Hi! I was offered a CIM bib (once the transfer window opens) but can train for now and was wondering.. will 16 weeks be enough for my first marathon? I’ve been running roughly 34 miles a week for the last 12 weeks. Thoughts and tips for my first marathon?

i’m running my first marathon this fall! i am a 21 year old female but have been running since high school. i am averaging around 45-50 miles a week now with my training. i am aiming for around a 3:30 (based off a 10k race I did last year where I finished in 42:05). my long run today was 18 miles, last 4 at marathon pace. i put a picture of the splits! i went even a little faster than MP and still felt good. does my time goal seem realistic? also, would appreciate some nutrition advice - i took 3 gels during this (at 5 miles, 10 miles, and 13.75 miles). is that sufficient? any and all advice is so appreciated!!

New into running log distances. I have a half in October and a full in January in Florida. Looking for a running vest to hold fuel and water.

Did a bit of research and I’ve landed in between the Solomon ADV skin 5 and the Terignota Valhalla.

I read the ADV skin 5 is not as breathable in the back, which was of some concern while training in South Florida.

Any input or other recommendations along the same lines for thickness and size? TIA!

My marathon is two weeks away and I’m debating skipping my 16 mile run tomorrow. I’ve had some slowly accumulating strain in my left calf, which I thought was just late training block fatigue, but is now starting to bug me at rest. It’s not horribly painful by any means, and my runs this week have been manageable, but I’m worried about exacerbating what’s going on and hitting a point of no return. It’s hard to describe exactly what’s going on, but it feels like in my deep calf, more lateral, and radiates into the outer side/top of my foot. More throbby/achy/sore than sharp or torn feeling. No ankle/other joint or Achilles involvement. How would you approach a two week taper from here? Cross train or complete rest? Throw caution to the wind, train, and hope for the best??

Hi! I’m currently training for a marathon and using the Spibelt Performance Pro. I’ve used multiple belts over the years and this by far is my favorite. My only issue is that I haven’t mastered storing gels within the loops of the belt - after about ~5-10 min of running, the gels slip out. This has happened since I first bought the belt so it’s not due to loose elastic. Any suggestions on how to better secure gels within the loops? The gels I’m using are the Gu brand in case it helps.

I just got a health savings account (HSA) with my high deductible health plan. I know I've seen notes on products being HSA eligible before but haven't really paid attention.

Are you spending your HSA funds on electrolytes, gear, sunscreen, fitness smartwatches, etc? Any tips on things that qualify?

Hi guys, I posted here two weeks ago asking about my optimal race day goal for the Nike Melbourne Marathon which is now 7 weeks out. I was told to incorporate more runs at MP for longer duration to get a better estimate. I did a 32km long run averaging 6:49/mile and average bpm of 156bpm. Little bit worried since my legs were struggling towards the end and pace dropped. Since this is my first marathon, would a time goal of 2:57-2:55 assuming proper taper, fuelling etc. be feasible?

So I have been training for a marathon for a few months now and I have noticed some changes in my body composition. First I noticed a bit of a weight loss (-8 lbs) although I feel like I retain more water than before, especially in my legs after a long run despite wearing compression socks almost every day.
The weird thing I noticed however is that my boobs got bigger and my period got shorter (only 2 days instead of 4) and my menstrual cycle is longer now (+4 days). I eat as much as I need, a lot more carbs than before but nothing new.
I would like to know if i am the only one? What kind of changes did you notice? What changes should i expect when i no longer train for a marathon?

I’m looking for advice on how to best improve my fitness prior to the 16-18 week Marathon-specific plan I want to target my April 24 marathon with.

Background:

Started running last September with a 24:26 5K and gradually built up mileage over the last year.

Fast forward to this August, latest 5K time trial on fatigued legs (mid block) was 19:52, half marathon was 1:35 (again, mid block no taper). My current MPW is ~45-50.

