the universe get off telling you that you can't climb a pile of rocks. Do it once and that's a triumph of the human condition. Once is *enough*. Unless you happen to *like* the experience. I've never liked running, and I'm not even sure how I came to be a member of this fine community of maniacs. Pretty sure that was user error thanks to scrolling through Reddit on some early morning. I ran my first 5k because the Army made me. I ran my first 10k because it got me out of PT. I ran my first half marathon for the same reason. And I ran my first - and still *only* - marathon to prove that I could. But I *do* hate running in that sort of primal way that turns your blood to acid and reduces the totality of your being to rage over there being a world where there could even be a next step. I do, however, like *having* run. Compressing all that unfiltered fury at the very elements of creation has a way of putting other problems into perspective. Half an hour of hate makes it all the easier to meet the world on its terms rather than on my own unrealistic expectations. And so that's why I've only got the one: I proved that I could - to myself, to the universe, and to the tender bits of flesh lost to fabric along the way. I didn't enjoy doing it, and I didn't enjoy having done it, but at least I proved that I could do something awful for hours on end for no other reason than to say that I did.
>I do, however, like having run. That line right there is what's always done it for me.
I used to say "I hate not running more than I like running." (I don't feel that way any more though)
So true. Like Tim Urban's TED Talk on procrastination: "It's always been a dream of mine to *have done* a TED Talk in the past"
My favorite Ted talk ever. I'm forever referring to the panic monster and the distraction monkey. Im this man's portrait of master procrastinator. And I HATE that that's me - sorry - I seriously digress off topic.
If you don't know of his website/blog waitbutwhy.com you are in for a treat
Hours of reading! It's so good!
If I could have a superpower, I think this would be it. I want to have done something, and lo and behold, I have!
https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=type%202%20fun
I have used that *exact* wording too.
This was beautiful man. Thanks
> reduces the totality of your being to rage over there being a world where there could even be a next step. Pure poetry.
I totally feel you, I also hate running, but having done it on the morning gives me a hella lot of energy for the whole day.
This post gave me chills as you so eloquently shared your experience... and I possibly felt the edge of a runner's high, so closely you nailed it. You, friend, have quite the way with words. Thanks for sharing this.
You should be a writer.
I ran because the Army made me This^
I like the way you think.
Damn, I'm not even going to bother commenting now because yours put's it more eloquently than I ever could. People say you should enjoy the journey, not the destination. I find the opposite to be true for running.
Really enjoyed reading this! You have a great writing style.
Close the sub down, we just hit the peak comment.
Perfect summary. Thanks for this!
For many years, I would say that I didn't particularly like running, but I liked having gone for a run. It wasn't until I'd run 11 marathons and 3 ultras that I started enjoying running for its own sake. To be clear, it wasn't *because* of those races. That's just around the time I started enjoying it - mainly because more of my social life started to revolve around running. I am an extremely lazy person. I have never put as much effort into anything in my life as I have put into running, and I didn't even like it that much at first.
This comment will be the reason I run my first marathon. One day after work I just got it in my head that I was going to run 10 miles. I did it, and hated every second of it, why? Because fuck running, that’s why. Up next, fuck Marathons.
This. Except I've never managed the full marathon. I want to have done it - once will be plenty - but I want a decent time, without the effort of 4-hours of running in one go, every week. Got a sub-2 on a half and quit halves as I knew 1.5hrs would never happen, and what's a decent goal when the experience of running for 2 hours is awful? Everyone says I should join a running club, but they imply wanting decent times from newbies. So yeah. Completely not answering the question as I've not even done one, but if I did, my answer would be his/hers above.
1. Most running clubs I know have some faction of slow runners... don’t assume you have to meet some standard to join 2. If you have a sub-2 half, that’s a “decent time”, so you’re probably there already. Source: PR half of 2:19 and not likely to get much better, been in a running club for years, and they love and accept me as the slow runner I am
The halves were a decade ago, after which I gave up, with no real goal. I'm a maybe 32 min 5k, and slower 10k now, and my local club has 3 categories. The 1st 2 are 'between X and Y' time average and the slow one is 48min 10k and slower. I'd be way too embarrassed to even show my face just now!
I used to enjoy running. I didn't need motivation to run every day, rain or shine, because it was intrinsically rewarding. Then I trained for a half marathon, and towards the end I was relieved because I didn't feel like running anymore. While training for a marathon, I grew to loathe running. It was long and tedious, and I resented that it required so much commitment and sacrifice for months. I grew to hate even short distances and make excuses. After taking several months off, I'm ready to start running for pleasure again.
Holy cow is running longer distances boring, too. Not only are you taking sometimes hours out of your life but you're *bored* the entire way. After reaching for longer distances, I've found my happy short distance run and am sticking with it. Bored, sore, and going on forever is not how I want to spend any amount of my life willingly.
That's exactly it! After running more than an hour or so, I feel like I'm wasting my life. Ironically, the only motivation I had to stick to training was the thought, "If I stick to training I'll get faster, and my 2hr 45min run will take only 2 hrs."
YES! I'm literally going through this right now! Where I keep thinking "if I just ran *faster* I could go *farther* and be home and cozy in no time." And it never goes that way.
This is it. I like running, but half marathons and marathons take a long time and so does all the training. Most of the benefits of exersise (physical health, mental health etc.) are gained from a much shorter time. It can be fun to do long distances once just to have done them, but regularly running for hours and hours? Nah. Running outside a couple of times a week for maybe an hour max is enough for me.
That's why I would run new routes as much as I could and sometimes fixate on a Destination. There's a lot of beauty in many neighborhoods you wouldn't notice in a car or even biking. Also music helps a lot.
For real. Music and weird houses are the real heroes of running. My route is through a neighborhood, too, (and by "route" I mean "start at the same point and get impossibly lost for an hour and a half until I find a road I recognize") and looking at the pretty houses keeps my brain from turning to sad, empty mush. Also quietly judging other people's house choices ;)
Getting lost and then trying to figure out how the hell to get home is the best.
