Running a marathon

[Riders120]

I have always had it in my head to try and run a marathon. Only problem is I dont want my cycling to suffer. I race road Cat 2 from march to September and elite cross from September to Januaryish. Have any of you ran a marathon while at the same train intensely on the bike. No particular time of the year I'm looking to run I have ran many half marathons for "fun".

[Likes2ridefar]

I have always had it in my head to try and run a marathon. Only problem is I dont want my cycling to suffer. I race road Cat 2 from march to September and elite cross from September to Januaryish. Have any of you ran a marathon while at the same train intensely on the bike. No particular time of the year I'm looking to run I have ran many half marathons for "fun".

running will make you slower on the bike. no getting around that.

[tuscanyswe]

I find cycling inhibits my running more than the other way around.

[henrypretz]

Do you want to simply complete a marathon, or do you want to focus on performance?
I have never actually trained intensely for racing on a bike, but I have trained intensely for the marathon. My take would be that one or the other or probably both would get the short shrift if you didn't concentrate on a single one.

My .02¢

[old fat man]

I find cycling inhibits my running more than the other way around.

I don't find this to be the case for me. I trained for and ran a marathon in late May (5 years ago). It trashed my body, even though I was not running particularly fast - 9 minute miles.

I also set out on a cross country ride about 3 weeks later with an average 100 miles per day. It took a loooong time for my riding to get back to where it was the previous year.

If you value your bike racing, I would not recommend training for a marathon. If you want to do the marathon, you should accept that your bike racing will suffer for at least a few months.

One thing to consider, would be to start your running training in ~November. By the time you are doing big running miles, cx season is almost over, and chances are good that your existing cycling fitness will have carried you through the bulk of the season.

[Riders120]

Performance would be a little important (can't ever get over that) but completing it of course is main goal. I have ran sub 1:20 halves but never raced farther than that. That was also a few years back. I am thinking the normal tri training plan wouldn't work so well because the riding part is so different.

[Riders120]

I don't find this to be the case for me. I trained for and ran a marathon in late May (5 years ago). It trashed my body, even though I was not running particularly fast - 9 minute miles.

I also set out on a cross country ride about 3 weeks later with an average 100 miles per day. It took a loooong time for my riding to get back to where it was the previous year.

If you value your bike racing, I would not recommend training for a marathon. If you want to do the marathon, you should accept that your bike racing will suffer for at least a few months.

One thing to consider, would be to start your running training in ~November. By the time you are doing big running miles, cx season is almost over, and chances are good that your existing cycling fitness will have carried you through the bulk of the season.
I believe you're right. I do use a quarq so I guess I could monitor the whole thing and if I notice power declining when there is no normal reason I would just back off

[tuscanyswe]

I don't find this to be the case for me. I trained for and ran a marathon in late May (5 years ago). It trashed my body, even though I was not running particularly fast - 9 minute miles.

I also set out on a cross country ride about 3 weeks later with an average 100 miles per day. It took a loooong time for my riding to get back to where it was the previous year.

If you value your bike racing, I would not recommend training for a marathon. If you want to do the marathon, you should accept that your bike racing will suffer for at least a few months.

One thing to consider, would be to start your running training in ~November. By the time you are doing big running miles, cx season is almost over, and chances are good that your existing cycling fitness will have carried you through the bulk of the season.

I think your experience perhaps would apply to me as well. I should have included a disclaimer saying i do not run marathon or close to that lenght.

I do however find that running 10km or so every now and then do not affect my cycling much but my cycling definetly makes my running less "springy". My calves and feet seem to loose flexibility and bounce from cycling. Perhaps not so strange since one is always trying to keep them fixed at an angle when riding.

[crownjewelwl]

Performance would be a little important (can't ever get over that) but completing it of course is main goal. I have ran sub 1:20 halves but never raced farther than that. That was also a few years back. I am thinking the normal tri training plan wouldn't work so well because the riding part is so different.

just man up and do an ironman

[weiwentg]

I think your experience perhaps would apply to me as well. I should have included a disclaimer saying i do not run marathon or close to that lenght.

I do however find that running 10km or so every now and then do not affect my cycling much but my cycling definetly makes my running less "springy". My calves and feet seem to loose flexibility and bounce from cycling. Perhaps not so strange since one is always trying to keep them fixed at an angle when riding.

I was going to say: a 10k would not affect your cycling that much, if at all. ditto a sprint to olympic distance triathlon or duathlon.

My breakout year in racing, I did an olympic duathlon. my 10k split was 46 minutes. not that impressive at first glance, but I hadn't run a road race in at least 2 years.

[rnhood]

Being a Cat 2 my advice is to stick with cycling. You are progressing well and have many years left on your knees. Start running and those years drop like rocks.

[Chance]

Performance would be a little important (can't ever get over that) but completing it of course is main goal. I have ran sub 1:20 halves but never raced farther than that. That was also a few years back. I am thinking the normal tri training plan wouldn't work so well because the riding part is so different.

If you can run a half marthon in 1:20, then just completing a marathon won't take that much effort for you. A few longer training runs at a slower pace over a couple of months and you shouldn't have any problems finishing in a very good time. If you wan't to do your best possible time (about 2:48 based on your 1:20 time), that's a much more demanding situation. Short term your cycling may suffer some but long term it may even improve from the marathon training.

You should go for it.:)

[shovelhd]

Your two seasons are long enough as it is with very little downtime. If you ran an early fall marathon and started cross a little later, then maybe you could manage good performance. JMHO.

[ckamp]

If you have been cycling for 10 years and not running and then decide to do a marathon and hit run training hard, sure, your cycling will suffer because you don't have the running technique and training, possibly fatiguing the legs muscles and knees for your cycling.

