First London Marathon

Hi everyone, I am new to running, the only distance I have ever run is 5km last year. I have today started my training for the London Marathon 2013. I have a 6 week programme to bring me up to 5km, then a 16 week programme for a half marathon and finally a 16 week programme for the marathon. I have just got back from running for 1 min then walking for 1 min x 10 and can't imagine how I will ever run the marathon although I am very excited. Any tips and advice would be really appreciated.

Just keep at it.  You'll be amazed at how quickly the miles tot up.  Every week will see you achieve a new personal best.  Keep your plan somewhere you can see it often like on the fridge.  It's great to come in after a run and tick off another training session.  Remember, you're in it for the long haul!  Welcome to realbuzz.  xxx

Thanks for the advice and thank you for the Welcome x

I have been looking at the Silverstone half marathon on the 3rd March 2013, is this good to enter or too near to the Virgin London marathon in terms of recovery, as I am a total novice to this? What do people suggest?

Hi

Lots of people will be doing the Silverstone Half (or a number of other halfs about that time). Its about the right time away from London for you to get some race experience, treat it as a hard run and still recover. I have never done it but its supposed to be organised well, large scale to get that big race experience and first timer friendly. Downsides are the course is dull and exposed so if windy/wet it can be a drag.

Good luck with the journey and hope you enjoy it all

Keith

Welcome Sloan and good on you for deciding to aim for London. The advice on here is spot on, and I would just add that when you have a hard or difficult training run, and feel that you are going backwards, (which you will), don't worry and think that you are not progressing. Just keep at it and you will soon get over it and start enjoing it again. EVERYONE has bad runs where they feel that thry can't put one foot in front of the other. DOn't be afraid to take walk breaks whenever you need them. As time goes on, it will become all about miles in legs (no matter what speed) and being on your feet for hours at a time. Good luck. When the day finally comes next April, you will have the time of your life. I have said tomany first timers on this forum that the first time is the best in many ways. The only downside is that because it is all so new, it can pass you by if you are not careful. I have done London 15 times and enjoyed almost all of them, but I still remember the first time I crossed the finish line (on Westminster Bridge in those days), and the feeling of absolute pleasure it gave me !!!!!

Thank you both for your good advice. I think I will enter the half and use this almost as part of may training for the full marathon. 

I can't at this stage imagine crossing the finishing line let alone doing 15 marathons but I know that it will be an emotional time and worth all the hard work 

What Radioman said - there's not many things in life that you can say first time is best...lol...but your first marathon is most definately one of them. Good luck and enjoy the experience and I'm sure you'll be back for more. 

My first marathon sucked eggs! And the second wasn't great either. Took me 3 goes to actually enjoy it.

Almost the same as women then Rob..???

Yep, except for the eggs part 

The Oakley 20 (in Bedford) about 3 weeks before London and your taper is a good one too.  That way you don't have to do the longest training run on your own.

A 20 mile race in March is a good confidence-booster, but remember it is not a "must", and the only real reason for running 20 miles is that it's a round number.   Our continental friends prefer 30K (18.6 miles), for the same reason.

It's worthwhile looking through the "Past events" on the Runners' World website to see which long runs took place in 2012, as you don't want to book a long journey for a run already advertised for 2013 when there is one much closer to home which is yet to be advertised.

I'm not sure about doing a 20-mile race three weeks before the marathon for a newbie.  There is a serious risk of getting carried away and leaving too much on that race with not enough time to recover.  Run at easy pace, it would be fine, but may require a lot of self control not to go faster.

Hi

As someone who was in your position last year and had the most wonderful experience of my first marathon I wanted to say that slowly and surely does it. I tried to do too much too quickly and was plagued with injury in the six months before the marathon but got there in the end. Also my advice would be just to aim to finish not for a time. ( you don't want to run 26+ miles and feel like you failed I saw  people finishing with me who were devistated  that the had not reached their target time - I ran walked it in 6hours 24 min ( 10 min loostop there are big ques). The problem is that it was so much fun I'm in the ballot again now I've a PB to beat. Hahaha

I feel just as proud of the training as the actual marathon so try to enjoy those early morning / rainy runs and if it happens to you it's great fun  running in the snow. 

Good luck

That's good advice Rumblerun, just enjoy your day, it's awesome!

I'd love to run the VLM but I just don't think I could!  I was down in London for the VLM expo and the atmosphere was great!

Helen - why don't you think you can't? Almost anyone can as long as they don't have  aphysical reason why not and of course that they are prepared to put the effort in.

You'd have to put the wine glass down though Helen...!!!

Thant's never stopped you in the past Flanks !!!!!!!!