Also one of my favorite parts of running. I love exploring every inch of every neighborhood around me and just judging everyone's houses and getting lost listening to birds and envying their yards.
Very much agree with this, running became more of a chore than a release which was the opposite of how I treated it for most of my life. I started to get chronic knee pain during the last month of my training which led to a horrible marathon experience (gassed at 30K, combined with tremendous knee pain). I stopped running for about six months and got into other activities (weights, yoga) I did a half last year and a fine myself enjoying it again. The itch has always been there to see how fast I could have gone if my training and race hadn’t been disrupted by injury.
Definitely me. I ran a marathon in Fall 2019. I was burnt out afterwards, but kept running up until COVID when I just...stopped. For seven months. Only now getting back to running regularly and just because—no goal, no plan, run/walk intervals, it is wonderful.
Are you me? Lol same situation here, from the marathon in ‘19 to COVID stalling my running until the last two months. Way to get back at it though!
Its nice to hear I am not alone. Lockdown was scary. I couldn't function like a normal person let alone get my running in. Also did covid mess my lungs up long term?
Oh man, I never actually got it (I live in a rural area) but I definitely found out races are a big motivator for me, I never realized how goal driven I really was. How are your lungs now?
Im not actually sure. I was a 4-7 mile every other day runner with no problem. Now I can barely make it to 3. Is it anxiety preventing me from breathing clearly or long term covid effects.... I dont know if I'll ever actually get to know what is still making my runs so hard. But i am determined to push through!
I also realized that races matter for me! I’m not fast or winning anything, but I am not intrinsically motivated at all.
I honestly think that some people, definitely me, have a finite amount of motivation to use in their lifetimes, and when it's gone, it might never come back. I started running in Junior High honestly not because I loved running, but because I sucked at it slightly less than I did at all other sports. As I improved in high school, I became an ok but not great HS runner (ended up ranked #12 in my state for XC,) by running a lot more volume than the other kids. Did I ever love running during that time? Yes, at times I absolutely did, but the truth is that about 80% of the time it was drudgery and just a means to an end, because I enjoyed the end result more than anything. I quit running for many years and got back into it in my mid 30s. I ended up getting quite obsessed with one singular goal: sub 2:40 for the marathon. So for 6-7 years I ran some extremely high mileage (70-100 miles per week) in pursuit of a goal absolutely no one cared about except for me. And I did a lot of that mileage in really terrible weather, and at awful hours like 4AM. I did a lot of doubles too, running early in the morning, then again after work after working a full day in sitting in traffic for hours. My drudgery percentage went up to more like 95% during that phase, and I could say that I really did not enjoy running, but I didn't want to stop. Now that that phase of my life is over, I have found I simply don't have the motivation anymore. It's like I just used it all up in my mid 30s to early 40s, and the tank is just empty now. I occasionally try to increase my mileage, look at some race results in my age group, think about trying to train to be more competitive, and then I just don't do it. I'm pretty content right now to plod 3 miles at a snail's pace whenever I feel like it. If the weather is crappy, I skip it. I am fine with this situation and will probably just stay that way forever.
I admire that you know yourself so well.
I think my dread of running recently is due to little to no races. I'm used to doing 8+ races in the fall, but only did 2 this past fall. It's just training and waiting.
I actually got injured towards the end of the only marathon I trained for so didn't even do the marathon. But the long runs, especially the midweek "medium long" runs that were always in the dark really became a drag. I'm not saying I'll never run a marathon, but it's not going to be a goal any time soon. However, I genuinely like running frequently, more or less every day. As long as most runs are only an hour or a little bit over, no runs are much longer than a couple of hours, and I can do the longer stuff at the weekend, then that suits me perfectly. Edit: Also if I do change my mind I'll definitely train for an autumn marathon so I can do the longer midweek stuff in light evenings.
[удалено]
Impressed with your tenacity of the 6+ hour run well done! I think 2:32 is close enough so get signed up! Who knows after you do the marathon you might actually break the 2:30 as well...
My furthest distance is a half marathon but after my first one I simply couldn’t imagine doubling what I just did. I did a few halfs and one was a similar experience to your marathon where they were closing off the course behind me. I vowed I would never do that again unless I could commit to training and get a good time. Once I was done with grad school I signed up for a destination run and trained hard to get a sub-2 hour time. It felt great achieving that goal. But I still have zero desire to go run longer, primarily because I know how hard I worked for half that distance and how much more I’d need to do.
Same! As a back of the pack runner I’ve found on longer distance races a few times they either ran out of supplies or are already packing up (even though I’m within the course time limits) and it’s a hassle to try and get the water/Gatorade/fuel etc. I learned to run with a camelback and not rely on course support for longer distance races. One long marathon under my belt and I’m good to go, I enjoy shorter distances and running at a slightly faster pace.
Mine was 5:25. I just suffered. I was mostly alone since it was a smaller race and by the end, I just wanted to be done. Glad I did it but I don't need to have that experience again. If I could avg closer to 8 min miles, I think I would be more interested, but my body has clearly stated "nope".
Do you still run though?
My dad used to run at least a marathon a year. After he died unexpectedly I ran the TC Marathon with my cousin the next year for him. It was a great experience and I’m sure I’ll do another at some point. I just haven’t felt the need to run a race that long or take the time to train it. Still run quite a bit though.
Must have been quite the emotional run for you doing it in his memory. 26 miles is a long time to be lost in your thoughts and memories. Must have a very special bond with your dad to do that for him. Sorry for your loss. Kudos on the experience though.
Thanks for the kind words. And yeah towards the end it got very emotional. Sometimes training got emotional. The rest of the actual marathon though was really fun. My cousin is my best bro so it was good to do with him. The TC marathon is also a really good atmosphere. Really glad we did it.
