Your First Marathon: Training Tips, Mindset Shifts, and Real Talk!

Thinking about running your first marathon this fall? Whether you're a beginner or coming back after a break, this episode is packed with everything you need to know to get started. I'm sharing expert tips as a certified RRCA running coach, personal insights from training for over 20 marathons, and a FREE 18-week training plan to help you go from wherever you are now to crossing the finish line strong.

Inside this episode:

• How to assess your fitness level for marathon readiness
• Why discipline—not motivation—is the key to marathon success
• What to expect in training (and why it’s different for women)
• How to avoid injury and overtraining
• Why I believe beginners should train up to 26.2 miles
• Real talk on pace, goals, and what "winning" really means

🎁 Grab your FREE beginner-friendly marathon training plan at milemarkermatriarch.com or DM me @milemarkermatriarch on Instagram!

Let's connect!

Instagram: @milemarkermatriarch

Twitter: milemarkermatriarchm

https://milemarkermatriarchpodcast.com

Email the show at stacycac@milemarkerspodcast.com

Transcript

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Thank you.

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mile marker matriarch listeners it's me your running buddy stacy cacciatore and i am so excited for our episode today today we are going to be talking about the top tips for running a marathon for beginners not only am i going to be giving you a ton of tips and advice for first-time marathoners but i have a free downloadable plan that you can get at milemarkermatriarch.com completely free you can download your level one marathon training plan and it's going to have all the components built in that I am talking about today. This is a great asset so if you are training for an upcoming marathon I encourage you to go to the site and download it but give this a listen first. As an RRCA running coach I'm often asked can I run a marathon with no experience and the answer is yes and. I don't like to say no and I don't like to say but. Yes you can and you need to build a solid foundation before you start getting into the in-depth component of long runs and training for a marathon, but you can do it. And if I can run a marathon, I know you can too. And I am going to help you get there. You know, sometimes in life, I beat myself up over mistakes that I make, but I have to say, since I have made about every mistake that you can make in running, I think this really helps me give you some great advice so you don't have to make the mistakes yourself. So I'll take those as a win. And I'm going to share with you through my experience, how to run your first marathon strong, what to do in your marathon training and what not to do so you can cross the finish line healthy, strong, and injury-free. I can't believe we're at Memorial Day weekend already, which is the official start of summer. While many are grilling out burgers and hot dogs and cutting up the first ripe watermelon of the season and setting off fireworks, I'm building my marathon plan for Chicago because we are now entering training season for fall races. Fall is the absolute most perfect time of year for a marathon because of the mile weather and the training runs are so beautiful and the weather is more mild so it's really great however one of the downsides is that you do have to train through the hottest days of the year that's one small price to pay and can actually help you in the long run no pun intended because training in more severe weather conditions like heat humidity and even high altitude can make running feel easier during mild conditions while i'm training for the chicago marathon which is going to take place on october 12th i'm going to give you a list of some of the other most popular fall marathons that you can consider signing up for. The Twin Cities Marathon happens on October 5th. There's the Baltimore Marathon on October 18th. The Marine Corps Marathon is really popular, and a lot of Chicago runners actually run Marine Corps and Chicago, and that takes place on October 26th. The New York Marathon is on November 3rd, but registration is closed. I applied for the lottery, did not get in. Again, I think I've applied 10 years in a row and have never got into New York. I would love to do it one day. And then the Charlotte Marathon happens on November 15th. If none of those work for you, you can do a simple Google search on fall marathons in your area. There's a great site that you can actually filter on state, on city, by distance. You can find all the local running events in your area. There are so many exciting topics to cover under this umbrella of training for a marathon, and we are going to explore them all here at MyoMarker Matriarch. What do I eat when I'm training for a marathon? What shoes should I wear? How long should my long run be? I'm here to help you tackle the ball. As we kick off our series, I want to start with the most commonly asked question that aspiring and returning marathoners everywhere ask me. How do I get started if I want to train for a marathon? It can seem really overwhelming tackling 26.2 miles, and there are a lot of different components that go into marathon training, but I am here to help you walk through them all. The first step is to objectively assess your current fitness level. This is where a running coach or a certified personal trainer trainer can help you, especially if you're newer to running. As an RRCA running coach, I help new clients assess their fitness level by gathering information about their current running experience, what their goals are, their running history, past performance, and injuries. This helps me create an achievable training plan for my clients that's customized for their specific goals. However, I know not everyone can afford to hire a running coach and personal trainer, so I am offering you a free plan on my website, myelmarkermajor.com. You can go out there, download the marathon plan that we've been talking about here. And you can also DM me on Instagram if you have any questions as you're going through your training. Of course, if you would like a running coach to help you through training for your marathon, I am available and you can DM me on Instagram at milemarkermatriarch and ask about my different plans and services. But today I'm going to be giving you a ton of free tips and information that will help you get through your first marathon. So with the first step, to assess your current fitness level, let's start with the qualitative data. Answer these questions for yourself. How motivated are you right now? Are you new or returning to running? If you run currently, how long have you been running? Realistically, how much time do you have to devote to running? When's the last time you ran and how did you feel? And do you have any past injuries? Now let's move into the quantitative data. If you run currently, how many miles can you run? How many days a week are you currently running? What's your resting heart rate? Do you know your VO2 max? When or what race do you want to run? Generally speaking, when you sign up for a marathon, you should have the following. You should already have been running for at least six months, ideally a year. You should be able to run eight to 10 miles. You're running about 20 miles a week or more. You have 16 to 20 weeks prior to the marathon. You have time in your schedule to train, typically three to four runs a week, with one of those being a longer run, which would probably take up two or more hours. Your resting heart rate should be generally between 60 and 100 beats per minute. The lower, the more fit you are. Some recreational runners can even have heart rates in the 40s. A higher resting rate can be the result of many factors, so I highly recommend speaking with your doctor about your personal situation. A higher heart rate can be problematic because it disrupts the normal rhythm, reduces blood flow and oxygen to the body, and increases workload to the heart, and it can lead to some serious heart conditions. So please make sure your you're consulting with a doctor before beginning any exercise program. Your VO2 max is the maximum amount of oxygen your body can use during intense physical activity. It's important because VO2 max can be a good indicator of how efficiently your heart and lungs work together to deliver oxygen to your muscles. There are ranges for the optimum VO2 max levels based on gender and age. You can get a VO2 max test done at a lab for the best results or use a fitness tracker like an Apple watch or a Garmin. I actually have a VO2 max test scheduled for this Friday and I'm very nervous about it. I will let you guys know how it goes and what to expect. I have another one that I'm going to schedule three months from now so I can actually measure my progress and see if I'm able to improve my VO2 max through marathon training. So stay with me for this adventure because it's going to be fun and again you can learn from my mistakes because I'm sure I'll make them. So now that we've walked through all of that I want you to take an objective look at your information and see if you feel like you're ready to start marathon training. Do you meet that criteria I talked about. Do you have a base level of running experience? Can you run up to eight miles? Do you have the time? Have you obtained clearance from your doctor? If all those things are true, then you should feel confident about your ability to be able to finish a marathon. Make sure the marathon is at least 16 to 20 weeks away to allow yourself plenty of time for training, but I am confident that you will cross that finish line strong if you follow the marathon training plan that I'm going to give you. If you don't have any experience of running at all, don't worry. You you can still get to that marathon start line and I'll get you over the finish. But let's start off with a component of this couch to marathon program with a couch to 5k. Now what I'll say is that there are a ton of couch to 5k programs out there. The local YMCA often offers one. Running clubs have them. I'll develop a plan for you here at MyoMarker Matriarch and put it on my site as well. But the couch to 5k really helps get you from a period of inactivity to be able to run a solid 3.2 miles. This is a great place to start if you want to eventually run a marathon or you want running to be part of the cornerstone of your fitness routine. Doing a Cows to 5K program will get you there safely, injury-free, and help work with the fitness level that you're at. Please make sure that you're meeting yourself where you're at with no judgment. Don't lament about where you should be. Instead, embrace where you are. I know that I'm making it sound much easier than it is, but I'll share part of my personal journey. Right now, I am not where I want to be. I beat myself up plenty of times thinking about where I should be versus where I am. I say, look where I was last year, or I have all this running experience. Shouldn't I be faster? Shouldn't I be able to do this longer? Shouldn't it not feel as difficult? But I have to remind myself that I'm doing the best I can. It doesn't do any good to lie to myself about where I am. I'll just end up pushing myself to too hard or getting injured or burned out or disappointed. So don't think about where you should be or be embarrassed about where you are. Meet yourself where you're at, because I promise wherever you at is just fine. Speaking of meeting yourself