Marathon Support

[greensgood]

i am beginning to train for a marathon. it has been a goal of mine that i have put off because i never had a clear enough idea of where i'd be or what i'd be doing in a few months etc... so now i have some time planned out and want to do something for myself, run a marathon.
i have an old book about marathon training and been reading magazines and such, but i feel like a need more advise overall, especially as a vegetarian.
i ran regularly about 4 years ago, however i also lived right next to the ocean where everyone was biking or running all the time in perfect weather...it was ez, and was around friends to run with.
a move and some mis-alignment left me not able to go more than a mile without pain and an un-kind running environment.
i have been working on my alignment with yoga and pilates and feel like i am better than before since i can go miles with no pain now.

[lovingthegreen]

Congrats on the goal! I actually have that goal myself :sunny: although it is more of a long-term goal for me (I'm working on gradually moving my mileage and intensity up and doing my first one in the summer of 2009).

As for advice, probably the best piece I can give you (if you don't know it already) is to make sure you never increase your mileage by more than 10 percent week to week. Also be wary of dramatic intensity increases from week to week. Staying within that 10 percent limit will really help you stay physically healthy and motivated.

I would also recommend "The Runner's Handbook." (http://www.amazon.com/Runners-Handbook-Bestselling-Beginning-Intermediate/dp/0140469303/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1211789995&sr=8-1) It has about everything you could ever need, including essential information on marathons.

I apologize but I do not have any veggie-specific answers for you, as I am relatively new myself to veg*nism (couple months) and am not sure how (or if) it is affecting my running yet.

I wish you the best! :D :up:

[greensgood]

Thanks for the book info, i just ordered it!

[lovingthegreen]

Thanks for the book info, i just ordered it!

Nice! :)

[CaptainSwab]

I've ran 8 marathons, all as a vegetarian so if you have any specific questions just ask.

There are actually quite a number of people in my running club who are veggie/vegan also so our diet doesn't really make a difference.

There are pleanty of training plans online that you can search for. My biggest piece of advice is to not do too much too soon to burn yourself out and make sure you LSD run (long slow distance) is actually slower than your normal pace. Many people come to our club and think we are running to slow and they speed up and they almost always get burnt out because they are running too quick for long distance.

[lovingthegreen]

I've ran 8 marathons, all as a vegetarian so if you have any specific questions just ask.

There are actually quite a number of people in my running club who are veggie/vegan also so our diet doesn't really make a difference.

There are pleanty of training plans online that you can search for. My biggest piece of advice is to not do too much too soon to burn yourself out and make sure you LSD run (long slow distance) is actually slower than your normal pace. Many people come to our club and think we are running to slow and they speed up and they almost always get burnt out because they are running too quick for long distance.

I have a question, if I may. :)

I am a long-time runner, but a new 99% vegan and gradually making my way up to marathon distance for the first time. As someone who is doing so, is there really any concern for protein or things like that? I do try to eat Clif's Bars, tofu, peanut butter, beans and things like that. Should that be enough, even when I get up to 40-50 miles a week?

[KellyBon]

After a long run ( any run over 8 miles) I drink a protein shake. I have hemp protein and rice protein. I will usually put it in a blender with soy or almond milk, half a banana, and some frozen berries. I used Hal Higdens running plans. halhigden.com. Keep up the yoga and stength training. It has made a huge difference for me. I've ran 4 marathons. The first 3 caused different injuries throughout the training. Itband, sciatica. Then I incorporated strength training and this last marathon was completely injury free.

[CaptainSwab]

I don't do anything different in regards to protien intake when training. I just eat more in general. :)

[FitChick99]

Good luck!! That was a life goal of mine, too, and I did it October 2007 :) However I'm a brand new vegetarian, so I don't have any specific tips on that. I will say, make sure you give yourself time to recover. I had some issues with both Achilles tendons, and was able to just treat them with ice, using a foam roller, and cutting down on my running. My problem was I was doing too much--running 5 days per week, plus I teach group exercise classes. I was teaching a Boot Camp class, which include lots of plyometrics usually, and doing my track workout on the same night, which was my hardest running night. I felt okay, but obviously my body disagreed.
My other advice is to stick with your plan. I trained with a local group, and those who were there consistently did much better in their races than those who came when it was convenient for them. Plus, I was hardly sore the next day. (Recently I ran a Half, and was not as well trained, and was WAY more sore...)
Again good luck! It is a definitely committment, but it's such a cool thing to do. What month are you looking at doing the race?

[lovingthegreen]

My problem was I was doing too much--running 5 days per week, plus I teach group exercise classes. I was teaching a Boot Camp class, which include lots of plyometrics usually, and doing my track workout on the same night, which was my hardest running night. I felt okay, but obviously my body disagreed.

I just want to go off that and also say that getting enough sleep is essential. The good thing with running on a regular basis is that you sleep more soundly. Now you do need a little more sleep, but since it is done more soundly, so it kind of evens itself out (or actually works out in your benefit because of the improved quality of the sleep).

[greensgood]

i am going to join the masses and participate in the L.A. Marathon in March, 09.