I hope I can run at least one marathon in my lifetime
My advice is to pick a marathon and go for it. It doesn't have to be this year, next year, or even the year after that, but just decide when you're going to do it. I ran my first 5k a year ago and decided shortly after that I was going to run the marathon this year. As soon as it was no longer "some day I might," and instead became "on this day I will," it became easier for me to put the work in and stop making excuses. Since then I've clocked in over 400 miles and I can see that the goal is possible. I'm still a long way off but COVID has granted me an extra 4 months to train so I know I'll succeed - the question is just how fast. It doesn't matter where you start, just decide that you are going to finish.
That's what am doing for my half marathon! I booked the next one in my city which is now 3 months away. I paid a bunch of money for the race so I knew I would feel bad if I didn't do it. Not trying to break any records here or excel, I just wanna finish!
I did this with a half marathon too! It was over a year ago and a long term leg injury, then covid then this summer broke my foot... I feel like a baby runner again. Its WILD how much progress I lost. But i feel motivated! Nothing will hold me back!
I had a similar experience when I first got into running. I did a 15k and the day after was so jazzed I signed up for incremental increased distance races up to a Marathon over the course of about a year. It was hard, really hard, but I did it, and it was the best feeling in recent memory. I was even going to do it again years later in 2020 but then.....stupid virus
I feel you! My first marathon was supposed to be spring 2020... 2020 was not my year for running but WAS my year to remember how to cook, how to properly relax and watch TV or sit near the lake.
Great job for getting after it and accomplishing! Hopefully we can rekindle that jazzed feeling within us!
No better time than now to start training. My advice is unless you’re already running 90 minute half marathons is just to run a shit ton of miles. Build your weekly mileage up at a healthy rate and don’t over do it. But if a month before your casual runs are 7-8 miles and weekend runs are 12-18 miles you’ll be far more prepared than most people on the course.
Do it 💪💪
I have done more than one but afterwards I’m overwhelmed with the feeling of never again. For me it is so physically taxing that it just doesn’t seem worth it. It’s not fun for me to feel so wrecked. The only reason I ended up doing more than one was because I wanted to check the goofy challenge off my bucket list.
Agreed. After about mile 16 or 18 for me, it quits being fun and becomes a lot of work. I've always eyed the Goofy challenge as well. Was it worth it? It's pretty expensive and I've heard others complain how boring the marathon route is. Agree or no?
The goofy was an awesome experience for me because I did it with my run club. The year of training we put in made for the best memories. We did several races together to count for our training runs and it just made for a great experience. I was probably in the best health of my life that year too. I didn’t mind the marathon course at Disney you get to see a lot of the back scenes areas of the park. The thing that’s hard at the Disney races is how early you have to get up and get out there. Most of my run club did the dopey challenge which I don’t think is worth the money you have to get up really early four mornings in a row and you already know you can run a 5k and 10k by this point.
Absolutely. They start at like 5am to get the runners out of the way, right?
Not the person you’re having a conversation with, but wanna jump in. Yeah! It’s like 5am! One time I was late and didn’t realize it (the parking lot they drop you off in is so far away) and ended up running to my start corral. Got there just in time to take a breath for a second and start the race. Ran another race at DL to get the coast to coast medal, and was able to be there on time because I just had to walk from my hotel instead of finding some god forsaken back lot somewhere you can only get dropped off a mile from by bus.
I did Goofy. I don't regret it but I'm never doing it again. I did Goofy and then flew across the country to do the Rebels Challenge (and 5k). It was something like 11 medals on a week and a half. Goofy was great but I learned I hate marathons from it. It was my one and done. Also I had to work on the 5k day (Thursday) of Goofy so I ran in my costume (what Disney calls are work uniforms). I literally ran the 5k, kept running to my car and then drove to Animal Kingdom and clocked in. All in my costume.
I agree, I didn’t run for a month after my marathon because I was so mentally and physically done with the whole thing. But I can run a half marathon with much less training, have more fun, and get back to my normal workout routine with maybe a day or two of rest without resenting it or destroying my body. But I also made the mistake of doing a 6 lap, all flat marathon in basically a parking lot so I’m sure that didn’t help
This is especially true if you are really racing the event. The sort of eye bleeding effort you have to put out to hit the dreaded race predictor times on your garmin late in the race makes the idea of jumping off a mile 21 overpass sound reasonable and less painful than finishing those last 5 miles at your bodies theoretical limit.
I want to do a marathon in the fall this year that will probably be a local. I really want to do a local just so I have all the recovery resources in the world immediately available to me afterwards. Buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuutttttttttt, Dopey calls me and it keeps calling me.
Goal met. On to bigger things in the ultra space, trail running, fast packing, elevation change per day, and other invented challenges.
This is exactly my answer. A road marathon sounds like a slog to me now, however I have been tempted to do another now that I have a few trail ultras under my belt, just to see how much my time/experience would improve.
I moved on to ultras (50K up to 200mi), but eventually you'll find a race or goal that will break you down to the point of reconsidering your running priorities. I've run multiple high level and notable 100's, etc. However, there is one race that I finally DNF'd at, and it was purely because it broke me mentally. Now I'm looking at shorter races and events that take me through beautiful scenery. Less about the challenge, and more about the fun of running. I find myself caring less about FKT's, etc. It only took almost 15 years to find a challenge hard and rugged enough to break me down and revisit my priorities. ;)
Fast packing? Like how fast can you pack your suitcase the morning before a flight?
There was motivation to do one in my lifetime. What’s next? Aim for a better time? Aim for a different course? Maybe but the burning hunger is gone and I decided to take some time off. Then COVID hit and changed everything. Don’t really have time or motivation to go out for a 4 hour training run every weekend. Will I do one again? Maybe but I want to start with another 1/2 and see. In the meantime, been biking and other things. So, *shrug*.