where you're at, what I want to share with you is that this is a very important component of the program as you begin. I want to make sure that as you go into this, that you have realistic expectations and that you understand that depending on where you are, it may just take a little bit longer to train for a marathon. You can do it. I promise you can do it. But if you haven't run in a while or can only run a few miles at a time, it's best to allow yourself a year to train for the marathon. The first six months or so are going to be spent building up your base, getting yourself comfortable, and having lots of rest, recovery, and running built in there so that way your joints and your bones are strong, your muscles are strong, and they'll be able to be resilient up against 26.2 miles. I also highly recommend the run-walk method if you're new to running. This can really help reduce the amount of impact on your joints and your bones because it helps you gradually build up to running solid mileage and using walking in between to just help you get there and bridge that gap. I also highly recommend starting with shorter races like 5Ks or 10Ks to obtain experience running at a running event without the intense pressure of a full marathon. You can eventually build up to a half marathon and try to get it one or two half marathons under your belt before signing up for a full. It's essential to have a race under your belt before signing up for a marathon because there's a lot of intricacies that happen on race day and you really want to make sure you're fully prepared for what those are. For example, waking up early, standing at the start line, waiting in your corral, making sure you have the right nutrition, making sure you have the right hydration. Doing a rehearsal run at a shorter race is the greatest thing you can do for yourself when preparing for a marathon. That way, when you reach the marathon start line, you feel strong and confident and know that you're prepared. I also want to add that even if you're currently fit and doing other forms of cardio and conditioning like cycle or CrossFit or HIIT training, you need to allow adequate time in your marathon training cycle to get your body conditioned for running mechanics. Let's say, for example, you cycle. Your cardiovascular fitness and muscle endurance will help you as you begin running. However, the specific specific muscles used and the impact of the activity differ. So it's really important to gradually transition and build up running specific fitness. Cycling strengthens your quads, your glutes, and your core, which all play a role in running. However, cycling is lower impact and may not build the same strength or bone density as running. So it's really important to start slowly and gradually increase your running volume to allow your muscles and joints to adapt. I see a lot of overuse injuries in athletes who transition from one sport to another even more common than with a beginner because those with previous training experiences may jump into running too soon without the right preparation the most important thing is to listen to your body take breaks when needed and stay on top of your nutrition hydration and rest so now you know your current fitness level and you know your starting point the next step is to build a plan that'll get you to the marathon start line and feel strong crossing the finish line now personally I measure success in terms of how I feel not my pace, not my race time, or winning. There have been times that I've shared I ran a marathon, and in return someone asked me, did you win? I know they're well-intentioned, but it clicked an irritation button inside me. Win? Of course I didn't win. Only the elite runners win an event like Chicago Marathon. But who am I kidding? I can't even win a local race. I can barely even position first in the here now category on Peloton, which can sometimes be as few as three people. I am not fast. I have never claimed to be. I'm not winning my race nor my gender or age category. If I set winning as my goal, I would be constantly disappointed. And how much fun is that? No, instead I define success by how I feel. Was I able to run consistently? Did I feel strong? Did I stay hydrated throughout the race without throwing up? Did I look up at the mile marker and feel pleasantly surprised that I was that far along in the race? I remember one year at Chicago, I looked up and I was at mile eight And I felt like the race had just begun. Last year, once I hit mile 20, each mile seemed to come quickly and I found myself pounding out miles 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, and that final 0.2 miles. I felt great. Those are the runs I live for. But there have been other runs where I have been miserable. There's one year in Chicago that by mile 18, I had already thrown up once. I didn't stop throwing up for the rest of the race about every mile or so and I pretty much had to walk from mile 18 all the way to the finish. That was not fun. I do not consider that a successful marathon even though my time may have been faster than others. I felt terrible. So you'll have your own personal goal that you'll set for yourself and you'll want to make sure that you keep that in mind. So I suppose that's really a sub step to building the plan which is understanding your marathon goal. Is your goal quantifiable? Is it performance based? Do you have a pace target? Do you want to finish under a specific time? Do you want to place in your age group? That's all fine. Those are all great goals. Just know that going in. Do you want to qualify for Boston? Do you want to achieve your personal best? Or are your goals centered on how you feel, like getting through training in the marathon injury-free and feeling strong? Or is