Plus now you have less time for cycling!

Do whatever you think is fun.

[mike p]

How big are you? How old? How important is cycling to you? The bigger you are the more chance you have of getting injured. The only time I run is if someone's chasing me.

Mike

[Riders120]

I'm 36. About 165. I do run a bit during cross season but lately not much more than 7 mile runs. Have friends that run em so I know training plans. Just wondering how much I could sub runs with rides.

[Dave Ferris]

You're a youngin'..;) I ran my first marathon at age 35 . The Long Beach Marathon in '88. I haven't run one since LA in 2002. Pretty much retired from marathons and racing in general. I finished 24 and had one DNF, due to passing a kidney stone (ouchy) at mile 20 of the '96 Culver City Marathon.

At age 48 I beat my PR from 38 by 20 seconds finishing in 3:14:20, at again Long Beach. By my calculations I've run just under 65,000 miles in a little over 32 years. Not a lot, and certainly not fast, compared to people like Frank Shorter, Bill Rogers, Ed Whitlock, Joan Benoit Samuelson or even many average local Joes- but I'm still hanging in there with it when many, much more gifted runners then myself, that I used to train with had to give it up altogether or go to just the bike.

I just turned 60 (yikes !) and trying to keep my weekly mileage at 25-30 a week with one or two bike rides. I'm thinking of subtracting one bike day as it seems to leave my legs dead and without spring (like mentioned earlier in the thread).

Just to finish your first marathon (without walking and having a totally miserable time), I'd generally say you'd need to run 3-4 days a week.. On the other hand, I knew tri-athletes that didn't ever run more then 25 miles a week, even when training for a marathon, and they kicked my butt in all distances, from 5K up to 26.2. That was 20 years ago though...I wonder if they're still at it at 55-60...;)

You want to make sure you get in at least 2-4 longer runs, where you're on your feet from 2.5 to, not much over, 3 hours.

It might be wise to follow some sort of marathon training plan as you mentioned. When I started there was one book on the marathon, now there's probably a hundred. Depending on your training habits-solo or group- hooking up with a specific Marathon training group, like those "team in training" folks or even a local running club or store- can offer not only camaraderie, but helpful tips from experienced runners.

Since you have experience at 13.1 (imo, the perfect race distance, at least for me..lol) and you're level of fitness is already probably quite high from all the racing you do on the bike, you're probably way ahead of the usual newbie marathoner. In addition you're at an optimum age where it's much easier to recover from workouts.

Still like anything else, the marathon is sport and event specific. I've known 17:30 5K runners that blew up and had to drop out at mile 20 because they didn't respect the distance. It's a whole other ball game after 2 hours on your feet and after 18 miles or so. There's no way to duplicate that in training on a bike or in the water, without simply doing it. The key is to just plug a few of those long runs in beforehand, leave plenty of time to taper, and not get injured.

Personally I've been trying to do the *right thing* since last fall, with the two bike days a week. Hopefully it will prolong my running. I have a Halix Rigidus condition stage 4, otherwise I'd still be out there 6 days a week.
It's a drag because all the usual ailments that normally get long time runners as they age-knees, hip, back, calf & achilles issues-are all perfectly fine with me. It's just these damn big toe joints.:mad: One runner friend said..."have you considered amputation" ? :eek:

In my perfect world, I wouldn't own a bike, I'd just run my 40-50 miles six days a week like I did for so many years.. But then I'm not 45 anymore unfortunately. Maybe in the next life I'll be blessed with better big toes. :)

Good luck with your plans. At your age and fitness level, if you follow a few basic concepts on training- don't do too much too soon, allow for adequate recovery time and get plenty of sleep- the whole experience should be no problem for you.
Whether you run one or a hundred, there's nothing like that feeling after your completing your first marathon. It's a high, along with a sense of accomplishment you'll never forget. :cool:

[hairylegs]

The two can compliment each other quite well IMHO. Depends how "fast" you want to be on the run...

[Dave Ferris]

Performance would be a little important (can't ever get over that) but completing it of course is main goal. I have ran sub 1:20 halves but never raced farther than that. That was also a few years back. I am thinking the normal tri training plan wouldn't work so well because the riding part is so different.

I was just re-reading the thread. Man, sub 1:20 for 13.1 is considered some pretty damn serious chow !! :cool: That would win some local races around here..or at worst put you in the top 5. If you're running that fast , you don't need any advice from me.:o

[oldpotatoe]

Performance would be a little important (can't ever get over that) but completing it of course is main goal. I have ran sub 1:20 halves but never raced farther than that. That was also a few years back. I am thinking the normal tri training plan wouldn't work so well because the riding part is so different.

Remember that the marathon is in 2 parts, the first 20 miles and the last 6.2.

Running half marathon is a little longer than normal, training run, 13 miles. I ran an alternating 8 mile, 12 mile weekly routine, with a 16 miler on Sunday. Beat the crap outta me(reformed runner-stopped for good in 1985). Finishing a marathon is a mental exercise as much as physical. Have a plan, per mile or total time per segment.

When I ran my best marathon, I trained and ran a -first 6 mile segment, the next 14 mile segment, then tried to just hang on for the last 6 miles.

The hardest part is starting slow..first 6 miles, then making the time you need for the next 14, then hanging on for the last 6.2...did a 3:09, 1984, I was 33 years old. It hurt.

Ran 7 marathons, I really enjoyed the simplicity of running-shoes, shorts, go run, anywhere. BUT it beat me up. Last one was NYC in 1985, never ran after that. I think I gained 15 pounds the next day.