[CaptainSwab]

Awesome. I've done that one 4 times so if you want to know anything specific I can tell you. :)

I can tell you this, every year I have done it it has been pretty warm. Do you live in so cal?

They redid the course 2 years ago and now the first half of the course is downhill.

I'm uncertain if I'm going to go or not for 09. I took this year off of the race because I had a baby in January and I'm not sure I want to put the time into doing la again next year.

[greenrunner]

I just want to go off that and also say that getting enough sleep is essential. The good thing with running on a regular basis is that you sleep more soundly. Now you do need a little more sleep, but since it is done more soundly, so it kind of evens itself out (or actually works out in your benefit because of the improved quality of the sleep).

I wish I slept more soundly. The longer my run, the more pumped I am at night.. dreaming about tomorrow's run and how swift it will be.

[greensgood]

yes i live about an hour away from l.a.

[meatless]

I haven't done a marathon yet, but I've done a couple of half marathons. I've only been running for a year. I don't want to do too much too fast, so I'm trying to get faster at the half distance. :)

[angiebaby]

I have run 3 marathons and done 2 sprint tri's, this will be my first time training for both on a vegetarian diet. Protein shakes seem like a good idea, but I don't like fake stuff. Eating more seems more appropriate, especially on the long run days.

I also use Hal Higdon's training plans, there easy to follow and I've at least finished all my marathons!

[CaptainSwab]

My running club uses a form of higdons training plans too. They work really well.

[irunbarefoot]

Hal Higdon is the man...

He is a testament to himself. He's been running since highschool, and now what is he? He must be 113? And still kick'n.

Good luck on your marathon. There is nothing like getting bit by the bug. Enjoy your race, and take plenty of pics.

[lovingthegreen]

Enjoy your race, and take plenty of pics.

While running? Well, I've seen stranger - somewhere on YouTube, somebody somehow videotaped an entire marathon while running and posted highlights (I think the camera was attached to his head somehow). But yes, definitely have fun. I am very slowly moving myself up to that distance and will run one at some point in 2009. Not sure when or where yet, primarily because I am not sure where I'll be living next year (I'm job searching on a nationwide basis). The early favorites for my first are the San Francisco Marathon and Grandma's Marathon in Duluth, primarily because those are the two biggest summer marathons (and I grew up in San Francisco), as I work in a school environment and am really busy from September-May, but pretty flexible in the summer.

[Wednesday_12]

Congrats on making this desicion! I think it's great! I would love to run a marathon but can't because of physical disabilities :(
Make the most of your ability to run whilst you can! You'll miss it when you become old and crippled like me :)

[lovingthegreen]

Congrats on making this desicion! I think it's great! I would love to run a marathon but can't because of physical disabilities :(
Make the most of your ability to run whilst you can! You'll miss it when you become old and crippled like me :)

Thanks. I completely agree - every time I go on a run, I am thankful that I am able to do so. :)

[greensgood]

i watched a show on PBS last night about team NOVA running the boston marathon...it was totally inspiring!
"Thirteen novices, ranging in age from 22 to 60, train nine months for the Boston Marathon. The group includes a former smoker, a heart-attack survivor and an overweight woman, and receives support from three-time Boston Marathon winner Uta Pippig."
its just called Nova on the tv guide.

[irunbarefoot]

I agree too... After back surgery, I had a new perspective on running. I see it as a privelage.

[lovingthegreen]

I have a definite plan for my first marathon!! My life is in such chaos now that I can't seem to focus or have any sort of drive whatsoever whenever I go running and, yesterday, I finally sat down and told myself that I need to get a specific goal in mind and head towards it. Well I did and I am so excited!

I am going to run Grandma's Marathon in Duluth, Minn., on June 20, 2009. Since, due to my work, I am generally pretty busy (inflexible) from September-May, I needed to find a summer marathon and I figured why not pick the largest, most prestigious one of that particular season. Also, since it's located in the middle of the country, it wouldn't be too far to get to no matter what part of the country my next job happens to be located in.

So, that means starting Monday, I am going to commence an 11-month plan. :surprised The reason I'm starting so far out is because I keep on wanting to bump up my mileage and I keep on hitting stumbling blocks and I am sick of that, so I'm just going to stay at 10+ miles per week for a while and then work up from there.

So, here is my week-by-week mileage breakdown from Monday until June 20 of next year: 10-10-10-10-11-12-13-13-15-15-17-18-19-20-20-20-20-21-22-20-23-24-24-25-20-27-
30-30-30-30-30-30-32-35-37-37-40-40-43-35-45-40-45-35-45-35-30-45.

Anyway, I just wanted to share my enthusiasm. :D :hamster: Can't wait to get started! I think the main reason I'm so excited is because since I am starting very cautiously and gradually building myself up, I know that the chances of my being knocked back down because of overtraining are pretty low.

[Larissa]

Good luck to those planning to run marathons.
I'm not a runner myself but my dad was when he was younger. Not a veggie marathon story, but anyway... My dad ran the London marathon many years ago. I think it was around 1980, not too sure. Just before the marathon date he stood on a six inch nail and it went right through his foot. He was on crutches until a few days before the marathon, he still managed a fairly good time. Go dad :lol: