I wanted to circle back and thank everyone for the posts, advice, and support. I completed my first marathon. I rode the high for a week but now I’m feeling down? Like a “what now”. Rehabbing some tendinitis so I think the fact that I completed such a feat and now I’m just on my ass is getting to me. Anyone else feel blah after a marathon?

I've been told you can get a transfer in August as loads of spots open but you would be mid marathon block hoping to grab a ticket. Is Valencia a time qualified race or is that full already for 2025?

Hey all! Been training this fall for CIM and I am comfortable with what my attempt will be. A week out as I prepare my pack list and start becoming familiar with the logistics. I have a few questions around logistics and hopefully can be given some advice. I am sure this will be generally applicable to everyone running.

Looks like I have to take the 4:30 am bus from Sacramento to the start line. I am staying close to the buses so getting there wont be an issue. I am more concerned about the 2.5 hour wait between getting on and starting.

Sounds like there's plenty of bathrooms - so that's good.

Warmth

What are some ideas to stay warm?

I feel attached to my clothing that there's nothing I really want to throw away (e.g. a long top). I am not keen to go buy something just to throw it away. Looks like it was be 6 degrees ish in the morning, so chilly while waiting. Sounds like we can use and stay on the buses to stay warm? Perhaps I can use a garbage bag to stay warm?

What are some other tips / tricks around staying warm?

Food

I can have my breaky before I depart but there will still be 2.5+ hours until race start. Obviously I can bring some snacks with me.

What are some general ideas for meal planning / breakfast options / snack timing etc over this period?

TYIA

Devastated but time with family and good food helped soften the blow. Ran last Tuesday on treadmill because it's freezing outside, no issues. Woke up Wednesday with a limp, Thursday could barely apply pressure, Friday crying in pain. Went to ortho and have been in boot, on crutches, and taking anti-inflammatory meds every day since. Walking in the boot is practically painless at this point, there's discomfort when walking on my bare foot.

I had yet to miss a single run before this past Wednesday. On the HH Novice 1 plan, had been running for about a year prior to starting training. My long run coming up is 18 with 20 to follow. It feels more hopeless with every run I miss. I hopped on the bike Wednesday and Thursday of last week and could cycle instead, I just know it's not the same.

I guess I'm just curious if anyone has any words of encouragement or discouragement or honesty or relatability. How reasonable is it for me to expect to be back on my feet by next week? Is it a case-by-case basis? Is biking a viable way to maintain fitness? Should I decrease taper time and finish out my runs starting from the ones I missed before I got injured? I know that I should just listen to my body, I am maybe hoping someone else who's had tendonitis can tell me about their road to recovery. Race date is Jan 12th. Thank you ❤️

hello all, im mal, im 19, 6'1 and 54 kgs. which means I'm skinny as hell. I live in India.

i want to run my first marathon within the next 6 months.

I have a decent pair of running shoes (adidas EQ21 run) but from browsing the internet, a really really good pair of shoes doesn't matter to start training.

ill be honest, the main goal here is to get fit. i have deviated septum, and shit cardio. I don't put on weight easy so Ive given up on my dream of becoming muscular. however, the typical runner's physique really appeals to me, and I want to work out with a goal in mind, which is why I decided I want to run a marathon

could you guys give me cold harsh truths about how I should train, eat, and stay in shape to be able to run?

thanks

I exercise twice a week, 30min of strength training and 30min of yoga each time, which may not be considered a lot or enough. But when it comes to cardio, I can’t seem to improve. Ive tried running and I set 2km as my goal each time but finishing it is already difficult for me. I don’t get how people finish marathons. My goal for next year is to finish a half marathon, 21km but I don’t know where to start, any tips? 🙏

edit: thank you so much for all the advice, i will try it out!

Race information

• What? SCSM Singapore Marathon
• When? December 1, 2024
• How far? 42.195km
• Where? Singapore
• Website: https://www.singaporemarathon.com/
• Strava activity: https://www.strava.com/activities/13019642495
• Finish time: 4:19:20

Goals

Splits

Training

Started training for the marathon in mind since begining 2023, but only really started running in Feb 2023 due to injury. Started with a C25K and progressed to 10k x2, half x2 and FM x2 training blocks. Raced first 10k in Dec 2023 in the same race, 76mins. First HM was Apr 2024 2:16 finish. I actually have another marathon scheduled 14days after this, due to lottery. So as per my training prog, today was supposed to be a 31km LR with 26k u/marathon pace, so planned to start out first 16km @ easy Z1-Z2 pace.

