Running a Marathon: 4 Things You Need to Know
The world seems to have been bitten by the running bug lately — all over social media people are pronouncing themselves in their “Training for a Half Marathon Era.” I was bit by the running bug about 5 years ago when my best friend asked me to do a half marathon with her. I’ll never forget finishing my first half marathon and saying “There’s NO way I’ll ever be running a full marathon. Imagine doing all that over again?” And then… I did exactly what I said I would never do. And it was one of the most impactful experiences I’ve had to date.
If you’ve ran a half marathon before (or even if you’ve never signed up for any type of run before) and you’re interested in what you need to know to successfully prepare for your first marathon, then read on!
In this blog post I’ll cover:
My level of experience with running before my first half marathon and my first marathon
A rough guide of weekly training commitments to be ready for a marathon
What it felt like to run the full marathon and recovery afterwards
MUST-HAVES for making long runs more enjoyable
Bonus - How I managed to do this without aggravating my stomach and chronic autoimmune conditions.
1 - How much running experience should I have before running a full marathon?
There are some conflicting groups of thinking on this question, but as someone who has run both a half marathon (with very little experience) and a full marathon (with a decent amount of training), I cannot express enough that you should ABSOLUTELY run a half marathon before attempting to run a full marathon. For your own safety and to not traumatize yourself to never wanting to run again, please heed this advice.
Prior to running my first half marathon, I was running casually with my friend, around 2-3 miles a run a couple times a week. We started to increase the lengths of our runs in the couple of months leading up to the half marathon. I did not follow a formal plan, and this was OK for a half marathon. The weekends leading up to the half marathon, we ran a 5 mile, 6 mile, and an 8 mile run. 8 miles was the most I ran before my first half marathon. In hindsight, I should’ve gotten up to 9-10 miles prior to the race, but it was sufficient for me to complete my first half marathon. I ran my first half in 2019, and have been signing up for one per year since (I’ve run a total of 5 half marathons).
Prior to running my first full marathon (Aug 2023), I committed to a more serious training plan. After adopting a dog who loves to run, I had been running 3 miles most mornings with my dog for the last year or so. On top of that, I started increasing my mileage each week over the course of the 4 months leading up to the marathon. I was averaging 30-40 miles per week depending on the length of the weekend long run. The most I ran before the marathon was 18 miles. Again, in hindsight I probably should’ve gotten up to 20 miles, but this was sufficient for being able to complete the marathon. I would not advise doing any less.
I am not an extraordinarily fast runner by any means — In my training for the marathon my hope was to maintain around a 9:00-9:30min/mi pace. My best half marathon I ran in about 1h42m, which is about a 7:45min/mi pace. I had zero expectations of keeping that pace for the marathon. I was hoping to come in at about 4 hrs.
2 - What is a rough guide for the weekly commitment for training for a marathon?
This is a super rough sketch of the plan I was following for my training. This is what worked in my schedule, and I feel this can be adapted / can switch around training days to suit your needs.
Mon - 3 mile morning run + core exercises
Tue - 3 mile morning run + 4 mile evening run (or a longer morning run if time permits, aim for total of 6-7mi)
Wed - Cross train (bike, spin, swim, or yoga)
Thurs - 3 mile morning run + core exercises
Fri - Yoga
Sat - Long run (9-18 miles depending on the week, gradual increase over weeks with taper close to race)
Sun - Recovery (take dog for a walk, easy hike, clean the house)
3 - What does it feel like to run a full marathon? What is the recovery like afterwards?
This topic is a really subjective to the person, their fitness level, and how much training they did before the marathon. It seems like the consensus from my own experience and those of others is:
The first 20-23 miles are exhilarating and a type of running high you’ve come to know and love
The last 3-6 miles are grueling, will challenge your endurance, and mental fortitude
My training plan served me really well I feel. The first 20 miles were great. I was having fun, enjoying the energy of the other runners and bystanders cheering you on. Seeing my husband every few miles boosted my motivation to keep up my pace — do not under estimate the impact of having your loved ones there! The buzz of the cheering is incredible and miles fly by without you much realizing.