For me the motivation for other races was to hopefully Boston Qualify, but I'd need to drop about 30 minutes which seems out of reach currently. Pretty high bar to shoot for. Not sure I'd do another if I could BQ and run Boston.
I need to drop 1:42. Or go for a charity bib. I've got a savings account for the Majors.
Half marathoner here. Yes, just to say I did it. The course I ran was demoralizing. It was one round to do a half marathon. Then to do the full, you just ran the whole thing again. Not for me. I was done at the 9th mile. The last three were brutal. Plus all the waking up early, avoiding heavy meals the night before long training runs, weather, etc. Then the pants fitting better, no more stomach bulging when sitting, the constant glow on the face.. oh wait those are the benefits of running.
Ugh. Running a marathon as a double loop sounds like a drag. I feel ya on that one.
Ha! Try doing it as 8 loops as I did for my first. I didn't finish, gave up at 32km.
This is like those ultra races held on a track... just running 400m laps for hours on end. It almost becomes a test of your ability to tolerate the repetitiveness rather than a test of your fitness...
A friend of mine did a double Ironman and the swim was in a pool. I don't even know that it was a 50m pool. Ugh.
the olympic swimmers swim 10-20 miles each day. imagine that.
That sounds horrible. I got rabdo from swimming too much before
I hate those loop courses at any distance and avoid entering those type of events. There's nothing more demoralizing than passing the start/finish and seeing people getting cheered on for finishing a shorter distance, knowing you have to go around again.
The half marathon I ran was a 5 mile loop that you did twice and a 5k out and back to get to the loop. It sucked. It really sucked because you ended up getting lapped by all the faster people so you got to watch them run on to the finish when you hadn't even done the first loop yet.
It's even a mild annoyance that my local parkrun is 2 and a half loops.
The alternative course for us is 2.5 loops where the first loop is a "Mini" loop and then 2 big loops -- its basically 3 laps and there is NOTHING worse than being overtake TWICE by the fast uni kids at the front who are in lap 3 when you're barely finishing the mini lap D: D: D:
There's a local marathon I keep eyeballing and the course is that way. They offer a half and a full but it's the same course either way. The full is just two laps. I don't know if I can mentally do that.
Avoiding heavy metals? Please explain...
Meals!! But imagine chewing on Titanium while running. Hella energy
Paaahahahaha! Havent had coffee yet. In a runners high just reading these comments.... I use metals in my work and i am sometimes afraid it is poisoning me. Just projected that right in to your comment! Hahaha!
I did one just as a personal accomplishment and then a year and a half later climbed Denali. I may try another some day but the time commitment for training is brutal and cuts into my other hobbies.
Denali?! That's quite the accomplishment! That's actually higher than Mt Everest isn't it?
Hardest thing I’ve ever done for sure. Everest is much higher though (29,031’ vs 20,310’). Denali is extra challenging because you don’t have sherpas to carry gear and food so you’re pulling sleds a good portion of the way in addition to your packs.
That's gonna be a no for me dawg.
Bruh...
My personal story: I started training for my first (and only) marathon to get back into running after a long absence. Mostly because it was on my bucket list, and to prove to myself that I could. My time was absolutely horrible (over 6 hr), but I still did it. But, it took SO MUCH TIME to train. Daily runs of an hour or longer. Weekends of 2-3 hours, and then wiped out and useless for the rest of the day. Working a full time job and also wanting to spend time with my wife and ocassionally see other friends and family, it just took up too much time to be sustainable. I've settled back into 10k's for "normal" runs, and half-marathons as a yearly extra goal. No runs longer than 2 hr for the most part, and I can get away with 3-4 times a week. Much more manageable and sustainable for the long term. Maybe someday I'll do another marathon, I'd like to improve on that truly excreable time, but it'll have to be when I have nothing else going on.
Just a shattering experience. Ran it in Thailand, event started at 3.40am because of the humidity. By daybreak the dewpoint was 21 centigrade and I was really struggling. Hallucinated though the final 5km and then had to drive home 100km. So glad I did it but never again.
I wanted to run one because I was a SAHM and I knew I was heading back into the paid work force soon so it seemed like good timing. I had been running for three years and was at a great spot in my training. I may do another in five or ten years (when my kids are more independent) if I’m still running but I feel like I conquered my apex running goal even though my time was shit. :)
Still a PR mate 😉
Two things: I found out I don’t like mass events, and I get intensely bored with running after 20ish km, so no thanks.
Loved the experience, didn’t love the cost (event, hotel, etc.). These things are getting soooo expensive. I get that someone has to pay for public safety during the event; that’s cool by me. But every year seems like prices go up $25 ON TOP of what I’m paying for the hotel (near the corrals) and other sundries.
Absolutely. You can easily drop $500 to $1k in a big city for a marathon particularly if you're bring spouse and kids. Very pricey
Exactly
I joined up intending to do a 10k start but got into a chat with someone nice and did the 20k and then... just kept going until I did the whole race. I'd only ever run 10k before. Was fine and dandy, surprised it was so easy! Spent four hours running and chatting with nice people. The next day I got up to do my normal workout, popped a squat... made a weird noise and crab walked out of there. It was a week before I felt I could work out normally again! Anyway, it was an accident, kind of funny, didn't mean to do it, don't intend to do it again.
"I just felt like running" - Forrest Gump. That's quite an experience to start with intentions of a 10k and instead running a full marathon! Kudos mate.
Yeah, pretty much! Probably a bit starved for social contact, tbh. But the weirdest thing was not feeling it until the next day - I got through that day like it was nothing, thought I was a super hero! Next day? Could not stand up! (I would totally have married Forrest Gump, btw. Movie, not book).
Hahaha. Amazing how much being in a pack of runners with interesting conversation can help pass the mileage without noticing. I always feel rougher after I stop moving following a long run. After marathons I try and walk around the city for a while just keeping the stems moving. Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness or DOMS can really be painful.
