Marathon training really sucks!!!

Does anyone else feel this way? I'm really regretting my decision to sign up for a marathon (it's the marine corp one in october). My long runs are absolutely miserable. I love doing 6 and 8 mile runs, but anything over 12 and I'm just miserable come the last few miles. I literally wanted to cry when I did my 14 mile run the other day. And today I'm supposed to do a 16 mile run and I'm dreading it so much.

Is this normal, or should I perhaps not be training for a marathon? Are all marathon runners miserable towards the end of their long runs, or is it just me?

Also, the soreness after a long run is incredible. I could not fall asleep because my legs hurt so much. I finally took ibuprofen so that helped. Do most of you take ibuprofen after all of your long runs?

Grrrr. Guess I better start mentally preparing for my 16 miler... :(

Maybe you're going too far too soon. 

I am loving my marathon training right now, as long as it's not over 80 degrees out when I run.  Then I hate it.  I do get that soreness after my long runs sometimes, mostly if I run too late in the day.  My first 16 miler of this cycle is coming up this weekend. 

Question for you... how fast are you doing your long runs?  They generally should be around 45-90 seconds slower than your goal pace (unless you're doing some crazy plan like FIRST).  You shouldn't be that miserable at the end of 14 miles.  Also, how did you determine your marathon goal pace?  I've got some calculators I can link you if you haven't already used them.

You could try ice baths afterwards for the soreness if you're not already doing so.  I hate those but they really do help.

I think maybe you need to mix it up for a few days and/or take a few days off. I'm halfer training so its not AS long but whenever I'm filled with dread like that I k now I need a break. My race is in Oct., too, and so there's still time. Listen to your body.

Thanks for the replies. I think yall are probably right...I might need to take a break.

Danielle, that would be great if you could send me those pace calculators! I'm embarrassed to say I don't even know my pace. I think I do about 10 minute miles on long runs. I did a sprint triathlon back in May and I was able to keep under 8:30 minute pace on the running (which is after swimming and biking so I was tired). I've had to run on the treadmill a few times and my 6-8 mile runs are set at 6.7mph, a 9 minute mile pace. Should I buy something that tells me my speed? Because that very well could be my problem. I feel like I'm going slower on my long runs, but maybe I'm not.

And I guess another problem could be the weather. I live in Southern Louisiana and it's typically 85-90 degrees when I do my runs. I have to wear a water belt which weighs me down, but the humidity is so high that I'd rather have that extra weight than no water.

Anyway, I really appreciate the replies. I think i'm going to give my 16 mile run a shot today, and hope that maybe I was just having an off day when I did my 14 mile run. If I feel miserable at the end of today's run, then I'll take a break.

Oh, one more thing..do yall count your calories? Or do you just eat when you're hungry?

jcl,

is there any way you could get a treadmill? have a TV set up, get all of the seasons of "the shield", "the tudors", and "24" on DVD, and let 'er rip. The last two are those to which I have worked out and let me tell you, season 2 of 24 and season 1 of "The Tudors" were so engaging I lost myself. Monday's 11-miler had it so that (with a towel over the time) I didn't even look for the time elapsed until 45 minutes into the 99 minute run. People can give TM's a bad rap, but its better for the joints and it can be a nice way to avoid the mugginess of summer.

By the way, I DO NOT LOG CALORIES because I think it makes me want to cut down calories so that I feel like I'm accomplishing something  - that's a bad habit. That's why I never logged before!!!!!! so I eat when I'm hungry for the most part, save for breakfast after a run. I'm usually not at all hungry for it - quite the opposite. But it is so important, even if its high-protein yogurt.

Do you have any recent race times, aside from the triathlon?  I always run faster in sprint triathlons than anything else for some reason, which is why I ask.  Anyway, McMillan has a good calculator, just put in your most recent race time and you'll get equivalent race paces and training paces.  It's better to use a recent 10K or a half marathon time if you can swing it, but you can use what you've got and fine tune it down the road. 

The caveat here is that his race predictor times are for people training at well over 55 miles per week, so I would use this for training paces only and not expect to actually get those race results.  http://www.mcmillanrunning.com/mcmillanrunnin gcalculator.htm

Also, heat is definitely tricky.  When it's super hot and humid out, my pace gets to the very end of the long run training range.  At that point, it's more about covering the distance than anything else. 

Running slower than goal pace is something that most people have a hard time wrapping their heads around (myself included).  The Runner's World marathon forums actually have a lot of really knowledgeable people if you want to check it out.  Someone always posts something every week going "Why do I have to run slower than marathon pace???".  Kind of like people here who show up every so often asking "Why can't I eat 1000 calories a day?  I feel fine!"  :)

Wow Danielle, that's really informative too. I do all my runs at 6.7mph, or about a 9 minute mile, except when I'm feeling like a speed workout. I feel like I'm cheating otherwise! I should stop!

Your long slow runs are meant to build endurance.  When in Kenya do as the Kenyans do.  They do their LONG SLOW RUNS at 2-3 minutes slower per minute than race pace.  That means if you plan to run the marathon at a 8 minute pace, do you LSD runs at a 10 minute pace or so.  You can mix in some specific race prep where you run a warm up, then do 4 miles at race pace, then an easy mile or two, then another 4 miles at race pace, etc...

 

jcl67, FYI, 12, 14, and 16 miles are the HARDEST runs to get past.  Once you do that, the 18 and 20 mile runs are piece of cake.  Also, are you hydrating and eating while you run?  Nutrition plan is REQUIRED for a marathon, and you need to be practicing every long run.  Properly hydrating can make the difference between a crap long run and a good one.

