I just started a Garmin marathon training plan with a goal of sub-4hrs. The race isn't till the fall, so I've got plenty of time.

Here's my question: How important is matching the suggested pace of the program? My normal cruising speed is around 9:00 min/mile or slightly under that, but the training activities keep suggesting that I slow it down to closer to 10 min/mile for the majority of the runs that aren't speed work.

Am I going to overdo it if I take it at my normal "easy" pace? I'm having a hard time slowing down. Feels like I'm walking.

Finished my first marathon ( Kolkata Full Marathon ) in 5:11:59. A bit over my 5-hour target, but I’m proud of myself.

I trained for about 16 weeks but tbh I wasn't the most consistent with it. Life got in the way - missed a few long runs due to vacations, a friend's wedding and days where the motivation just wasn't there. At one point, I thought that there's no way I am pulling this off.

To make matters worse, just a week before race day, I hurt my ankle and had to skip my final long run of 13km which messed up my confidence.

Barely got 30 minutes of sleep rhe night before because of the nerves. To top it off, the weather was extremely humid.

Things didn't work out the way i wanted but I am super happy that I crossed the finish line injury free. If someone told me a few months back that one day I will run a marathon I would have called him crazy. But here I am today - officially a marathoner. Will I do this again? Absolutely.

So I'm in the middle of my first marathon training block for my marathon end of April. I've run 20 k long runs now here and there, and sure I feel a few more k are in the tank, but the same again? Feels really daunting. The big long runs are shortly there after next week's, in 32k,32k and 35k till the marathon. It feels really daunting to run so much more...

Hi Reddit,

I am 31 years old and a lifelong runner since I was 13 years old. In the past three years, I’ve completed four 10ks (average around 1 hour) and one half marathon in February 2024 2 hrs, 20 minutes).

I signed up for the Austin Marathon on February 16. I started the 26.2 training in October 2024 by doing the same routine training I did last year. However, my training got derailed by life events in late November. Since then, I’ve run sparingly and not been training outside of going to the gym a couple times a week.

With three weeks to go, would it be wise to consider transferring my distance from 26.2 to 13.1 miles? I really want to run the full marathon but realize it would be a possible death-wish. But is it too late to consider running the same half marathon as last year? Thanks for your suggestions.

Hi everyone, I ran my first 2 half marathons this last year at 2.5 hours and 2hr 15 min. I was not consistent but am working on that personally. This month lately I’ve been incline walking daily for an hour and then on the weekends running a 10k, best time being 1 hour and 10 min. Over the course of January, I’ve been more consistent running than I have leading up to the half’s and really enjoy pushing myself. That being said I’ve been considering signing up for a full marathon at the end of September of this year. It’s months out but I want to give myself time to get stronger and build up my endurance. My goal would be to complete in around the 5 hour mark, reach goal under 5. Do you guys think this is a realistic reasonable goal? What training plans would you recommend? Or since it’s months away, what would you recommend before starting an official full marathon training plan?

I'm scheduled to do my first marathon in early October.

Information about myself:

• I've been running for about a year and a half, 3-4 times a week
• Have done 2 half marathons, most recently in December. Finished both in 1.52 with a few seconds difference between them.
• Life has got in the way a little and the total has reduced a bit, but I was comfortably enough able to run 40-45km per week through last summer and Autumn.

I know it's my first marathon and time isn't everything but I would like to break 4 hours if possible.

Time is on my side because there are 35 weeks until the marathon. I'm thinking of using an 18 week training plan, so my question is what I should do with the 17 weeks I have before that kicks in?

My guess is that I should focus on building up miles. But how many km per week do you think I should aim for? Should I just go for slow miles or should I incorporate anything else like speedwork etc?

Hey everyone, I have a question about LSD training. Do you usually stick to a time limit (e.g., 2.5 hours) or follow a set distance (e.g., 25-30 km), even if it takes longer?

My easy pace is around 7:00 min/km, so my long runs often take more than 2.5 hours. I’ve heard different opinions—some say running beyond that time could be counterproductive, while others stick to the planned distance no matter how long it takes.

How do you approach your LSD runs? Do you adjust based on time or distance? Would love to hear your strategies!

Hi all,

I just signed up for the CIM in December and I'm super excited! I ran a bunch of halfs in my 20s, and now at 34 feel like I'm in a good space to prep for a full.

I'm planning to do Hal Higdon's novice plan, which is 18 weeks. My question is, how do I prepare for success for that program? I'm working right now to build up my mileage and also build some muscle. Any other things to thin about? I also want to increase my speed, since my mile time is about 10 minutes/mile.

Thank you!

I’m 15 miles into a 16 mile run (longest ever!) but I am having to stop and start due to extreme nausea. It happened last week after I did 15 miles, I was super nauseous the last couple miles and like an hour after I stopped I kept feeling like I was going to pass out.

I normally never eat before working out but I have been experimenting with eating granola or a banana before my shorter workouts in attempt to get my stomach used to it. It’s been going well for the < 7 mile runs. But my long runs I just feel horrible. It also has happened at my last 2 halfs, by mile 10ish I feel like I’m going to throw up.

I have a sensitive stomach to begin with but I need a way to fix this or I won’t survive another 10 miles after this 16!!

I am giving up on gels or anything sugary from now on after negative race experiences… I don’t eat a lot of sugar and it just kills me.

Any tips on what to eat or how to get my stomach used to it? Will it just improve over time?

Bonus points if someone can explain why I gain 20 pounds after a run and my pants don’t fit 😭😭 I love running but I’m so sad

I love running, it’s getting easier all the time, I don’t feel fatigued or out of breath even on longer runs but one thing that plagues me is the return of shin splints. They haven’t been too bad during my training but I’m wary as I had them bad from overtraining for races in the past. Stretching/rolling/icing/rest/warm ups. What other advice would you have for those who’ve also felt it during training. I’ve never used compression sleeves or socks but am going to scope out a pair this week, and will soon be looking for a new pair of shoes and be fitted properly for them in case this is a factor. Massage and dry needling is something I will also explore during the training. Is there a way to get rid of them for good?

Hi everyone,

I am starting to train for my first half marathon in 15 weeks and went for a long run and could comfortably do 16 km (10 miles) at a 6:10 min/km (10 min/miles) pace.

I am wondering if I should give it a go for a full marathon instead, without any specific time, just for fun.

I do lots of sports but don’t run much, I have read that the weekly mileage is important. My current weekly mileage is around 15 km (8 miles) for the last 2 months, I usually run once or twice a week.

If I do this, I would focus on only running and being strict with the training plan. Should I just go for it or get first the experience of doing half marathon and aim at a certain pace or finish time? I would highly appreciate the advice

I’m 17 and have been active most of my life with sports and sometimes running. I started running again after some time and try to do 5-6km daily. I can go 2km running non stop and then take breaks running and walking but at the 3km mark my calves start burning and hurting a lot but I push through it and by the 4.5-5km mark my calves and feet start to feel numb or fall asleep, how can I prevent or help it not happen or to that extent at least? There is usually an elevation gain of ~180m in my area if that is relevant

Me and my siblings want to run a marathon at the end of the year so that’s why I’m pushing myself, also any tips will be greatly appreciated.

I’m finally running my first marathon on February 8th, and I’m feeling ALL the emotions—excited, nervous, and scared at the same time. 😋 I don’t have many friends who are into running, so most people around me keep saying things like, “Why are you doing this? It’s too much. You can’t do it.” But here I am, determined to prove them (and myself) wrong.

A little about my journey:

• I’ve never been a “runner.” I started running in January 2024 without any plan or structure.

• By March 2024, I somehow managed to complete a half marathon in 2 hours 17 minutes, despite only doing a few random 10-16km runs here and there.

• After that, I completely stopped running until October 2024, when I decided to challenge myself and sign up for a full marathon.

Training hasn’t been smooth sailing. I subscribed to a 12-week Runna plan, but my insane work schedule (think finishing work at 11:00 PM or midnight) meant I missed over 3 weeks of training. Still, I kept going.

My longest runs so far:

• A 32km run that was an absolute nightmare. It left me questioning all my life choices and completely drained my confidence.

• But the following week, I nailed a 30km run with proper fueling and hydration, and it made a lot of difference. That run gave me a glimmer of hope and confidence that I can do it.