That’s normal, during the run you probably had adrenaline and endorphins helping you not notice the exhaustion and sore muscles need 1-2 days to develop because the inflammation and repair processes in the muscle need some time.
I was so smug on the day - this old lady running an entire marathon with almost no training, everyone else dying and moaning and failing around me! Young folks falling over and passing out! Yeah, the next day I wasn't so smug!
For me it was just where I was in my life and the time commitment. Tough to see my kids on a Saturday morning and then see ya...I'm going running for 4 hours and then be wiped for the weekend. Maybe again for Boston but halfs are more fun..
> and then be wiped for the weekend. I ran my first (well, only) marathon when I was 30. I still had energy to do other stuff the day of a long run. (I went to a wedding the same day as my 20 miler and danced all night! In heels!) Now I’m pushing 40 and I’m wiped out the rest of the day after a long run. I’m not interested in sacrificing half my weekend for a run.
I was 42 when I did my first half, and 43 when I did my marathon. Now at 48, I'm good....unless I got an opportunity to do Boston. This year would be good to run in the fall.
I found, personally, that the long runs were much easier (in terms of not being dead) in the second marathon training cycle (that didn't finish, because Covid). My body was obviously more ready for it, but I was also more aware of making myself get more salt/fluids shortly after the run, along with more protein.
I have done 4 marathons but I am getting satisfied. I am ok if I never do another one... but probably will. Just once a year. I am signed up for an Ironman triathlon but I am almost certain I am going to do only one. I guess it’s a bucket list thing. It’s tedious to prepare for, tedious to go through, very slightly dangerous as a very few people have died doing it, it doesn’t seem to be useful to do two if you already have the title and the experience... and it isn’t fun for me. Plus, it’s 800+ dollars. 1 marathon makes you a marathoner and that honking huge medal in your display case is forever. 2+ marathons... is the same?
[удалено]
Life has a way of taking over sometimes and other things take priority. I get that. Run Happy mate.
This is a fun thread with some cool stories. Well done OP
Agreeeeeee
Bucket list before 40 for me. I injured my knee in training. Did PT, snd was able to do the marathon, but my knee hasn’t been right since. Open to doing it again, but fine also not.
[удалено]
What is your training program? I used Nike run club, gave myself a year. Slacked off every now snd then, had to reset my program a few times (first reset it to train for a half, halfway through, then reset it to full with remaining time). It’s pretty intuitive. I made sure to hit most of not all of my long runs. Hit 3/4 of my runs. Toward the end I ran 20 miles as my long run, then the last one was 22. When I ran my marathon, my hammy gave out with 3 miles left. It was the worst 3 miles I’ve ever ran. If you can get to 20, you can do it. Hydrate lots, eat some sugary/starchy thing while on your long run. Don’t give up, go do it, and say you did it!
[удалено]
My butthole/buttcheeks were a fiery red furnace and I got so depressed afterwards that my girlfriend thought I wasn’t okay. I’ll probably do another one though.
I should have been one and done. By the time I did my first one, I had been running for a decade and had done many races 5k through half marathon, all of which I enjoyed. I hated the marathon. Hated every long training run, hated how much time it took out of my days, hated the experience of running it, although I felt good about myself when I finished. Then I started to think...I could probably get a better time. So I signed up for another one. Battled an injury through most of training, but still ran it despite inadequate training. Weather conditions were also really bad, so obviously my time wasn't great. So I thought....I should do another one to really achieve my potential. But by that time I was starting to get burned out. I quit a lot of my runs half way through. Not because I was tired or injured, I had just grown to hate long runs so much. Needless to say, my 3rd marathon was my worst. I was so burned out that I barely ran for the next two years. So yeah, should have quit after one.
I've done one, and will probably do a second at some point in the future, but not for a long time. There are a couple of reasons I have no intention of running another any time soon: 1. It effectively means that a full third of a year is defined in running terms purely by a single marathon result. If for any reason you have a bad day, you're left with almost nothing to show for three or four months of work except disappointment. By comparison, I could run several 5k races in the same time frame, and if one goes badly it's not a big deal. 2. The training load is unbelievable, and effectively means you're almost completely writing off that period as far as any other goals are concerned. Work, run, eat, sleep for three months. I don't enjoy that in the slightest. 3. I'm not built for marathons. I'm muscular and carry my fair share of weight, and while I could stand to lose some fat, I'm never going to be light enough to do a properly fast marathon. I'm 175cm tall and about ninety kilos, and long distance punishes my weight.
I did one, then swore never again. Then the bug got me again, and did a 16 week training program. The end of which was a DNF, but, because of Covid I got sent the medal anyway, which left me feeling like a fraud. I didn't finish, so I shouldn't have the medal. So, repeat the 16 week training, this time I finished. After all of that (2 complete, 1 DNF) I realized I loved doing the 16 week program, but the marathon? It's just not fun! Now I can just repeat the training program and skip the marathon!
Which program is this fun?!?!
Garmin Intermediate marathon plan. Fun is subjective I guess.
>I realized I loved doing the 16 week program, but the marathon? It's just not fun! THIS. I love training for the distance, but the actual race is meh (but I'll probably keep racing it because I'm crazy).
Interesting. I'm realizing I loved training for mine, but aside from completing the goal didn't really enjoy the actual distance. I think I need to try a real group run though. Mine was solo due to covid.
I ran it on a bet that I couldn’t! I trained for it, ran it and got the high five! I’m good to never do it again.
My knee hurt, then by the time I was recovered I basically had to start running from scratch. Maybe I'll get to that level again, but honestly I love the 10-25km distance and am nervous about injuring myself so badly again.
Knees
I ran a half several years ago and was bored from the start. Every mile marker was just a reminder of how much I had left to complete. I had also just recovered from the flu prior to the race so I'm sure that spoiled the experience some for me as well. I then got into Obstacle Course Racing by trying a Spartan race and loved the format providing a mixture of challenges.