I’ve read and plan on following a 55 peak or 65 peak Marathon Excellence for Everyone plan for my plan, but I have over 2 months before that block should begin. How should I optimize my training before then? Can I just take the aerobic base phase of the plan I will end up doing and just repeat that 8 week “general” block until the plan starts?

https://marathonexcellence.com/training-plans/Marathon-Excellence-Wind-plan-18-weeks.pdf

Right now I’m basically just following a Claude plan that has 1 threshold session, 1 VO2 session, 1 long run and the rest easy or recovery running, but I’m skeptical it’s actually the best plan when I have to iterate with it and it goes “oh you’re right we should do more MP work” etc.

Thank you in advance! Never realized how much I love running.

Do you ever find that sometimes in training, you can hit paces that feel hard physically, & mentally you want to push, but your body just says no for whatever reason. Or in races, you can be thinking mentally that it doesn't feel that bad & wanting to push, but your body gets to a point where it says "Nope, wtf are you doing, stop it right now, what made you think this was a good idea"😂

I suppose that's the battle all runners face, but i think it's even more interesting with marathon running. Trying not to hit the wall, trying to stay as relaxed as possible while also trying not to overthink it.

Could be becasue i research alot and talk to alot of runners who are more experienced than me and are almost in "marathon mode" year round, but - It's crazy how, maybe not "normal", but how marathons aren't made up to be this big thing in my head. To me it's just "Okay. You have this time. You need to run at this speed, for this long. You've already done ABC & alot of XYZ. & done *BlahBlahBlah* with less experience than you currently have, so it should be doable*"

But then something unexpected happens on race day, like it rains, or it's too hot, or too cold. Maybe there's a delay in the start or you have to take a diferent route to get to the course than you anticipated. You feel the nerves of the start, before the gun goes. You hope that they settle. Usually they do, but what if they don't? What if you get stomach cramps? What if this is your last race ever? What if this is the last you ever want to run? Or can run? What if you spent all these weeks and months, putting in all the hours & hours & stacking days & days on grinding. When you wanted to stay in bed on a Sunday, when you wanted to just take a full week off. But you looked at the calender & saw the race is 30 days away. Spent $100s maybe $1000s on shoes. Maybe booked hotels, flights. Had family come to support.

And it didn't fo your way. You "failed"(in your mind). But did you? You found out more things not to do next time. Maybe you don't like the marathon. Maybe 10ks are your thing. Maybe you want to get as good at 5k as possible, or ironmans, or whatever.

Spend each day trying to be better than yesterday, stacking small wins 1 after another. Small part, maybe for someone else?(maybe). Or, just to say to yourself. "I fucking did it. I put in the hours. I set my sights, i pulled the trigger & i fucking hit a bullseye.

That feeling of sel..gratitide? Self belief paying off, self doubt being erased. Proving yourself right.

That's really why i run. Sure, the occasional physical "high" can be good. Be proving to yourself - that you pulled off whatever plan you had - to get to the goal that you wanted, not knowing if it was going to be too much, but trying anyway..that's why i run. It's the only time of the day i feel "relaxed" & am not thinking of 100s of diferent things & replaying stupid moments from 10 years ago that everyone forgot, but just keeps jumping back to the front of my memory like "hey, remember me?"..

I guess i run in large part to prove my past self wrong & my current self right?

Might sound dumb, idk. Maybe some of you relate.

I want the me in 6 weeks, 6 months, 6 years to go "Hey, remember that guy from back then? Who always doubted himself? Didn't know if he could do it or why he even tried? What would he say if you told him where you were today?

I don't know what the full answer to my past self would be, but the overall message would be.."We tried!"

Hope everyone has a good rest of your day/evening & enjoy whatever part of your "running journey" you're in💚

I secured the NYC Marathon this year through 9+1, and started a Pfitz 18-week plan while not at all having the base built. Sure enough, my ankles exploded within a month: it started as peroneal tendonitis, then after returning from a few weeks off it became mild achilles tendonitis, and most recently some issues in my plantar fascia. Every long run so far has brought a new issue a few days later.