Going into this race at peak week, 108km volume including this race distance, no taper.

Pre-race

As per my usual runs I do not normally eat breakfast as the call time is 4:30am. During long runs I just down 2x SIS Beta Chews + 1-2 Beta fuel gels as 'breakfast' 1-2hrs before the race. Usual toilet runs.

Race

Always trained with hydration bladder + 2 soft flask, as am running solo on my long runs. For the race, I went without carrying water, just a running belt and an empty softflask for emergencies. The race hydration points are quite frequent @ almost every 2.5km, due to the local temperature.

Starting Temp 29degrees C. Humidity 73%. Temps started to climb @ 32km to 32degress C as it was up an exposed highway without any shade.

Still getting used to running through aid stations and getting enough hydration. At around 35km it was so hot, at one of the aid station had my soft flask filled and drank from it between the stations. Glad I brought it.

As for gels, brought 9x Beta fuel, had 8, 1 a few mins before flag off (4:54am), and 1 every 5km. Had a brief toilet stop somewhere about 19km.

Post-race

Everything else went pretty smooth. Though my splits during the runs look faster as when i checked my watch, recorded was a bit slower, I think cause due to time lost at aid stations. So need to factor those in if I were to aim for a time target next time.

Also as this was a "training run", end of it, I am a little doubtful if for my A race in 2 wks time I can hold this race pace for entire 42km. But hopefully next 2 weeks taper really does magic?

This post was generated using the new race-reportr, powered by coachview, for making organized, easy-to-read, and beautiful race reports.

I am considering going for a marathon after completing a half. I'm wondering if it's possible to do both marathon training and full body strength training, with the goal of gaining some muscle ~10 pounds (full body, not just legs) and training successfully for the marathon. I understand it will be difficult and will require a ton of caloric intake, but curious if anyone has success stories doing this.

My initial plan is 4 runs and a 3-day workout split for strength per week. Let me know your thoughts!

I've been training for my first marathon since June, and its coming up this weekend. After (maybe during) my 20 mile run 3 weeks ago, I came off with a mild anterior talofibular ligament strain (most likely- diagnosed by examination by doctor. had swelling, pain walking for ~4-5 days then it improved significantly after that). Had full range of motion and strength in the ankle, weight bearing and existed without pain, but felt it running for a few days after. I took about a week off, then picked back up and have done mostly easy runs since, with some GMP work (I've been tapering anyway, so pretty close to my training plan).

Mostly, running has felt totally fine, I had some really unremarkable 10 mile runs. A couple days ago I started feeling something again during a run, so took a day off, then felt okay during my run yesterday (one week from race day). I still see some very slight swelling in that area, maybe its been there and I just didn't notice til today - I'm very in my head about it now. I'm using nsaid topical gel and arnica ~2x a day, and thought about taking anti-inflammatory too. Icing and elevating a couple times per day as well.

One week out from the marathon, what would you do? How many days would you take totally off running? (training I was doing 6/week, most weeks were 30-40 miles, peaking at 45ish). The 20 mile run felt great fitness wise, wasn't wrecked after, wasn't mentally too bad. I'm super excited for the race, but super scared about this ankle. I'm a bit terrified of something dramatically painful happening during the race too. I'm not going to run fast - my GMP is very close to my zone2-3 easy pace since I'm new to this distance. Maybe that helps? I'm also tempted to carry KT tape with me, but worried about changing anything about my gait during race day. Perhaps carrying biofreeze as well?

First marathon, goal is mainly to finish.

Friendly reminder to ensure you’re prioritizing recovery in addition to your runs. About 11 weeks out from my race, and I had to skip my recovery runs last week due to the start of shin splints. Was slow/careful but able to do my scheduled long run yesterday pain-free, but couldn’t even do 0.5mi today before the shins started hurting and had to call it. Much better to miss a few training runs now than not be able to do the race at all!