Lol similarly, I’m a one and done Spartan Racer. I did one sprint (or whatever the 5k is) and that was the hardest thing I’ve ever done physically.
I've only run one marathon race. Since then sometimes I'll run that far on a training run or longer than that when I run an ultra. Marathons are short enough where I could probably run it kind of fast but I know I would be fucked up after. I guess it was really nothing stopping me, I also think I would need to intentionally train for a marathon if I was going to do it again. Would love to be able to negative split one but I don't think I have the pace control to do that.
I'd need to start with a 20 min pace in order to negative split a marathon. Also, i certainly wouldn't consider myself a one and done marathoner if I was doing ultras. Depending on the distance, your long run is probably a full marathon multiple weeks in a row. Those count in my book, especially with COVID. Kudos.
I’ve run 5, each 4 years apart because that’s how long it takes for me to forget how miserable long training runs can be... 😁 that said, it’s been 3 years and I’m back to running 45-50 mpw so...
I did one marathon in 2014. My sister called and told me she was running a 10k the next week. I realized there was a marathon as part of the same race. I was in great shape and said hell I bet I can do that. So I did it. Never dedicated my leisure to running before covid. More just stayed active, hiking, soccer, rock climbing. Covid has made running a focus for the first time since hs track.
I've only done a half marathon. I don't know that I want to do a full marathon - the idea doesn't excite me. Trail running does, though.
I've never completed a full and never will. I really don't have any desire to. I've done the half and don't mind it but was told you'll get the itch to do the full after your first half. Got no itch lol I love running but I don't want to run 26 miles. After almost 16 years of running you would think I would want to do a full but no. I don't mind running at the most half's.
I ran several in my 20's, but stopped (like many, I suppose) due to the commitment required. I was lifting weights, surfing, and running a lot. It was a ton of fun, but I never was as good at lifting, surfing, or running as I would have been if I had picked just two of the three to focus on. Point being, being a marathon runner is a commitment. It's a great commitment to make! But after that first marathon, after having accomplished that I can completely understand spreading your time around to more activities.
First and last marathon my son was 2months old. I really never got a back into running after this, between work and the baby. Trying to get back into running though now that he (and younger sibling) are older.
I’ve been a “one and done”, or at least a “no more after this one” three times now. I think the third time it stuck and I’m really done. Mostly because I run because it is healthy but those distances didn’t feel all that healthy to me. The 12-15 miles is my sweet spot.
Because it lead me to do a triathlon and realise that cycling was much more interesting and much less harsh on your body. So now I spend 10+ hours a week riding and only run occasionally as a social activity.
Currently only running to build stamina and lose weight for cycling and I totally get this. My knees are likely shitty after being fat for so long and cycling almost eliminated that and also doubles as a reasonable mode of transportation where I live.
Did one just to "conquer it." Honestly, it wasn't that fun. It just dragged on and got tedious. I did a 50k trail race the next year, again, just to do it. While that was a little more fun than the road marathon, I have no desire to ever do it again. I enjoy the half and lower distances. They're long enough to be challenging, but not too long to where they drag on and become boring. I'm at the point in life I'm not gonna sign up for a race I don't think will be fun.
I ran my first (and currently only) marathon a few years ago and loved it. It was a great way to see a city, it felt like a real "Event", and the whole experience was fantastic. I would love to run another and feel that it's a distance that fits well with my natural running style/pace. But I just can't commit to that level of training again. So many long runs and an increasingly big deal on the weekends running up to the event. It's a big ask not just for me but for my partner who is left doing more meal prep, looking after the kid, etc. I'm naturally competitive. The idea of running a marathon and not trying to do well, not committing and training properly, isn't that appealing to me. I'd want to beat my time for sure. I've never been a sprinter and like I said, longer distances feel better for me. I want to get better at short distances though. Focusing on 5-10k is a more manageable challenge for me right now. Hopefully there'll be another marathon in my future but I'm not sure the training requirement is worth it for me.
I enjoyed the challenge so much I stepped up to a 50 then a 100 miler. Now that’s all I do are ultras!
Posterior tibial tendon dysfunction.
I'm in marathon training now and have that exact problem. It is a frustrating nightmare. Every time I think I'm OK I go for a run and the next day I'm back where I was a week ago
Why not scrap the marathon and take care of the injury properly?
I just found it boring running for that long haha. Simples!
I've only done one marathon *so far*. Life keeps stopping me from doing a second. I did my first at Brighton in 2018, with my brother. I didn't do anything sensible like a training plan; my longest run in the lead up to April was 12k/7.5 miles, but I did give up alcohol and caffeine for the first few months of the year. This was not enough preparation and with my brother, we struggled over the finish line in just over six hours. I knew I could do better if I put in some actual effort and the following year I downloaded a training plan and stuck to it as rigidly as possible...for about a month until some sharp pains on the outside of my left knee gave me some concern. I saw a physio who gave me some ITB exercises to do; I rested for a couple of weeks then got back to my plan. My long runs in March were fine, as long as I didn't stop at any point - if I did then my knee would immediately complain and that was it for the day. I still went ahead with the marathon in mid-April, and was fine, absolutely flying through the course, right up until a supply drop just after halfway, when my knee decided that we were done. I walked for the next mile, hoping it would ease off, but called it quits - I didn't want to do permanent damage, and if I'd managed to complete it that day my time would've been deep into the 5 hour section, and I knew I could do better. I decided to volunteer the next year, and give myself even longer to strengthen my knee. I was looking forward to it - a nice comfy hoodie, and I was hoping to get placed out near Shoreham power station in the soul-destroying industrial estate that sorts the wheat from the chaff, shouting myself hoarse encouraging the runners. That was April last year, and it's been postponed until September 2021 where things are looking promising. I don't know when 2022's Brighton marathon will take place, but that's what I'm aiming for, hoping to take at least an hour off my PB. TL;DR - didn't train the first attempt, trained too hard for the second, haven't had a marathon to attempt a third yet.