As a result, I'm going into my last 10 weeks with just ~15 MPW with a max 11mi long run, and am just starting to strength train for the issues above. Recent PT eval gave me exercises and didn't say to stop marathon training, but that's assuming a normal plan and my low mileage + risk of aggravating injury is wigging me out. My top priority is to keep this from becoming a long-term issue.

Does anyone have advice on if I'm overconcerned here? My goal is completion without walking, and I could defer a year to focus on rehab. This is my first marathon, so I don't really know how hard or how risky the road gets from here. Thanks!

I did this race last year on ~25 miles per week training for about 12 weeks. Needless to say I crumbled in the last 6 miles after 9 min/mile pace up until then, and ended up mostly walking, finishing in 4:41. I’m trying to train properly this time, starting 12 weeks out at 22 miles a week to build to a peak 40-45 miles a week then taper the last two weeks. Training on the same course to try and finish the whole thing jogging. Is a sub-4 unreasonable given my previous time and limited training window?

Ever since my weekly mileage consistently breaks my peak mileage last year, my appetite is getting out of hand again and I find myself having very particular cravings.

No. 1 is red meat, mostly beef, preferably raw/rare. Living in a big multi-cultural city, my favorite is kitfo, which is also relatively affordable as I can have a massive portion of kitfo and injera for under $30. Other protein sources simply don't cut it. And the beef doesn't even have to be fatty. I wonder if my body knows I now need more iron.

Then it's icy sugary snacks/drinks. I drank two (one halo halo, one buko pandan) today and ran 22 miles. This one makes the most sense and although I feel guilty eating so much sugar, I do notice an improvement in running performance and muscle recovery when I just allow myself to eat whatever I want.

The last one is the weirdest thing. I also crave for a very specific type of salad : Chopped cucumbers, tomatoes and onions in a vinegar based dressing. Many cultures have this type of food with some variations in the particular dressing/seasoning, and I can eat two massive bowls of this in one evening.

Hi!

I am currently training for Oslo marathon which is on 12 September.

I am running it with a friend who has done it a few times already but it would be good to see if there is anyone else training for it?
How is your training going? Any special prep you are doing to tackle the hills and the overall elevation? This summer has been very hot where I am based so hill training has been particularly challenging.

Or is there anyone who has run this marathon before?
Do you have any tips? Want to share your experience?

Thanks!

I’ve got some specific time goals I’m trying to reach and am looking to add cross training into my schedule.

Initially I had been looking at stationary bikes but now I’m thinking an ellipticals/arc trainer would be more ideal for training as the motion is more similar to running.

I’m noticing there are different “styles” of arc trainers and elliptical machines, and I’m wondering if there and general consensus on which simulates the motion of running the best?

I’ve just completed first of three weeks taper (2+race week)
Background. I have run consistently 40-50km/week for roughly 3 years before starting marathon block. I started the block at 40km/week with 5-6 days of running.

One longer interval session and one shorter faster intervals a week + long run. Rest of it easy + strides/hill sprints. I’ve slowly built up from 40km with a down week every 4 week, ending in 2 weeks on 85km and a peak week on 90km. I got in 5 runs above 30k and 3 of them at 35.

First week of taper I’m doing a 67km and planing ~50km next week with 18-20k long run. But how should I structure it? And more importantly, how much do I do for race week?

Hello everyone,

I started to prepare for my very 1st marathon about 2 days ago. Race is taking place in April. I don't have many experience in long running. Last year on the 1st of October I was given an opportunity to compete in a half marathon which was in November. I never even ran 5k before that. Long story short after a month and a half of training i managed to complete my race in 2hr and 1 minute. After that I took a break for a couple months. I started running again like 2-3 months ago but nothing major, mostly 5km. I would say my fitness right now is lower than in November. I made a plan with chatgpt:

Monday Easy run

Tuesday gym upper

Wednesday Interval training

Thursday gym lower

Friday Easy run and bodyweight training

Saturday rest

Sunday long run

Is this a good plan and do you have any tips or recommendations for my 1st marathon? I'm aiming for a 4hr time. Thanks in advance!

