No marathon for me (at least not now)

I've been feeling the lure of the marathon.

How amazing, I've thought, would it be to be able to say that I've run a marathon?!

I've done a half marathon race once, have gone just a bit further once as a training run, and am scheduled to run my second half marathon race in less than two weeks.

"How was your marathon?" more than one person asked me when I returned home last month.

"Oh," I'd respond, "It was just a half marathon. But it went great!"

Just a half marathon.

Just.

Maybe it's the terminology that has led me to believe that a half marathon isn't quite enough. When something is referred to as "half," it seems somehow incomplete.

But why should 13.1 miles...on foot...feel like it's less than enough? I've found myself wondering, if the term "half marathon" was replaced with a "stand-alone" title (like a 21K, since 13.1 miles is just over 21 kilometers), would I even feel the need to train for a marathon? I admire those who do full marathons. I think it would be cool to be that fit. But honestly, training to run 13.1 miles has been hard on my body.
  • I've gone through expensive physical therapy for running-related issues.
  • I have to spend a lot of time keeping my muscles loose so I can continue running.
  • My long training runs are still very challenging. I'm happy that after last Saturday's 10.65 mile training run, I'm doing pretty well. But on the day of that run, my body was sore and exhausted.
If these 10-plus-mile distances are still so challenging for me, and if it's still hard to keep myself uninjured, I don't think it's time to try to work up to doubling my race distance. Instead it makes sense to me to try to "master" this distance, to get to the point that 10- or 13-mile runs don't completely wipe me out. When I'm at that level, I can decide whether or not I want to go further.

And even if I decide to never run a full marathon, that's okay. Because I've had a very important realization:

A half marathon is still a complete run, despite the "half" part of the name!





Originally posted on C. Beth Blog.

Comments

Have you seen http://teampikermi.com/ ? They get a bit of flak on "that other forum" for their stance, but I gotta say, 13.1 miles is a helluva long way. In a culture planted in couches and rooted to the TeeVee, I think ALL the runners should be pretty proud (even the 20 minutes/3times a week for fitness runners, although I wish we could show them how much more fun it can be!).

Congrats on last month's 21K!

Good Luck with your upcoming 21K!
 
Georges, ILOVE that--the Pikermi! That is exactly along the lines of what I was thinking. Thanks so much for the link!
 
This is exactly where I am at the moment. Back in the Fall I had thoughts of running a marathon in the Spring. But now I settled for a half marathon in May and I hope to run it and enjoy it, not feel totally wiped for days after the race.

After reading about the walk/run method I'm convinced that almost anybody can finish a marathon, so Idon't have anything to prove. Mastering a specific distance is a different goal. Being able to run 13 m and then run another 6-10 m the next day and enjoy it, that would be cool. It would keep the whole runnign and training enjoyable, and that's what I'm aiming for.
 
Sloutre--YES--it should be fun!! Whether we're training for a half or a full (or even doing regular 5K or 10K training) we're running enough to be fit. So at that point, we gotta do what keeps it ENJOYABLE for us.
 
There's nothing wrong with being content with a half marathon as your longest distance. Every marathoner once had trouble reaching half marathon distance. Iused to barely get to the 10 mile mark myself. When and if you're ready, do a marathon. Otherwise, you've still accomplished quite a bit completing a half.
 
If that is a half marathon/Pikermi instead of a marathon, who cares.. Idon't know that I will ever be an ultra marathoner.. I don't even know that I will go back to running marathons- though I used to.. at this point I am barely up to being back to a 5k.. I did 3 mi for the first time since I started barefooting today, and since I couldn't even run a half mile anymore without pain in shoes, and that had been the case for almost 20 years... who knows how far I'll make it now.. I'm older.. I'm not in the shape I once was.. and I care about my body. I will listen to it. I think thats exactly what it sounds like you are doing. Who knows- in the future you may find you can gradually add a bit here and there, and make more distance than you thought.. but if not, thats ok.



Good luck whatever you decide.

Amie
 
If that is a half marathon/Pikermi instead of a marathon, who cares.. Idon't know that I will ever be an ultra marathoner.. I don't even know that I will go back to running marathons- though I used to.. at this point I am barely up to being back to a 5k.. I did 3 mi for the first time since I started barefooting today, and since I couldn't even run a half mile anymore without pain in shoes, and that had been the case for almost 20 years... who knows how far I'll make it now.. I'm older.. I'm not in the shape I once was.. and I care about my body. I will listen to it. I think thats exactly what it sounds like you are doing. Who knows- in the future you may find you can gradually add a bit here and there, and make more distance than you thought.. but if not, thats ok.



Good luck whatever you decide.

Amie
 
How do you feel today, Beth. Any better in the last three weeks?
 

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