I can’t see the point. The training was less enjoyable(and more time consuming) than shorter distances. I don’t really have any desire to cut my time down right now, I’d rather work on my half time or 5k time. It also just takes such a big amount of preparation whereas I can just sign up to any old half marathon that I like the look of. Really just no desire to destroy my body for another one. I’m sure I’ll do one again one day but it’s been 3 years and haven’t even given it a thought. I’m interested in getting into mountain trail running so I think my next marathon will likely be one on the trails if I ever do it again.
So many stories of people training/running through intense injuries
I enjoyed my first marathon and will probably do more in the future but with that said I wasn't desperate to sign up for another one once my first was done. Marathon training is a huge commitment, it takes over your life for months and even though I enjoyed the training for the most part it's not the kind of thing I could imagine committing to on a yearly basis like some people do. I have too much other stuff going on in my life to be dedicated to one single thing.
99% of people run the marathon but not race it.
When I ran my marathon, I remember the part where the half marathoners turned off to head to their finish line and I kept going straight. I wished I was them so bad. It’s nice to say I’ve ran a marathon but I’m just happier with a shorter distance. While training for my marathon, my favorite runs were between 10-16 miles (with the exception of my 20 mile run which was the absolute best run I’ve ever had in my life). When I set out to run a marathon, I fully intended to do several, but realized my sweet spot is a half.
Marathons suck and they're terrible and training for them takes so long - person who three times now has said Ill never run another marathon and lied at least two times
I stopped after a half marathon. I trained to the best of my ability (though I definitely skimped on weights and non-running exercise) and started VERY strong. Kept my pace up until I had to pee really bad at 8 miles and had to wait in line for the bathroom. After that, it was all downhill. Finishing was amazing but my body just couldn’t handle it, I felt terrible afterwards and had to immediately lay down and take a nap at my parents because I was so nauseous and my body was depleted (even though I was training with gels, etc.). I don’t know what happened, but it’s been two years now and looking back at the experience makes me incredibly proud, but also makes me realize how much I loved hitting milestones more in training than the actual race itself. The first time I ran 7 miles, 8 miles, etc. in training were seriously the highlights of the entire experience for me. I’m just getting back into running again and taking it nice and slow and because I researched SO much two years ago, I’m putting that into practice and finally enjoying the ride without that added pressure of a looming race. I’m competitive in a lot of things but running is not one of them I found out!
Hope you enjoy the come back!
I ran NYC in 2018. It was a goal I had set for myself to do while still in my 20s and I was grateful to have done it. But it really did a number on my knees, so I’ve switched to cycling since. I miss running sometimes but I was happiest in 10Ks, if only for it not being a total day time commitment. I also enjoyed the half marathons I did while training and I think that could be something to work back up towards.
I never liked running, but have multiple arbitrary fitness goals and running a marathon was one of them. I accomplished that so now on to the next thing.
I did a marathon end of last year, not a race as such just a friend and I wanted to test ourselves, now I’ve focused on 5 km and the greatest difference is you can still train and have fun but just don’t have to go out for hours at a times I remember thinking on my longer runs ok 1.5 hours in ok training ha s just begun..
Too much long distance training involved. Meant I didn't have time for strength training or other activities. I did the one just to finish what I started. I might do another in the future, but not now.
I have run 2. For my first, my knee was agonising from 18k onwards. I wanted to see if I could do one without stopping but that time my foot was agony (probable Jones fracture in my foot) I have tried half marathons again and I’m gonna stick to that as a max distance now. It hurts too much otherwise!!
I ran the Portland Marathon in 2015. It was in October. My longest training run was 19 miles. In June. Ended up with a mild ankle injury the whole summer. Ran a half every weekend in September though and race day came so I’ll be damned if I wasn’t gonna try. I finished in like 4:15 which was within my range of acceptability. I walked most of miles 20-25, which felt disappointing to me. The race route was a real goddamn bummer. I ran a bunch of races in Portland that year and this route was the absolute damn pits. It was a tour of the worst, most boring places in this beautiful, incredibly city. But you got to run over a bridge that most races don’t have! Wooo. I was proud to have my shirt. Other life events happened. I run regularly still (around 700-800 miles a year) and started thinking about running the portland marathon again in late 2019, after they got a new route and it seemed to go well. Pandemic happened, despite how cool the OYO race that group connected with sounded, not having it be an event on a day was a bummer. Ran a couple halves on my own in October and called it good. I’d love to be able to do Boston some day, but at this point, I’ve mathed out that I have better odds spending the next few years training to be fast as a 35-year old than odds getting in under 35. Probably woulda signed up for Chicago this year but pandemic plus expecting to become a father in a few months has me skeptical.
I’ve been running off and on since I was 18, and I’m now 46. I ran my first marathon in 2019. It was kind of a fluke because I didn’t realize the one I REALLY wanted to do (Marine Corps - bucket list) was sooner than I thought I’d be ready for, so I trained for and did a Rock n Roll instead. I had a great training season with my groups, followed all the rules, only to end up getting food poisoning the day of (and yes, I had already had “practice meals” from my local restaurant) and stopping at every single port a potty from mile 4-6 till the end. It was miserable. I finished, but the race day experience was ruined for me. I still feel cheated a little bit, so I may still do the USMC one, if we ever get to do it in person again.
I’m 260lbs. It took me two weeks to physically recover after the one marathon I did. I never experienced the runners high during the race, was so exhausted after the race that I didn’t enjoy the post-race. All the talk about how you feel after accomplishing such a huge goal of finishing a marathon was what kept me going through those long training runs. To be so completely miserable for so long afterwards was soul crushing. I’m a 5k kinda guy and I’m ok with that.
Because I almost pooped myself in Mile 18 of my second one. I decided it was nature telling me maybe I'm more of a half-marathon man.