your goal to raise money for charity or to raise awareness for a cause, support a friend, self-satisfaction of achieving a goal? doing something you never thought that you could. There are a million goals in between. What is your why? Your why is your motivation. Hal Higdon, an American writer and runner known for his training plans, states on his website, motivation remains key to the marathon. The motivation to begin, the motivation to continue, and the motivation to never quit. I respect Hal Higdon and recognize his outstanding contributions to the running community. However, I respectfully disagree with his statement on motivation. I believe that motivation or your why is the fire that gets you started. However, the key to the marathon is self-discipline, not motivation. I'm going to quote my favorite personal trainer, Rebecca Kennedy, who coaches classes on Peloton. And she said, motivation is a flaky bitch. Don't rely on her. Discipline is what gets you here. Discipline and consistency is what gets you to meet your fitness goals, not motivation. On the days motivation shows up, great. We welcome her. She adds extra spice to the party. But discipline is what's going to get you through. And that couldn't be surer than with training for a marathon. You're not always going to be motivated. You're not going to wake up every single day motivated to run, especially once you start to get up in those 20, 21, 23 mile ranges There are going to be days that are too hot, too cold, too rainy. You're too busy. You're sore. You don't feel like it. You'd rather be doing something else. There are nights when you want to go out and you don't feel like going to bed early to prepare for your run. There's going to be mornings you want to stay in bed and hit snooze. On those days, motivation feels like trying to grasp mist in the air. You can see it, but you can't seem to grasp it and hold on to it. Discipline, however, is what gets you out of your snuggly bed and lacing up your running shoes. Discipline says this isn't an option. It doesn't matter if you feel like it. You committed to doing this and you're going to. Approach training for a marathon like your job. You would not show up for work because you didn't feel like it, right? If you commit to your boss that you're going to deliver, you deliver. In running, you're your own boss, but treat yourself with the same respect that you would treat your boss at work. Early in my career, I was stressing out about a ton of deliverables that I had that particular month. I was working at a bank as a communications manager and working with a senior-level executive at the time. He had a video coming out, he had an all-hands meeting, an external speaking event, and executive blog all at the same time. And I was writing content and coordinating all these events. I was feeling really stressed, and I asked my boss how to effectively manage all the competing priorities. And he said it's simple. plan your work and work your plan. He made it sound so easy, but over time, I realized that really was the secret. The advice sounds simplistic. obvious like common sense yet I still think back to his words today when I'm overwhelmed all I have to do is plan my work and then work my plan I say and that's true of training for a marathon in the most simplistic terms training for a marathon is about building a solid plan to get you where from you are today to across the finish line have it aligned to your goals that you set forth and once the plan is built all you have to do is follow it consistently all the way through Sounds so easy, right? Life can get in the way. Responsibilities, travel, work, kids, lack of motivation, fatigue, muscle soreness, boredom, and distractions all threaten to swerve you off course. Which is why training for a marathon sounds much easier in theory than it is in execution. While it's not easy, it's possible. Through Christ, all things are possible. Keep your motivation in mind and leverage your discipline to follow through. And I know that you can do it and you can do it with that plan. I have on my website, my own marker matriarch, download it, follow it, and you can see yourself all the way through. Now I want to mention, this is a level one marathon training plan designed for first time marathoners. And I want to point out a few things about this plan. So first of all, who is the level one plan designed for? Those who use this level one plan are either newer runners who have been running for less than a year or runners who prefer a more gentle approach to building up to the full 26.2 miles. I don't have speed work or hill repeats built into this plan because the goal is not to get faster. However, you can certainly use your midweek runs to do that. The way I built the plan was to ensure that you had three or four days a week where you're running, you have some shorter weekday runs, and you have your long runs every Saturday. You can switch up these runs on a different day of the week if it works better for you and your schedule. I also recommend that you begin from a level of conditioning in which you can run at least three miles and you've been running for a couple of days a week for a few months. If not, I recommend you start with a conditioning plan before launching into training. So how long is the plan? This plan I built is 18 weeks long, which settles nicely in between a long range and a short range plan. Hal Higdon prefers to do a 16 week plan. I've seen Jeff Galloway do up to a 24 week plan. I'm going nice in the middle. And I think eight weeks is a solid plan where it gives you enough time to ramp up, but not too much time to be dilly dallying around. Now let's talk about the basic building blocks of this plan. Each week you're going to run three to four times. The