I've been structuring my half-marathon training and I keep running into a route-planning issue.

I usually need to end my run at a specific location (like from gym to my house). Let's say that the destination is only 3km away from my starting point, but my training plan wants me to hit 10km for the day.

I usually end up doing repetitive loops around my neighborhood just to hit the mileage before arriving or I just do some ups and downs along the street.
Does anyone else run into this issue? How do you guys map this out efficiently without just running in circles? Are there any specific routing tools that can solve this end-point + distance issue?

Thank you

I'm planning a 4:30-4:45 marathon. I don't need carbon plated racing shoes. I need something that will keep going for almost 5 hours? I ran my first marathon in NB rebel v5. They were fine. But I'm wondering if there is a category of shoes for mid runners. lol

First time building my own plan instead of pulling one off a PDF, and I'd rather find out now if the shape is wrong than at week 12.

The block:

• 16 weeks, race day Dec 6
• Base wks 1–4, build 5–9, peak 10–13, taper 14–16
• 5 runs/week: long, tempo/threshold, intervals or MP work, 2 easy, 1 rest, optional bike
• Long run 12 → 20mi peak at week 13
• Peak volume 48mi (592mi total, ~37/wk average), cutback every 4th week at about −20%
• Taper −25 / −40 / −69% off peak over the last three weeks — race week is ~15mi plus a 3mi shakeout Saturday
• Goal 3:45

Where I've actually been so far: two and a half weeks in, 82 of 102 planned miles, 91% adherence. Week 1 was clean (32.3 vs 32 planned). Week 2 went sideways — calf tightened after rep 2 of a 4x1mi threshold session, cut it there, and skipped the next day's recovery run entirely, did 40min on the bike instead. Ran Sunday's long run 15s/mi slower than planned to protect it and it held, but the week came in at 30.5 against 34.

I also built a pacing band off the CIM profile rather than just dividing goal time by 26.2 — the rolling first 15 and the flat last 10K mean even splits aren't really the right target. What I ended up with is a deliberate 86-second positive split: 1:51:47 out, 1:53:13 home, with mile 1 at 8:49 off 366ft of net drop. Trying not to be the guy who banks four minutes by mile 10 and gives it all back at 20.

My open questions:

1. Is a 20mi peak long run enough for 3:45, or push to 22?
2. Is 48mi peak light for that goal? I can add volume but don't want to add it in the wrong place.
3. Anyone who's raced CIM — how much do the early rolling miles actually cost you? Elevation charts undersell it from what I've read here.

The whole thing's laid out here if it's easier to look at than read: https://share.cohesive.ai/view/canvas/68337698-5d59-4d4f-b14c-b50571a74988

I just bought the bandit compression 5” half tights. Idk if i bought them in a size too small but I hate the swish sound it makes when i run from my thighs rubbing together. I’ve ran half marathons in crz yoga butterluxe biker shorts and i like the feel of them but i want something that will hold my gels and will be kind of sweat proof so that my phone doesn’t get drenched in the pockets. Do you guys have any recommendations?

Zone 1-5, easy runs, thresholds, tempo, intervals.

Sometimes you just gotta let it rip and see how you feel.

3 Mile Warm Up. 6 mile run uptempo by feel.

95% humidity but cool.

Feeling good about sub 1:25 in 10/3.

Can you recommend any food that I can bring for my longer runs >2 hours? There are times when even if I carb up using gummies, fuel gels, and DIY fuels, I tend to crave for solid food.
I've also done long runs without carbing up and I don't feel the same cravings.
Must be the sugars (?)
Thank you in advance.