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Wednesday, March 17, 2010

How do you train for a marathon?

I've done my fair share of running in my lifetime, all 25 years of it. In high school I ran cross-country (both a 2 mile race and a 2.5 mile race my senior year) and track (400s and 800s). I've trained for 5ks and half marathons rather successfully, if I do so say so myself. I've completed 5 half marathons, PRing every time, with my best being last year's Flying Pig of 1:43:07. I need something more now.

Last year after the Flying Pig I knew that I was ready for something more. My PR is pretty good for a woman. Don't get me wrong, I definitely have room for improvement, but I rank in a decently high percentage for women times for a half. This year my big race that I am training for is the Quad Cities Marathon. It is in mid-September in the Quad Cities, which are 4 cities all located next to each other in Iowa and Illinois along the Mississippi River.

Yesterday I was thinking about how I trained for my first half. My brother who is an avid distance runner, marathoner, and ultra marathoner, told me what to do and I did it. And, I did it for every half that I ran. Is it the ideal plan? I have no idea. But what I do know is that it works for me.

Now, please help me!!! Tell me how you train for marathons...what worked for you? what didn't work out so well? I'm looking for all of the advice I can get, not only with training, although that is my mian concern, but also with the diabetes and nutritional aspect of it. Thanks, in advice, for you comments!

3 comments:

  1. If there is anything I can do to help, just ask.
    I would suggest that you contact Missy Foy.
    http://www.missyfoy.com/
    I have plenty of experience, but a high percentage of it is in what not to do. Missy Foy can give you better ideas about the right way to run marathons.
    But like I said, if you want to ask me anything, feel free. I'll tell you what has worked for me in the past.
    Good luck!

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  2. First, Jerry's advice is the best. Missy rocks.

    I'm training for my 4th marathon. The first time, I did the FIRST plan: 3 hard running workouts per week and 2 easy days of cross training. But I like running and so I did more running (easier) and no cross training for the next 2. And finished a LOT slower. So if you like cross training, I'd look up FIRST.

    Diabetes-wise, my CGM is wonderful, but before I got it, I treated my long runs as experiments and stopped every 5-6 miles to test. That's the best thing to do because your body will start doing some different things after 90 minutes on the go.

    Good luck!
    M

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  3. so, i've always wanted to ask you the same question! especially blood sugar wise. what do you do to keep stable during your runs? eat before? decrease your basal? I seem to crash very fast while running and i havent found anything that seems to help yet. if i suspend or do a temp basal rate before i start, i feel like i spend a couple hours previous to running being around 200 - which freaks me out and i dont like at all. but even if i'm around 200 starting, i fall to 60 within a half hour. I do have a CGM, but since i fall so quickly it really doesnt seem to help me while running - i can be 50 and its still reading 100 points or so higher. I have shot bloks while i run, but it doesnt seem to bring me up quick enough.

    what are your strategies? :)

    ReplyDelete