At mile 22, I felt a weird sensation in my knee I never had while training. The best way I can describe it is that my knee felt “loose.” Yuck… I know haha. I pulled myself away from the pack I was running with and stretched / shook out my knee. The second I stopped was when the fatigue really set in, but stretching out my knee was entirely necessary to keep going. After that, I had to slow down my pace quite a bit to not further aggravate my knee and get through to the finish. (9:15min/mi to about 12min/mi…. ouch).
Those last 3 miles I did some major soul searching and self-talk to convince myself I could get to the finish. I have NEVER felt that kind of internal struggle to keep going in my life but knew I needed to know what it felt like to cross the finish so I kept jogging along. Getting to the finish felt like winning the Super Bowl — an emotional swelling of fulfillment like you just completed the impossible. The struggle of the last 3 miles was so worth the high of checking off an item on my bucket list and seeing my husband beaming with pride at the finish.
The recovery was much better than anticipated. I’m still not sure what happened to my knee during the run, but about 2 days later I had no pain or weird feeling in my knee. I healed really quickly. I was moderately sore after the run (think stiff, waddling around) and had a low grade fever, but this all went away with a really good nights sleep and lots of food and water.
4 - MUST-HAVES for making long runs more enjoyable
Yes, you need your tunes and your favorite hat and whatever else you fancy for a long run. These aren’t the MUST-HAVES I’m talking about. I’m talking about a few products that actually physically improved my long runs. I’m cutting to the chase and telling you what they are:
A REALLY good pair of socks go a long way. In addition to having good shoes and the right clothes, don’t skimp on the socks. I underestimated the way that socks could help reduce fatigue in my feet on long runs. These Balega ones are my favorite.
A running vest & hydration bladder will change your hydration game. I used to think I didn’t need water on long runs. I was wrong. Sipping on water increased my endurance in a big way and made 10 miles feel like nothing. Your muscles need the oxygen in water to keep going. I love this water bladder because it has two compartments, one for electrolytes and the other for plain water. The vest also has space to carry your phone, gels, cards, whatever else you need. It’s super lightweight and can be adjusted so it doesn’t bounce around.
Energy gels (that you don’t hate eating) are also an important component to fueling during the race. These Honey Stinger ones are the only kind I feel good about ingredient wise, and I don’t mind the taste. It’s important to drink some sips of water with it while running to make them more effective. 10 minutes after taking one of these, my muscles feel less fatigued and I get a little burst of energy.
Bonus - How did I keep my stomach healthy and manage my chronic conditions while running?
If this is your first time visiting my blog, you may not know that I have been healing ulcerative colitis and Lyme disease for the last 8 years of my life. You can read more about that on my “about” page and this blog post. Some may know that running and gut conditions aren’t exactly a match made in heaven. Running can cause digestive upset if you aren’t careful about proper fueling and minding your pace. Here are some highlights of how I kept my gut happy while training. If you have more questions about this, feel free to leave me a comment or a DM on my instagram!
Be VERY consistent with fueling. Before a long run, I stuck to my lemon water, celery juice, followed by a large banana. When your gut knows what to expect, and you don’t throw in any surprises, chances are your stomach will behave in a predictable fashion. My stomach does best with a little something to digest, but not too much before a long run. Find what works for you and stick with it, and keep it simple.
As mentioned before, hydrating is essential to keeping all your body systems functioning properly. Hydrating the day / night before a long run is just as important as hydrating after. Your organs (stomach included) all need plenty of water to function as they should. Without enough water, your stomach can cramp up, just like muscles, and cause digestive upset and the famous “runner’s trots.”
Avoid caffeine before a long run, for obvious reasons. It’s a stimulant and can over stimulate your stomach muscles during a run and cause digestive upset.
Avoid running in heat as much as possible. Training in the middle of the summer for the marathon, I found myself setting my alarm early to beat the sun on long runs and train in the coolest environment possible. I have found that running in the heat is aggravating to my stomach.
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