I (21F) just registered for the 2025 Flying Pig Marathon in Cincinnatti, OH as my first marathon. I am a seasoned runner--been running year-round for about 7 years now. Did my first half marathon back in December of 2023.

I've been trying to find a half marathon for 2025 as well and I know that a lot of people place a half marathon in marathon training but I need advice on when it should be. I've been looking at the LR Half on March 1 but would love feedback on the timing of it.

Little background, started running somewhere in April last year and have run around 50km average each month with my longest run being 15km. By impulse I bought a marathon ticket in September for a marathon in April 2025, as it is a highly demanded event, and I knew it would sell out quickly.

Initially I thought I would just follow HH novice 1 or 2 starting next week, as it is an 18 week plan, and thought it would be fine. But today, when I told my family they were all calling me irresponsible, and reading further into it online, I feel like I might have been too optimistic.

Now I do want to try and follow the novice 2 plan, to see if I would be able to complete it. But I do want your advice, at which point / how should I decide if I can complete the marathon (without excessive risk of injury), or would it be better to sell my ticket and build some more base for a later event?

Tldr: did my first marathon with 1 years running experience. Time was 3:48:31.

This sub has been beyond helpful / so quick to answer any questions I had as I learned about running. Reading others stories like this helped motivate me in the beginning so I’ll share mine. Sorry if it’s all over the place writing this in the car on the way home immediately after the race with my 2 kids in the backseat yapping.

Profile/fitness background: 32, M, 195-200lbs. From 12-16 years old I skate boarded multiple hours a day every single day. I also used to compete in a game called DDR (yes the music game with arrows a lot of movies make fun of) , at higher levels of skill it requires decent cardio https://youtu.be/uirr5tpvINA?si=OGb1q2PeCN_WaQ3L for reference lol. In high school I lifted some weights but by time I was 21 all physical activity stopped. That said, my cardio / fitness background wasn’t nothing when I started running but I did have essentially 0 running experience.

I was a pack a day cigarette smoker for about 15 years. At 21 years old I weighed around 175-180 with a decent amount of muscle, from the age of 21-30 I slowly gained weight and wound up weighing in around 255 and decided that was enough of being overweight and wanted to get healthier for my kids. My weight loss / exercise journey started Feb 2023, mainly weight lifting and would jog/walk the occasional mile. By Oct 2023 I wanted to give distance running a shot (see screenshot), my goal was to just go as far as I could without stopping, and did just under a 10k. I enjoyed doing hard things by this point in my fitness journey so decided to sign up for a half marathon and started at 10 week plan in early December 2023, the race was early Feb. so I gave myself 10 weeks - I wound up finishing that race at 1:46 and was super happy with the result. But, it ended with an IT band injury. Did some rehab work and decided to sign up for a full marathon, and now here we are!

Over the last year I haven’t fully quit smoking however I’ve gotten it down to 3-8 smokes a week and I only do it on 1 day - after my long run ironically. Leading up to the marathon I did take 2 full weeks off of all nicotine.

I gained 10-12 lbs over the 20 week training block. I was eating 3-4k cals a day which may have been too much but I was listening to my body and ate if I felt hungry. I continued to lift 4 days a week on top of running 5 days a week. I peaked at 45 miles a week and averaged around 38. Did my best to see my PT 2X a month just for maintenance and any lingering pains.

Had my 2nd kid in March so that made my schedule / recovery pretty difficult also but we made it work.

I was using a Runna plan which did want me to hit 50+ miles a week as my peak but I wound up having another IT band injury + 2 back to back hurricanes 8 weeks out from my race really messed with my progress / confidence and it was right at my peak week window. It was super hard to get motivated again after this because I could never push the runs as hard as I wanted and was always concerned about the injury flaring back up. Throughout my block I got at least one 20 miler done - I also did two 16s and two 17s. Most of my long runs were done between 9:30-10:30 per mile paces. I live in Florida so during the summer it was always 10s and as it got cooler the same effort levels put me in the mid 9s. I ran by a mixture of RPE and HR. Max HR is 199, clocked in a max effort 5K. Used a Polar H10 and Garmin 255 for all of my metrics. Cadence is roughly 170-175 and more of a heel striker than anything.