fourth run is optional and you can substitute cross training if you'd like. You have two rest days built in. You can use one of those days as active recovery, such as doing yoga, doing easy walk, mobility work, or Pilates. Now the other rest day should be a complete rest day from structured activity. A complete day of rest helps me immensely, especially mentally. Throughout the week when I'm waiting in energy, I remind myself that I only have to get through X number of days until I can relax and take the day off. I love to have my rest days as Sundays because I don't want any scheduled activity on my rest day. No work, no appointments, a true recuperation day by doing things that I love that don't involve running. One to two days on this plan are going to be designed for strength training specifically for runners. Now, I'm going to talk a little bit about the types of runs that you're going to see on this plan. I built in several different types of runs that are going to fit into different aspects of your fitness. The long run, which is the cornerstone of the marathon training plan, is going to account for about 20% to 30% of the total weekly mileage, and these are crucial for training for the marathon. Your base runs are midweek runs and they're going to be going from three to 10 miles each. You'll notice that the weekly mileage range typically equates to the long run. These should be run at a comfortable pace. Now I do have tempo runs built in and a tempo run is a run done at a comfortably hard pace, close to your race pace, but a pace that you can maintain throughout your run. It feels like a push, but it's not overly difficult. It's not speed work and it's not going too fast. You're just pushing at your race pace. There are several other types of runs, but we're not going to attempt those in this level one plan. For those with performance-based goals, you may want that. And I can build a level two and level three plan for those. But right now, we're focusing on those who are entering into the sport of running. Now, for the first few weeks of the program, I want you to focus on building a consistent running habit. Don't worry about your pace. Leverage the walk-run method I talked about earlier. Now, Jeff Galloway famously created the run-walk method, and I am a huge fan of his. I'm such a fangirl for Jeff Galloway. In fact, I joined a Jeff Galloway run-walk group to train for my very first half marathon back in the year 2000. I don't know what I would have done without learning the run-walk method. I was even able to meet my hero once before at a run Disney Race Expo. I cannot believe it. Jeff Galloway was there because he was going to be speaking on a panel, but he was also selling some of his books and he had a booth set up at the expo. I was just walking around the expo and I happened to look up and he was there. I was blown away and I asked to get a picture with him, which I have, and I'll put it up on the blog. I'm so thankful to have it, even though I look absolutely terrible because I had gone straight from the plane to the expo to get my race packet. So I am looking a little rough, but that's okay. I got to meet Jeff Galloway. So it's amazing. I recommend checking out his website and he has several books on Amazon as well that I think are wonderful. You can learn all about the run-walk method because there are some intricacies of it that I'm not able to go in full depth of here I can do a separate episode on the run walk method to give you more information on that but I highly recommend in the interim check out his website check out his books he tells you about how to calculate your magic mile and how to really figure out what ratio of running and walking you want to do now to talk about this in the most simplistic terms for our specific program again I want you to meet yourself where you're at for beginner For beginners, you can start with a 10-second run and a 30-second walk if that's what you need. Work your way up the scale. You can gradually move to a 30-second run, 30-second walk interval. Then you can do a one-minute run and a 30-second walk. You can go up to a four-minute run and a 30-second walk. However, you can do anything in between, any ratio that works for you. Sometimes I like to time my walking intervals to music. If it's a particularly difficult run, I'll tell myself, just run to the end of the song And then when it's over, I'll give you a walk break. And then I pick it back up with the next song. Sometimes I'll alternate between writing an entire song and then walking an entire song. As long as you're moving forward, you are making progress. Like Nemo said, just keep on swimming. Keep going. Plan your runs. Run your plan. As you move into the later weeks, you'll gradually build your miles. Your mileage will increase by no more than 10% a week to allow your body to adapt to the increased workload and minimize your risk of injury. The longest run of the week should be about 20 to 30% of your total mileage. You will thank me for building a few drop back weeks into the overall plan, which is why I like to do the 18 week plan because it does allow two drop back weeks in there. Now, what that means is each week you're going to be successfully increasing your mileage. Your long runs will increase. Your weekly runs will increase until you can get to that full mileage. But I've built in two different weeks where you get to drop back in mileage. Now this is going to be helpful, especially over the summer because you might have a vacation. You might have time that you're not able to run because Saturdays are your long runs. You might have activities with your kids. They might be doing their own sports. You might have other commitments that you have and you can plan your drop back week to coordinate with your schedule. The drop back weeks also allow you to have a little flexibility in your schedule and allow you to live your life while training. It also really helps your body recoup and recover from all the pounding and impact that running puts on your muscles and joints. There's debate among running coaches on how long the longest run should be when training for a marathon. Between 18 to 22 miles is the general recommendation, although I recommend going the full marathon distance a few weeks before the race day. I've trained with many different approaches over the years, and in my experience, running the full 26.2 miles prior to race day prepares you mentally and physically. When I've trained for shorter distances to be my maximum, I've hit the wall at that number. So for example, when I ran 18 miles in my training runs, which Hal Higdon recommends 18 miles as your longest training run, I hit the wall at 18. When I went to 20, I hit the wall at 20. Muscles have an incredible memory, and if you've trained them to a specific amount of time under tension, they will remember it and rise to the challenge, but they will have a difficult time each time you increase your miles. The experts who say you can run 18 miles as your long run to be prepared for the marathon are often operating under a few assumptions that are not applicable to me or other runners. If you've been listening to the podcast, I'm sure that you've noticed that my main audience are women runners, not only women runners, but women runners who are either newer to the sport or run recreationally and not having it take over their entire lives. They run because it feels good. They run for self-empowerment, for fitness, to help themselves feel good mentally and physically, to be strong, to live a long life, to feel good about themselves, to achieve a goal. I relate more to the everyday runner and the lived experience of women recreational runners. I feel like some running coaches make assumptions about their clients that are not applicable to the broader running community and certainly not the recreational runner. Namely, not enough running coaches provide advice for women, or when they do talk with women, they assume that women are just smaller men. We talked in previous podcasts about pink it and shrink it, and I think some running coaches pink and shrink their running advice, assuming that women are just little men. Many running coaches also make assumptions about those who run a marathon. Not all of us are elite athletes, have a history of running, or have the capability nor desire to run fast. Not all of us have a ton of time in our schedule to devote to running or even have the desire to run fast. The denial and not addressing the real lived experience for women recreational runners results in a lot of us not being able to relate to the term runner. I know that for myself, I run over 150 road races. I've been running for 27 years. I have about, I think, eight or nine marathons underneath my belt. I'm an RRCA running coach, and yet I still struggle to identify as a runner. And that's because sometimes I feel like I don't look like the runners in the magazines. I don't get jazzed up and excited about fart licks, which is such a weird word, by the way. But I'm a runner because I run. and you're a runner if you run please don't let running elitist out there make you feel like you're not a runner or make you feel like any less of a runner because you don't meet some arbitrary criteria that they've created this is why my passion is helping women recreational runners and I'm giving advice and tips and plans to help you feel seen I see you I understand you and I'm here by your side and the entire mile mark major art community is here cheering you on as well while we're cheering you on I'm going to give you another principle, which is behind my running plans. One key principle is nothing new on race day. It's critical to have trained every aspect of the marathon from the clothing you wear to what you eat, to what you drink, to the mileage that you run. And that's another reason why I think you need to go the full 26.2 miles prior to the marathon, because I don't believe it's a good strategy to run an extra 8.2 miles on a race day when you haven't trained your body for that distance. Another reason why I think it's really important to train for the full 26.2 miles is because the time on your feet. And I think that this is another key difference between faster athletes and maybe the more recreational runner is that the recreational runner with a slower pace is going to have more time on their feet, therefore more time between the mile 8.2 and mile 26.2 to be able to train and make sure that you're ready for that distance. So to give an example, the average marathon time for a woman in her 40s is a 10 minute mile. In this case, she'll reach 18 miles in 180 minutes or three hours. She still has another 82 minutes or an hour and 22 minutes of running after hitting that 18 mile mark. There's still a lot of race left. And if you train to run for 180 minutes instead of 262, you're going to have challenges during the last leg of the race. You can still run after hitting the wall, but it's not pleasant. I speak from experience. It feels absolutely miserable to hit the wall at mile 18 in the race and know how much further you still have to go at my 12 minute 30 second pace the numbers grow even further apart at mile 18 i've been running for 225 minutes but i still have 102 minutes to go which if i have a bathroom break or a pit stop for water it can extend my time to more than two hours i need to make sure my training that i'm prepared to run for five and a half hours straight genetically speaking men are also faster than women runners If a man is running a seven