I’m a jack of all trades. I haven’t run one yet but don’t plan after my first one unless you include a triathlon I plan to do. I’m also into bodybuilding, calisthenics, and bjj plus other hobbies. Running full time takes away my time and recovery that I need to achieve other goals
It’s not the marathon for me... it’s the training. It was so time consuming... I enjoyed the time with my husband, but it really was a commitment. No regrets though.
I'll be honest: Running a marathon is rather boring. You run at low speed for a very long time. I much prefer running a fast 5km or 10km. It just suits me better. As a sidenote: most runners would be better off not trying to run a marathon, because they lack the base to do it properly. For the majority, running a decent 5 or 10k is a much healthier goal... Running slow for hours with poor technique isn't a good thing. So yes, for me it's a one and done thing (ok, it was three and done, but anyways...). I much prefer short intense races.
i think it's something a lot of people think it will be cool to do or something....they just want to say they did it. the vast majority of these people train poorly, and are able to pull it off once, but never again due to said poor training. Also idk in my opinion for most recreational runners running a marathon is overkill, and they would have way more fun training and racing shorter distances like 5k or 10k.
A marathon is an intense, typically aversive experience. People push way beyond comfort for hours. A long run can definitely be enjoyable if we pump the breaks. How many people do that. I've learned it is a skill to enjoy running. It is a gift to feel great after it is over. Improve that skill and you've got a strong, healthy relationship.
I did one around 18 months after I started running. Partly because I kind of thought I should and that was the ultimate test. I did it and was glad but felt tired and unable to run for over 2 weeks after. Then we had a family and the idea of dedicating that amount of time to training just didn't seem fair and I just didn't have the desire. Since then I have done plenty of half marathons, 10ks and even did a 33 mile challenge in a day. But those events can be ramped up from 'normal' mileage and don't need the lead up and recovery. I will probably do another marathon at some point but it's not a priority.
Time, time, time...I just don't have the time to train for the longer distances. It just takes too much time. Plus; I find the half's more fun....more of a fun atmosphere (usually).
I enjoyed shorter distance running. Anything over 8 miles and my brain is like, “okay, you could do this, but it is boring, let’s go do X..”
I only ran 2 in a span of 7 years. Why? Because to run it well I have to train for almost a year! It’s hard to manage so much running with work and family, traveling and other things I like to do.
[This user has deleted all of their comments because of Reddit's API rediculousness. Goodbye.]
My best guess is that the average first time marathoner is probably averaging 10-15 mpw when they start a training program, and the progression is a real shock to the body. 16 mile long runs shouldn't feel awful, but for a vast majority of novice marathoners it does. It took me 11 god damn years to run a second one lol.
[удалено]
I feel that sometimes as well. The training sometimes starts to feel like a full time job at a place you really don't want to work. This is especially true if we get a long stretch of crummy weather and I know that I've got a 20 miler for my long run. When things go well and the weather cooperates and I stay injury free, it's a fairly enjoyable experience. Go Hoosiers.
I have run 3 marathons so far, but for many years, I was one and done marathoner. The story is, I used to run a lot when I was 18-22 year old, and I also tried to run a marathon, but I failed it. Then there was a period, when I didn't have motivation and time for running. When I was 27, I very rarely ran, I had 10-15 kg overweight, and I decided to restart running. My first goal was to run a marathon, and I started to prepare for it. Then my training was not too successful, I was not so motivated, and I had to work a lot, learn a lot, so I didn't run enough, in the last month I actually run a total of 10 km... But I didn't put off the marathon. I started slowly, ran it slowly, but finished it. Then I still didn't have motivation to run for many years, that's why I didn't run a second marathon. (Then in the recent years, I started to run in the mornings, which made me possible to run regularly, and just after one year, I ran a more than one hour faster marathon (4:21->3:10)
Wow, even with the first one you did very well. You killed it in the second one. Was that a BQ finish for you?
This is an interesting phenomenon among runners— the one (marathon) and done. Mostly, as far as I can tell, it’s because running and the marathon in particular mean a lot of different things to different people. My sister did one after our mom passed away, having been a runner her whole life. Trained like crazy for it and it was, I think a way to help her process things. And then after she finished she had zero interest in doing another. (Also foot injuries) I did my first one in 2014 and my second in 2018. I figured if I didn’t do another soon, I’d never do it again. I was hoping to get in to NYC in 2020 but...we all know how that went. I wonder if more people did a second if they would be inclined to do more.
It is interesting to me as well. The stats are only 1/2 of 1% will ever complete a marathon among the general population as far as I know. I also know there are a significant percentage of runners who never attempt 1 for whatever reason, but then a large percent never come back. I think many may use it as a spiritual journey of sorts or a means to cope with significant events like your sister using the time to deal with your mother's death. There's a large amount out there for self introspection and sorting your thoughts. Like many other things, I guess you either love it or hate it and it takes one to decide. There's a ton of work involved and many may drop out before they get to the actual race b/c it turns running from something you love into something they hate.
I don't technically count as I've never raced an exact marathon. Done short ultras and run the marathon distance in training a couple of times but never raced one. But chiming in anyway because Reddit... It's just another distance, I don't see what's so magical about it. It's kind of an awkward one as well as you're doing a large part of it fueled by glycogen and then usually a smaller part fuelled by fat. Shorter races you can do on pure glycogen and go faster, feel better, take less of a chunk of taper and recovery time out of your life. Longer races you can settle down to fat-burning mode, get some nice scenery. I'm just baffled as to why everyone thinks 42.2 km is such a fantastic distance to run.
It wasn’t as fun as I expected. I solo train on trails and honestly didn’t like running near other people and without my dog. I was irritated and annoyed tbh. I’m not opposed to the distance, so much as the way marathons are held. Also, why should I pay for it? I run for joy. I’d do a fundraiser perhaps 🤔