Runner's Forum: Training for Marathon in 3 weeks???

I signed up for the A1A Marathon in Fort Lauderdale which is 3 weeks away. I have never run a marathon though I am a decent runner. My girlfriend thinks I am crazy to train for a marathon in only 3 weeks and all of the training plans I have seen allow for 16-20 weeks.

What is the best way to train for a marathon that is 3 weeks away without training too much? I like to run and feel good.

I just finished a 10 Mile run in 1' 30" at an average pace of 9.05 minute/mile and feel good.

suggestions?

 

Thanks!! 

 

 

 

Jared,

 i am in pretty good shape. I run 5 miles at a time, bike 13-20 miles, do yoga,  and play softball on regular basis and am not out of shape.

I have never run 26 miles consecutively.

thanks, 

 

 

MrMusselman,

 this sounds like an invitation to serious injury.  Stress fractures at the very least.  

 Most people on this site would recommend you not run this race.  Why not try the 10K or even the 1/2 marathon?

 What's the big hurry to run this race?

MrMussles,

I'm only providing my opinion based on my experience. I was a 1/2 marathon runner, but then stopped running anything near that distance for more than a year. I got back into it too hard, too soon, and I went from running 5K (3 mi) to 12K (7.5mi) in one week, all because my lungs felt great.

The only thing I got out of it was a stress fracture. Then I had to take 2 months off while waiting for that injury to heal. A stress fracture occurs when the muscles get too tired to absorb the repeated impact on the body (like running), and so the bones have to take up the stress instead. Most of us have to train our muscles to absorb this level of abuse by slowly and gradually increasing distance/duration. You may have heard of the 10% rule for increasing distance.

Anyway, stress fractures, damaged muscles/soft tissue, and heart problems are some of the dangers of ramping up your activity level too quickly.

I believe you're in great shape. I lot of us are. Maybe you have the right physiology to avoid these types of injuries.

I've learned that ramping up without a plan is not worth it. There's lots of running to be done in life, and waiting around (while injured) to get back on the road sucks.

That's my advice.

If you decide to do it, good luck and let us know how it goes.

mrmussleman

I wholeheartedly agree with practically everything said here so far. I think you're setting yourself up for injury.

 That said, my running partner ran a marathon on his regular fitness (didn't train for the race specifically) and finished in 5:45 somthing. He ran/walked from mile 14 or so (so far as I recall). He's a pretty fit guy (former Canadian Nationals Team rower) so he know all about hard work and came into the run with an excellant fitness base. He laughts about it now, and still wonders if he did long term damage, but he did do it.

As a coach of several runners of differing abilities and distance focus (4 are marathoners) I would strongly recommend that you do not run the marathon.  However since you have already committed to this my opinion most likely means little.

 Runners who are ill prepared for this marathon distance put a strain on the emergency services of marathons, it's those like you that are a race directors nightmare.  I wish you the best of luck and hope you come out of this with a renewed respect for the distance so that in the future, should you ever decide to run one again, you train properly.

What exactly is your goal with this endeavor? To finish the marathon? Because honestly, with such little training, that is probably even gonna be difficult to do.

If I had to guess I'd say this post is a joke, but if its not, then you should follow everyone's advice and don't be an idiot.

p.s. No type of training at this point in time can prepare your body physically for the marathon, the only thing you could hope to gain is some type of psychological boost.

no this post is no joke.

after posting this question I do have a 'renewed respect for the distance' and plan to listen to my body every step of the way.

I am no longer of the mind to run the distance in 3 1/2 hours. 

I will run one 20 miler probably next weekend two weeks before the marathon to see how my body reacts and will taper from there.

I am amazed at the feedback here and thank you all for your advice.

 

 

Whoa shit... I have pain around my shins (tibia) for the last week or so after running 9K.. I think I should get an x-ray or something.. maybe it's my running shoes?

twilighthours:

MrMussles,

I'm only providing my opinion based on my experience. I was a 1/2 marathon runner, but then stopped running anything near that distance for more than a year. I got back into it too hard, too soon, and I went from running 5K (3 mi) to 12K (7.5mi) in one week, all because my lungs felt great.

The only thing I got out of it was a stress fracture. Then I had to take 2 months off while waiting for that injury to heal. A stress fracture occurs when the muscles get too tired to absorb the repeated impact on the body (like running), and so the bones have to take up the stress instead. Most of us have to train our muscles to absorb this level of abuse by slowly and gradually increasing distance/duration. You may have heard of the 10% rule for increasing distance.

Anyway, stress fractures, damaged muscles/soft tissue, and heart problems are some of the dangers of ramping up your activity level too quickly.

I believe you're in great shape. I lot of us are. Maybe you have the right physiology to avoid these types of injuries.

I've learned that ramping up without a plan is not worth it. There's lots of running to be done in life, and waiting around (while injured) to get back on the road sucks.

That's my advice.

If you decide to do it, good luck and let us know how it goes.

 

 

GOOD on you. That is a freak'n good effort.

Runners who train for four month are not "not runners" they are called smart runners. I was in amazing shape before I started training for my marathon but that didn't mean I was stupid enough to to just up and run 26.2 with only three weeks of training. Pick another marathon and train properly.