minute mile pace, he'll only have 57 minutes to go between miles 18 and 26.2 with only another hour to go before the race is over. And knowing that he can run fast, he's already proven endurance in his training. I can see in that case, while training up to 18 miles could make sense. Because if you're training up to 18 miles, you already know you have the endurance in the bag. You have another hour to go on your feet and you can manage it. However, there's a big difference difference between having an hour left in the race and having two hours left in the race which is why I think it's so important to make sure that you're training for your ability on race day. Frequent marathoners or run everyday runners can also possibly get by with the 18 mile runs because their weekly training volume is so high and they have past experience running that distance which will allow muscle memory to kick in. I know with elite athletes the number of miles they run a week is off the charts and they're certainly running longer than 26.2 miles in their long runs. While I don't have experience in training elite athletes, I do know that their training is brutal. From a comparison standpoint, an elite athlete can run a marathon between 4 minutes and 30 seconds to 5 minutes and 20 seconds a mile. Let's say that runs out to a 5 minute mile. They'll reach mile 18 in 90 minutes and only have 41 minutes left in the race, finishing in 131 minutes. Elite athletes are a whole different animal, but pulling it back in to how it relates to us, you can see how pace, experience, and training volume can all play a role in your marathon training. And I feel like you really do need to go the full 26.2 miles, not only because of the physical distance, but from a mental standpoint. As race day gets closer, I often hear from runners freaking out about how their training went. They'll say, I didn't get in one of those long runs. What am I going to do? Am I going to be terrible in the race? Or I don't think I ran enough. Or I had a Take a deep breath and have confidence that your training will get you through. If you just missed a run or two, it's fine. Because one of the most important things you want to keep in mind going into the marathon is the mental component. You need to make sure you're building yourself mentally and that's another big reason to do the full 26.2 miles ahead of time because what that does is give you the confidence going into the race. I know I can do this. I did it before. You can repeat that to yourself when it feels hard, when you feel like giving up, when you're tired. Repeat to yourself, I did this and I know I can do it. Having that attitude will get you across the finish line and it is so important. So don't let those little misses or not following the plan perfectly gets you because it's more important holistically to show up, to be consistent, to get the majority of your runs in, to be consistently training over that period of time, and you will be able to finish. After you've done your longest run of 26.2 miles, it's going to be time for the best part of marathon training, which is the taper period. I laugh because some runners say it's the most difficult aspect of marathon training because you want to continue to run. You want to continue to put in those miles. You feel like if you're resting that you're wasting time or losing fitness, but the taper is essential to completing the marathon strong. The taper is when you're going to drop back your mileage those last three weeks and prioritize rest and recovery, hydration and nutrition over training. It may feel counterintuitive, but at this point, you've done all the work that you can do. And now it's time to let your muscles repair themselves. and get ready for the big day. The taper period is a great time to start to work on some of those mental strategies and visualization exercises to prepare yourself for the big day. I will do a separate podcast on mental preparation for a marathon and that is one you are not going to want to miss because I do think that your brain is the most important muscle that you need to build prior to the marathon. The plan is ready for you now at myelomarkermatrix.com or you can visit me at myelomarkermatrix on Instagram and DM and I'd be happy to send you the plan directly. If you would like a customized plan for your specific goals, please DM me on Instagram and we can set up a free consultation call so I can understand your running goals and help you achieve them. I know that you're going to be successful for your upcoming marathon. Now that you have the plan, all you have to do is work it and the entire mile marker community will be here cheering you along the way. Speaking of which, we have an exciting couple of months ahead here at mile marker matriarch. Lots of fun and relevant topics coming your way to help you through your running journey I also have some great videos coming your way. I posted one today on Instagram to show you eight different plank variations in under a minute. You have got to check it out at milemarkermatrix on Instagram. And as always, I want to hear from you. What other topics do you want to hear about? How's your training going? How can I help you? Until next time, have a great run. Now for the legal language. I want to state that the information in this podcast is for entertainment and informational purposes only. It is not intended as medical advice. I'm not a medical professional and my recommendations are shared based on my personal experience and my knowledge as a certified personal trainer, running coach, and nutrition consultant. Always consult with your doctor or a qualified healthcare provider before beginning any new exercise program, making significant changes to your diet, or addressing any health concerns.