Like Danielle said...  If it is hot out, expect  to ad 1-2 minutes to your pace to compensate.

It's all about training smart!!

p.s.  Nice two pack :-)

 

A couple of other things.  Zensah, 2XU compression sleeves (and socks) are aweomse for recovery.

and I like the training plans that alternate a weekend with a long run (12,14,16) with a weekend of a short run (6-8 miles).  It's a lot easier on the body.

I think I might get some flak from some people on this, but my mother says running a marathon is so bad for your body, you should never do it.  If your body is telling you it really hates those long runs, you could consider not running the marathon. 

I should also add that I am a runner as well.  However, I've never run a marathon, and I only ever run 5 miles a day or less at a pace of 10 minutes.  I've recently cut back to running twice a week and doing low-impact cardio (cycling, swimming, rowing) the rest of the time because my knees were starting to complain.  My father just had his hip replaced, and I REALLY don't want that to happen to me. Perhaps I can't actually call myself a runner anymore!

Call me a wuss, but it works for me!

I don't think you need to take any flak for this, Erin.  I just read a study that sez 40-70% of ALL runners get injured in a year.  I, on the other hand, have never been injured (knock on wood).

My point is that Julie might be our next Olympic marathon champion.  If she takes your advice, and never strives nor pushes herself to be the best she can be, then how will she ever know?

The two most important non-technical things to becoming a marathon runner are patience (taking the right steps to go the distance), and listening to your body (knowing when to back off, when to slow down, when to stop).

Nobody will ever fault you for doing what's right for you.  Just don't discourage other people from taking risk to help them discover what is right for them.

Good points, Wes.  I certainly don't want to discourage effort!  I have actually always wanted to run a half marathon.  I love the meditative feeling I have when I run more than four miles: it's like my body moves in slow motion but the rest of the world is moving faster than usual.  Time slows down.  It's a perfect vantage point from which to appreciate the impermanence of the world.  No other activity makes me feel this way.

Hmm, maybe I'll run five miles today...

I am training for my third marathon....and my long runs are my favorite part!  Its so weird, I get all nervous and jittery for them, but man, once I'm out there I sorta zone out and before I know it I'm @ 10+ miles.  Then on my short days I'm dying (go figure...).  I try to enjoy my long runs my leaving my garmin at home and just running whatever pace my body wants me to do.  I am a slave to the watch on the short days.

Try that.  Also, from the loooks of it you are quite athletic, so I don't want to try to sound like I am dumbing you down as you prob know this, but make sure that you are drinking fluids thoughout your run.  On runs of 13+ miles I take 2-3 goo packs with me, and I swear they are amazing!  I actually bring 1 with me for 8-11 mile runs too! Love em, plus by using them through training your body won't be shocked during the race!

Also, I agree with Wes about having a shorter week sometimes.  I follow Hal Higdon's intermediate plan (go to halhigdon.com) and it got me through the NYC marathon feeling GREAT even in the 20something miles, I am following it again and highly recommend.

jcl,

I think maybe in life we all need to take a break from exercise and eat bagels with oodles of cream cheese. The thing about the health and fitness conscious is that after a few days, they start to think, "hey, I'm going to eat some healthy food and hit the gym."

You sound like you have earned a break!

I always have a hard time doing long runs if I'm by myself. The trick is to get some running partners, and then the time flies. If you don't have someone running as long as you, you can split your run up and have one friend run part of it with you, and have another meet you for another part, etc. I had to do that one year, since my marathon training buddy moved. I enlisted a bunch of short-distance folks to meet me part-way through my long runs. It really helps!

 

Also, I just want to pipe in and say that I ran the marine corps marathon last year and it was one of my favorites. It is a fantastic time of year (weather-wise) and everyone is so friendly and there are people along the whole thing. Plus it's really inspiring to be running all over the nation's capitol (and I'm not even a susker for blind patiotism or cheesey sentiment). And I walked a lot of it since my training didn't go as well as planned--keep in mind that walking part of a marathon is totally fine and lots of people do it. You will still have a great time even if you walk.

I highly recommend the Marine Corps Marathon--if not this year, then sometime--it is quite a thrilling experience, even if you can't imagine it during the tougher parts of your training.

Best of luck!! I really hope you hang in there. And get a running buddy (or two)!!!

Original Post by wesmckean:

My point is that Julie might be our next Olympic marathon champion.  If she takes your advice, and never strives nor pushes herself to be the best she can be, then how will she ever know?

Lol, I wish!!!

Anyway, thanks for all the advice!!! I really think it is the heat that's killing me right now...I've talked to some friends who live in Louisiana and they say they are miserable training in the summer as well. I think every now and then I'm going to cheat and do my long run on the treadmill, but for the most part I want to stick to training outside. And I do get a recovery week every 3rd or 4th week, which is quite nice. My mileage is 41 miles this week, and I believe 44 next week, then it drops down to somewhere in the 20s for a week :)

Thanks for all the encouragement! I don't want to be a quitter so I am going to push through this, but I think yall are right in that recovery weeks are important! :)

Original Post by jcl76:

 Are all marathon runners miserable towards the end of their long runs, or is it just me?

 

It's just you :)'  just kidding  lol

Is it possible that you are over training?  If you are, maybe try substituting a pool run for one of your shorter runs now and then...