You watched the finish line roar of the NYC Marathon. The sea of runners, the inspiring comeback stories, and the moments when other runners who looked no different than you crossed the line and joined the exclusive 26.2 finisher club. If you were inspired by the NYC Marathon, you probably want to know if you’re ready to run the marathon.
If you’re a runner who’s already nailed a 10k or half marathon, or a triathlete who’s successfully completed an Olympic distance triathlon or half Ironman, then you’re not looking for beginner tips. You know discipline and you’ve put in some miles. But now you’re asking bigger questions. “Am I ready to move up to the full marathon distance?”
Before you sign up for the next marathon you can find, let’s answer some of your questions and discuss the physical readiness as well as the mental and lifestyle demands that you’ll need to go the distance with confidence.
The Marathon Isn’t Just Longer
Stepping up from a half marathon to a full marathon isn’t simply double the distance. It’s actually a much bigger jump that takes a physical and mental strain. Theoretically, anyone with just a bit of training could get through the marathon if they’re determined, but this isn’t the safe or enjoyable route to take. Let’s face it, you want to finish feeling good, perhaps challenged to want to do it again, not injured and headed to the medical tent.
- At 26.2 miles, you face more muscular fatigue, greater glycogen depletion, extended mental strain, and usually more chafing or blisters.
- Because of injury risk and fatigue, the marathon demands more planning, more recovery, and respect for the distance than any other race you’ve done before.
- Because it’s more than just double the distance, you’ll need a solid base of training before starting your structured marathon training.
If you understand these basics, then you’re ready to get started on your marathon journey. Just be aware, that the marathon journey isn’t necessarily same for everyone, it will depend on your athletic history, your current fitness, and your current training. Some athletes have strong, consistent training and all they may need is a 12 week training block leading up to the marathon. Others may need a full year to build up the endurance and resilience before starting their marathon specific training.
A note for triathletes who are either training for or considering the Ironman: Completing a marathon before the Ironman is not necessary and if done too close to the Ironman race, can actually be detrimental to your race performance. Keep in mind that triathlon training for any distance is completely different from run training or other single sport training.
Are You Physically Ready To Go The Distance?
Ask yourself these questions when considering the jump in race distance:
- Have you built a strong enough base?
- If your recent weekly mileage has been erratic or most long runs haven’t gone past an hour you might want to hold off and build a better aerobic base first.
- If you have a modest base of training you can build from there, but you’ll need to give yourself time to build up safely.
- If you’ve been training consistently and are able to complete a run longer than an hour, then you’re ready to consider a step up in distance.
- How’s your recovery?
- You might be able to complete a long run, but how do you bounce back? Can you run in a day or two? Complete quality workouts mid-week? If a long effort leaves you feeling flat and you can’t complete any quality workouts all week, then you first need to work on building durability and good recovery.
- If you’re able to complete a long run and go on to complete quality runs, such as speed work and hills later that week, then you’re a step in the right direction.
- Can your musculoskeletal system hold up?
- Running a marathon puts a high load on joints, connective tissue, and muscles. If you’ve had recurring aches or your strength training is inconsistent, then you’ll want to first work building that foundation. Targeted strength training is essential for moving up in distance.
- If you’re feeling strong and injury-free, then your body is ready to start taking on the challenge of increased mileage. But remember, strength training is still essential.
Lifestyle and Time Commitment
The weekend of the NYC Marathon had it’s excitement and glamour, but there’s a lot of training and preparation that happened in the background. Early mornings, long runs, recovery time, meticulous nutrition, tough mid-week runs often require adjustments to your schedule.
Some things to consider before committing to the marathon include your weekly time budget and your work/life load. Ask yourself if you’ll have the time to be able to complete daily training, which can include running, cross training, strength training, plus your long runs. Discuss the time commitment with your family so that everyone knows what to expect. The time commitment needed for marathon training is doable if you’re realistic and everyone has the correct expectations. Many times, it’s just a matter of scheduling and planning when and how you’ll get it in, including when you’ll be able to sleep.
Nutrition, both your daily nutrition and race nutrition, is also important. Your race nutrition will need to be dialed in for the marathon distance. If it’s not, you will face GI issues or exhaustion that could be a result of dehydration, over hydration, under-fueling, or over fueling. Be prepared and have the patience to be able to work on these in your training.
Mental Readiness and Motivation
You may have proven that you can push through a half marathon or half Ironman, but the last 6 miles of a marathon can feel like a different race entirely. Besides the type of physical training you do, mental training and motivation are essential. Because without these, you won’t have the drive to get up and do the workouts you need in order to do well in the race.
Mental training is something that should be worked on for any race distance, but is especially important for long races. Endurance events challenge more than just your muscles and cardiovascular system, they test your mind.
Before signing up for the marathon, consider why you want to do it. Are you challenging yourself? Trying to prove something? Entering on a dare with friends? Or was it the post-race euphoria of watching the NYC Marathon? You have to be motivated to really want to run the marathon. The excitement of watching the marathon helps, but you’ll need a deeper motivation that stays with you, even on those cold dark mornings when you don’t feel like getting up, in order to keep going through the months training.
Are You Ready To Move Up In Distance?
While it does take a lot of planning and consideration, if you truly have the desire and motivation then it is doable. The question then comes down to how long you need to build up to the distance so that your body and mind can withstand the rigors of the marathon distance. Remember that the goal is to be able to run it well and enjoy the race.
If you felt the buzz of the NYC Marathon weekend, let the inspiration and possibilities spark the drive in you. But let smart preparation govern your decision.
Ready to move up in distance?
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