Now, with just over a week to go, I’m a mix of excitement, nerves, and fear. My goal is to cross the finish line in one piece with a respectable time (hopefully sub-4.5 hours).

To anyone else running their first marathon or tackling a big goal—let’s do this! And to those who’ve been through it: any last-minute tips, advice, or words of encouragement? I’ll take all the help I can get!

Cheers, and wish me luck!

I've used apple watches pretty much since they were first released and currently have an Ultra 2. I enjoy it but it is chunky and I'm tempted to downgrade to a series 10 and get a garmin for my marathon training. Anyone used both and have advice or prefer one or the other for marathon training specifically? If a garmin, what model should I look at if I use it for running only?

I’m training for my first marathon and I’m doing a tune up half marathon this sunday. Today, I tried the Nike Vaporfly 3 for the first time as a test to see if I’m gonna use them for the half marathon.

I got insane sore calves during the test today (30’ warmup slow pace and then 40’ intervals). I had to quit the intervals out of fear to completely destroy my left calf.

Are super shoes extra hard on the calves? Am I doing something wrong?

What 5k time and 10k time I need at least to achieve sub 4 Marathon? Im just curious :)

Hey guys!

I’m thinking doing my first marathon sometime in September but won’t be able to prep until the start of July as I am a rower who trains frequently for that.

Do you think this will be enough time and do you think some of the rowing fitness will carry over and mean less time is needed to prep?

Would also love recommendations of training plans if they’re going?

Thanks!

For longer runs, can I really eat gummy clusters vs gels if I eat the equal amounts of carbs?

So I’m doing the Nike Run Club marathon training plan, and jumped into training with the race 14 weeks away.

I’m about 2 weeks ahead of schedule for the long run distance…my personal long run mileage is 10 miles, but the schedule wants me to do 8 this week, 10 next, 9.3 the next, and then 12.5.

If I follow this schedule, I won’t add any mileage to my long run for almost a month, which seems like a huge loss of time when I could get ahead and start building now

On the other hand, I want to be able to peak and taper appropriately, and since I’ve never done this before, I’m reluctant to break from the plan.

Any advice?

Hi, I'm aiming for my first marathon in november. I figured I grab a schedule of the internet and go. Not so simple.... I'm lost in alle sorts of schedules and points of view. What could be a good place to start my quest? Not aiming for a specific time but just a solid finish. Thanx for the tips...

Look, I would typically not consider running a marathon without sufficient training, but this is a special circumstance. I got into the Tokyo Marathon, everything is already paid for, but in December I sprained my ankle and have had difficulty bouncing back. I should be healthy now, but I've missed the last two months of training and the marathon is in a month with my longest run being a December half marathon that I completed in 2:15 a week before the ankle sprain.

I just want to finish. My idea as of now is to just run half like I did before, then run/walk after that as much as I can to try to beat the cutoff and make it across the finish line.

How would you attack this?

I'm following an adapted version of the Runner's World sub-5 plan, and the longest run I've done is 2 hours with only 10 weeks to go.

I'm generally running 3 or 4 times per week, more often just 3. The pattern looks something like:

• Tues: Easy run or some tempo
• Thurs: Fast shorter intervals
• Sat: Optional parkrun (5k)
• Sun: Long slow run

+Strength and 1 or 2 cross training

I'm averaging around 30km per week. Somehow this doesn't feel like enough. Should I be averaging at least a marathon in a week?

Dear Reddit community - I've been preparing myself for 2 months for the Edinburgh Marathon 2025. Yes I have given myself plenty of time because its my first ever Marathon. I am 44 years old. I am by no means a fast runner. I've ran half marathon distances 4 weeks in a row every Friday.

Anyhow I received an email today for a space thats opened up for London Marathon 2025 - this would be my ultimate dream to run in London. I am tempted to sign up.

But want to ask others ! If you were a First time Marathoner, would you sign up for London, and then run the Edinburgh a month later???

Hey so ima be driving 45 minutes home after my first marathon this weekend. Is this too dangerous? What was your experiences?

