One of these days, hopefully before too long, I will be running my 40th marathon. This should have happened last year at the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon in San Diego. It was, of course, canceled. Then number 40 should have been at the Mesa Marathon, which was scheduled for last weekend. It has been postponed, date to be determined. My next chance for returning to the marathon will be Rock ‘n’ Roll again. If it’s not canceled, that is.
Edited to add: The day after I published this post I received notice from Rock ‘n’ Roll San Diego that they were postponing the race until sometime in the fall. Sigh.
I’m afraid by the time I get to run my 40th marathon it will be close to two years since my last. While I’ve had longer breaks, that is a significant amount of time between races, especially at my age. I know that there are some things I need to do before returning to the marathon to help me be successful and get there injury-free.
Returning to the Marathon
While I have been running consistently, training for several virtual half marathons, adding a full marathon to the mix adds a new level of intensity. I want to do well, of course, but I know that I need to have realistic expectations and train smart to accomplish my goal and not get injured. Here are my suggestions for successfully returning to the marathon.
Are you training for your first marathon? Check out Your First Marathon: 26.2 Tips to Train for (and Complete) Your First 26.2
Are you returning to the marathon after a long layoff? Here are some tips for success. #running #marathonClick To Tweet
5 Tips for Returning to the Marathon
- Start at the beginning: If it has been more than a few years since your last marathon, stop looking at the Advanced plans. No matter at which level you were training before your layoff, time and de-training will take their toll. This is especially true if you are older or if your training level overall has been minimal lately.
- Create a realistic goal based on your current running: Forget your wishlist time goal that you were so close to nailing five years ago. If you have been training and racing shorter distances, there are tools that can help you create a realistic marathon goal based on your most recent race times. If you have not been training at all, focus on building up your mileage (see tip 3). Try fitting in a few shorter races, including a half marathon about midway through training. That will help you define your marathon goal time.
- Take your time building your mileage: Maybe you could manage a 12-week training cycle five or 10 years ago when you were training consistently, running two marathons a year, and, well, five or 10 years younger. Face it, you’re starting from scratch here. While the 10 percent rule may be a myth, increase your mileage slowly and cautiously, and complete a solid base-building period before you even start your actual training plan.
- Take care of yourself: Marathon training is hard. You’re pounding the pavement day after day, you’re increasing your mileage, you’re pushing your body to its limits. Don’t ignore small problems. Do your knees ache a bit? Do you feel a twinge in your heel? Take care of it now. Your ice pack may become your best friend. Take an extra day off every now and then. Get a massage. Stretch. Foam Roll. Your body will get you to the finish line, just give it a little love and appreciation.
- Have fun: You’re doing this for fun, right? Or to prove that you still can? If you were going to make any money doing it you would have done so a long time ago. So relax. Enjoy the experience. You know you can do it because you’ve done it before. You’re already a marathoner.
The key is to make your return to the marathon challenging but enjoyable. My own goal is to enjoy the experience and stay injury-free.
Have you ever returned to running or racing after a time off? How did it go?
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Catrina
Great tips, Debbie!
I am exactly in this situation right now. I am training for an ultra. It’s my first longer race since 2019.
For me, building up my mileage slowly, your tip no. 3, is key. It’s easy to get injured when you do too much too soon!
Debbie Woodruff
So exciting that you’ll be doing your first ultra! Yes, it does take time to build back especially to stay uninjured.
Lisa @ Mile by Mile
My last marathon was in November of 2015. So much has changed since then! I was injured in 2016-2017, then pregnant in 2018, and decided not to do any marathons in 2019 when I was within a year postpartum. And we all know what happened in 2020! These are great tips and I know that my training will look alot different than it did when I was in my late 20s and early 30s, without a kid. I will also really need to figure out what a realistic goal is, because it’s been so long since I ran such long distances.
Denise
Thanks for all the great coaching advice. I may soon be training for a marathon so I will be taking this advice to heart.
Debbie Woodruff
That’s exciting! Do you know which one?
Debbie Woodruff
When it’s been that long, especially with 2020 in the middle there, it’s like starting over.
Shathiso
These are great tips Coach and what an achievement to have run almost 40 marathons! I really hope that 40th happens soon!
Debbie Woodruff
Me too! I just got word yesterday from Rock ‘n’ Roll that the race has been postponed until sometime in the fall.
Wendy
Such great tips! I still dream of another marathon, but at my age and with RA, I don’t see that happening. Happy to live vicariously through you!
Debbie Woodruff
It does get harder even without RA. I would like to get to 40 then that may well be my last. Though I still get FOMO when I hear about a great race so who knows?
Deborah Brooks
I think starting at the beginning is the best tip of them all. It is tempting to want to jump back in where we left off and pick up from there. I sure hope you get to run your marathon this year. I did see that RnR already moved Vegas to next February!
Debbie Woodruff
Sometimes we forget that we’re not professional athletes training hard al the time. If it’s been a few years, chances are we have not. 🙂
I hope to get #40 too. I just found out yesterday that Rock ‘n’ Roll is canceled until sometime in the fall, so who knows?
Kimberly Hatting
I’ll be back in the 26.2 training mode this summer, preparing for the Air Force Marathon (September 18th). My struggle (I use that term loosely) is deciding on my goals. My gut tells me to just train for the distance and not worry about a finish time, but I also don’t want to blow this opportunity for more desirable finish time than the last few marathons (that all had challenging race day circumstances with weather & unexpected hills). Then, I go back to what you said about “not getting paid” for it LOL Honestly, I’m quite grateful that I can go the 26.2 distance, and I don’t take that for granted.
Debbie Woodruff
Don’t be afraid to have a goal, just make sure you do the training to support it.
Denise
Thanks for the great coaching advice. I may soon be training for a marathon and will take your advice to heart.
Debbie Woodruff
Thank you! I hope your training goes well!
Jenn
I’ll be saving this one for future reference. I’m deciding if I feel like I want to try 26.2 again. Chances are that I don’t, but maybe?
Either way, I’ll be starting from scratch.
Debbie Woodruff
I completely understand your feelings. I feel like I want to run another marathon, then I remember the challenge of the training and the pain of the actual race, so I don’t want to do it. Then my friends say they’re training and I decide I want to run another marathon.
Laura
I am hoping to do my first marathon since 2017 this year. Since then I’ve had injuries, a baby, and Covid – and now I’m really itching to train for long distance again. I’m technically registered for Indy Monumental 2021, hopefully it can happen this year! If not I may just do what one coaching friend of mine calls a sh*ts and giggles marathon around town!
Debbie Woodruff
When I was younger I occasionally “went the distance” in training simply because I felt it helped my asthma adapt each time I ran a little farther. On the other hand, I can’t imagine doing it now, at my age. It kind of sounds like torture. 🙂
Chocolaterunsjudy
Thankfully about 3 weeks is the longest I’ve ever had to take off running. But it’s now been 2 years since my last half. No idea when my next half will be either.
Thank goodness halfs are not as taxing on the body as a marathon, but I always take my training seriously — just so that the race isn’t painful and I don’t get injured.
Debbie Woodruff
Yes, even for a half marathon it pays to take the time to build the base back up and train right, especially if it’s been a while since the last one.