3 days prior I did do a carb load. 450-600 grams a day. I’m sure this helped with muscle fatigue however I felt super bloated and heavier than normal, which I didn’t love. Last meal was 6 PM the night before. Some sushi and Pad Thai.

Race nutrition: Pre-race 3 scoops tailwind, 1 banana, a pack of Kodiak instant oats and a gel 30 min before the race. For the race itself I packed 8 gels and 1 soft flasks with 2 scoops of tailwind. Stopped at aid stations for mainly water and some Gatorade. Running in the Saucony Endorphin Pro 4s.

I slept well all week 7-9 hours a night anticipating poor sleep the night of. Which I was correct about - I woke up every hour between 9-3:30.

2 mile shakeout run wound up with a -5 from Garmin so that was dope. This caused my Garmin prediction to literally jump up by 02:30 lol. Prior to this it was predicting 3:42 so I planned to go out with the 3:45 pacer.

Now onto the race

Miles 1-18: felt really smooth and strong. The pacer was running faster than the stated time which I think cooked me on the back end.

Mile 19: I stopped to pee and this is where I started to feel my IT band flaring up.

Mile 20: ran into my wife and daughters and all the pain I was feeling went away briefly.

Miles 21-23: felt longer the rest of the race. Legs started to feel super heavy and I knew this is where my time off from the injuries and lack of mileage started to take its toll.

Mile 24: saw my wife and kids again quickly stopped for a kiss and BAM hammy cramp, had to stop and gather myself for a bit.

Miles 25-26.2: really tried to focus on my cadence and form but couldn’t get back to my goal pace

Needing to pee so much is beyond frustrating. Might just be a half marathon guy moving forward but time will tell!

Super proud I got it done despite the interruptions to my training. On to the next one!

Hey everybody, I've always liked running but never did it regularly. I started running around 15-20km a week around a month ago, and ran my first 10k race in 42:25 (4:14/km) today, and had run 22km at 5:17km last week at a comfortable intensity (I'm a 20 year old male). I am thinking of running a marathon on april 6th, and would like to run under 3:30, do you guys think this is a realistic goal, and do you have any advice?

Thank you all very much in advance!!

My beloved Triumph 20's are nearing end of life. They have been my favorite long run shoe maybe of all time. Relatively light, bouncy, comfortable, plush, but not soft. The Triumph 22 looks to be a very different shoe.

Recent history, I've been through the original Invincible (loved, but big), the Invincible 2 (nearly as good), the invincible 3 (painful heel clip, less than good) and the Infinity fk3 (mixed).

Of all the shoes in my rotation the long run shoe is the most critical to me. It's a lot of time to spend together. Just curious what others have found to work.

I just signed up for a marathon on April 6th, 2025. I have been training since October 21st, 2024. I was not really a runner before. I have no time goal. I just want to finish. I am scared lol. Will I be able to complete it?

I really didn’t know my body was capable of this. Admittedly I’m very depressed right now, and not capable of feeling any amount of joy in my accomplishment, but I’ll take a win as a win. Working my way slowly to a half a marathon. Anyways cheers!

I had 19 miles in my plan today, only got 5 in and then decided to stop due to the pain I was feeling. I think it is shin splints, which I may have got from the half marathon race I did last weekend. I am going to try again tomorrow as I don’t want to skip my long run. What can I do to power through and get it done ? Kind of ashamed of myself for quitting

I'm fairly new to running I've been doing it properly for about a year and a half now I've worked my long runs up to 21k and my fastest 5k is 19:58. I'm feeling ready to start taking on some races but don't know how to approach training for them. Apps like Runna are quite expensive and I don't want to invest that much money right off the bat. Any help or ideas on how to go about training for a full marra?

Okay so quick background information. I’m a 24 year old guy who just started running this February and recently ran my first half-marathon. I finished in 1:42 although I probably could’ve finished faster as I didn’t know what to expect and followed the 1:45 pacer guy until the 11th mile which was really easy and then said screw this and ran the last 2.1 at like a 6:30 pace or so. Anyways I want to run a marathon at the end of March and was just wondering what everyone thought of my training plan. My long runs have been between 11-13 miles for several months now and I plan on starting in early to mid January to build up to a 18 or maybe 20 miler over 6-8 weeks maxing out at 35-36 mpw before tapering down. I know that’s kind of a short build up but honestly I really don’t like running anything over 10 miles so I would rather just have the build up be quick and not stretched out over several months. I’m not looking for a crazy time finish or anything. Just hoping to finish and maybe hit my goal of 3:30, but honestly I will be happy with any time. Just wondering what everyone thinks and if there’s any other advice

I’ve been waiting to buy my marathon registration just due to the fact I didn’t know how committed I would be and the success I would have in pre training. Signs pointed me to finally drop the ball and sign up for the Pittsburgh Marathon today as they had their registration for 20% off for Black Friday.

I texted my dad and said, “It’s official, I’m running the marathon! I’m kinda scared lol.” Then he replied, “You will be fine lol.” Supper supportive, I know right? lol 😆

But I’m just here to say, I’m very excited, but low key scared at the same time but since my pre training has been going really well, knock on wood, that by race day I will be able to cross the finish line. 👀

Training for my first marathon in Dallas (2 weeks away) and started feeling shin splint type pain 4 weeks ago. I’ve had it before and immediately stopped. I took 2 weeks off, tried running again and still felt it, and took another 2 weeks.

I have been stretching, icing, and putting the hours on the elliptical while on break. I got up to 18 miles 2 weeks before I started feeling pain, and felt fantastic on that run.

If I am not feeling pain in these next 2 weeks, is it worth running? I recognize that I probably won’t achieve my goal time but I would still like to complete the race. Is there a strong possibility the pain will come up during the race? Will the time on the elliptical have kept me in good enough shape to finish?

Hello everyone. 27M. Preparing for my first half marathon. What vitamins-supplements you believe are essential for runners, if there are some? Also, are there any joint support supplements out there that will enhance or maintain the health of knees?

I will be running my first marathon in May in Cincinnati, Ohio. Any tips for training through the winter?

I ran my first marathon on Sunday (24 November) at the Mt Fuji International Marathon around Kawaguchiko in 4 hours and 40 minutes. It was stunning and I felt incredibly proud of myself and relieved that I managed to finish it.

Some background: I only started running August 2023 (couldn't run 3km without stopping before that point). Ran my first half marathon in November 2023 and my second January 2024. Started training for this one in June 2024 (yes almost 5 months of training!). I did 4 30+km runs with the longest 35km 4 weeks out. My goal was to finish within 5 hours.

• I didn't know I'd get injured and I didn't know that injury was normal. We're not professional athletes who have a whole team behind them analysing every gait and run. If you feel pain that doesn't feel right, go see a physiotherapist. With two rounds of intense shockwave therapy and two weeks of rest, I was able to run pain free the week before the race.
• Training burnout is so real — you will need to mentally self regulate and keep telling yourself you can do it while also balancing normal parts of life. Practice meditation and journalling and talking to people. Regulate your emotions and voice out your frustrations during this period. Don't bottle it up.
• Having mental breakdowns on long runs — I trained at the peak of summer and it gets to a point where I had to wake up at 4am to get those 30km runs in. You will cry, you will skip runs, you will wonder why you could run 20km the week before but struggle with 10km this week. Persevere and do it tired.
• Maranoia and feeling ill right before — I felt like my body was in fight or flight mode the 48 hours leading up to race day. My tonsils were swollen, I felt feverish and my nose was stuffed. I took an ibuprofen 4 hours before the start of the race and 2 hours into the race.
• Trust the training!!! Such a cliche but when you're tapering you'll feel like you're not doing enough. Even 3km could feel extremely difficult. It's ok and it's normal. You'll feel amazing on race day. The work has been done in the 10+ weeks you trained for it. Your legs have muscle memory.
• Leave the music for after the halfway point. A personal opinion but knowing I could start listening to my playlist after 21km really gave me something to look forward to.
• A shakeout run did wonders. Especially because I was training in 30+ degree celsius weather, but would run the race in -1 degree celsius.
• You could have ill-fitting shoes that may not hurt you for the runs up to 25km but they probably will from 30km on. Do the 30km run and see how your shoes react. The shoes I'd been training in injured me because of the lack of cushioning for those longer distances.
• You can't ever overstate how big of an achievement running a marathon is. Absolutely nothing about it is normal and everything about it is unhinged. Why do we just up and decide that we should run for 5 hours straight?
• You won't feel like you can finish it until you cross the finish line. Even 12km in I thought I was absolutely going to bonk it. It was only at 38km that I thought it might be possible.
• Feeling extremely nervous and anxious. I shook like a leaf at the start line while everyone was cheering. I was so in my head about it all.
• Shin pains are quite normal for a first marathoner!! Stretch your CALVES, foam roll them, shorten your strides during your run, massage the shin area and ICE them.
• Stopping during training runs. I think this might be a controversial take but stop to drink water and take a gel on your training runs - it will mimic the feeling of stopping for water in the runs.
• At a certain point during the race you will sort of zone out and go into a trance. That was 30-38km for me. I'm not sure if I remembered much from it.
• Please don't play emotional music at the 34th km. You will feel like crying and that will mess up your breathing.
• Run your own race. There are people that will run so fast and there are those that will run even slower than you. Some will make you think you can run faster, others will make you doubt if you can finish. Get out of your head and into your body. Focus on what your body can do. Keep your pace and do what you trained for.
• If you can, try to make conversation with the person who's been running alongside you at your pace. It kind of helps the time pass and gets your mind off the fatigue.
• Delete strava a few weeks before. Seeing people run 5min/km long runs two weeks before the race made me feel like absolute shit. I protected my peace by deleting the app !!
• Be grateful you're able to run. This mindset really tide me through the hardest bits of training. It's not 'I have to run' its 'I can run and that's amazing'.
• The last 4km really feels even longer than the first 35km.
• The real marathon was the training period. And when you cross that finish line, you'll feel such a swelling sense of accomplishment.
• I felt physically ill after the race. Nausea, a slight fever, tiredness, something similar to just really low energy, light-headedness. I later realised this is normal because of the overexertion.
• It's hard to sleep after the race even if that's all you want to do. That's the adrenaline keeping you alive!!!
• Finally my mantra for during the race: Feel the pain, do it anyway.

Hey Everyone, I am planning on running the LA marathon in March of this year. I was wondering if any of you guys had any feedback on my training plan below. I am specifically looking to hybrid train (to not lose so much muscle mass) while still training for the marathon.

Any feedback or advice is greatly appreciated!

Hi all,

I’m seeking advice on setting up the optimal training plan for my first marathon, which I’ll run in May—exactly 23 weeks and three days from now.

I’m male, 25 years old, and I currently run only 3–4 miles once a week. I’m relatively fit (bicycling and strength training) and eat healthily. I’m 176 lbs and 5’11”.

I want to avoid injury while still getting in the best shape possible.

I’ve been looking at the Nike Running Club’s 18-week program and Hanson’s 18-week program. However, since I have 23 weeks available, I’d like to use the extra 5 weeks to improve my chances of getting a good race time.

I’ve considered a few approaches (please correct me if these ideas are misguided—that’s why I’m here!):

1. Follow 16 weeks of the NRC training plan, then do weeks 12–17 (6 weeks) of Hanson’s method, and finish with the final week of NRC. This would give me the benefit of NRC’s education and coaching while incorporating more mileage by using 6 weeks from Hanson’s method.
2. Do 5 weeks of Hanson’s beginner method and then start over with Hanson’s advanced method from week 1. This approach seems more rigorous (and perhaps carries a risk of injury?) but doesn’t include the educational benefits of NRC.

Or should I consider a completely different approach?

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts.

Many, many thanks in advance!

So Nike running club and Strava give me different data when I run. My most recent experience was 4 miles vs 4.5 miles!! I’m realizing I want to get the most accurate data. Will a Fitbit be better? What do you use that you’ve found is most accurate for distance and pace? Thank you!

Longest ive run 3.5 weeks ago was 24km and the week after was 17km, but didn’t do much after that i.e. strength training etc none… how screwed am i🥲 but i feel probably will still do it with the run/walk method for the medal to include w my halfs and 10ks