Hi! So I run almost exclusively at night; I find it much easier since it’s cooler (I live in south Florida) and I get the sidewalks all to myself. I’m doing my first half marathon in 3 weeks so I’ve been trying to do a few morning runs and I have found it completely exhausting: I can’t breathe as easily and I’m running out of energy more quickly and taking more breaks. I always eat something small like fruit a half hour before I run, and I carry water with me. I also avoid taking my prescription vyvanse until after the run (possibly bad decision?). I just feel a little defeated knowing I have to race in the morning when my body isn’t accustomed to it. I’m hoping there is something I can do to make it easier/less tiring in the morning? I’d appreciate any and all advice. I’m sorry if this is the wrong place to post this. Thanks in advance for your thoughts!

Hello cool people,

My name is Patrik (23M) and I decided to run an official half marathon this year (I saw an ad on instagram for a race nearby). I have been going running for 3 weeks prior to that and have a good base (I think) from playing football and beach volleyball combined with lifting weights.

The half marathon race is on 27th of April.

So I asked chatGPT to write me a training plan for my half marathon race and I want to ask if its a good plan and/or if any of you would change anything in it. The current training plan contains 3 days of running per week. One day is "Tempo Run", one day is for "Recovery Run" and the last one is the "Long Run". So far its been going really good and all the runs were completed in the given pace/tempo that I should go for or better/faster. Right now I am on the start of week 5 and just went for the 8km "Tempo Run" (I will put the training plan for the first 12 weeks below). The first 5km was avg 5:05 km/min pace and was in zone 3 and the rest was zone 2 (+ it was very windy today - 35 km/h wind).

Weeks 1–6: Base Building

Weeks 7–12: Strength and Speed

My question is, is this plan good, or could I go for more runs, add more km per week or should I stick with it like this until the half marathon?

I can add a run per week with no problem, but more than that would be difficult since I am going to the gym a few times per week, going to football once per week and have a dedicated day for plyometrics so I just try to juggle everything. I stretch myself everyday after the run/gym/football/plyo, and if I feel like I need to take a rest day I take it ofc, I listen to my body but mostly its fine.

What do you think of the current training plan? Would love to hear some feedback.

I've always been curious why races in particular are popular versus just running the marathon (or whatever distance) by yourself? 99% of people are not actually competing for first place.

I recently ran a half just on a paved trail and it was great. I don't necessarily have the desire to run it as a race, but I'm curious to hear what draws folks to being part of an official race.

Background:
I (24M) signed up for a full marathon on 13th April. I probably haven't done a single run for 2 years. I am working out in the gym (5-7 times a week) for 7 month straight and not eating / drinking any kind of candy / soda since. The only kind of "cardio" I am doing is playing low level tennis about 10 times a year and advanced table tennis level about 25 times a year. About 1 and a half year ago I did a bicycle tour which was about 700km in 7 days with a mountainbike and almost no preparation.

Runs so far:
19th January: 5,65km / 00:43:24 / 07:41 pace
21st January: 3,54km / 00:33:13 / 09:22 pace (was in the gym before --> bad idea. Issues with almost the full body and shoes. Stopped a few times and tried to check the shoes until I decided to stop)
22nd January: 11,73km / 01:20:48 / 06:53 pace (pace was constant till the end and I felt good)
24th January: 4,16km / 00:26:12 / 06:18 pace
26th January: 21,42km / 02:26:00 / 06:49 pace (pace was constant at 6:30 until km 14, after that I got slower and each km felt a little bit harder to do. At the end there was nothing serious hurting and I had no cramps at all but it just felt like there is no energy left to keep going)

Today I also don't feel too bad. My legs are hurting a little bit that's all.

Questions:
Is it the same for running as it is for working out, that the first few month of training show the most improvement?
How likely are the chances that I might finish the marathon without walking, if I stay solid in training?
Any tips / suggestions? (everything appreciated)

Why:
I am not feeling that well right now and need a bit of distraction. If I would run a later marathon I don't think I would stick to the training and would loose motivation (never been a huge fan of running). I kind of need a challenge right now and crossing the finish line would also feel like a huge accomplishment.

13 days left till my 2nd half marathon. I'll run till saturday i.e. 3 more runs and after that I'll deload. Today I ran 13kms. I'm planning to run 15k tomorrow and then 17k on Thursday and 19k on Saturday. Is it okay? Or should I take more rest?