Insane to run a marathon on no training?

[Anonymous]

He is likely to give up somewhere in the teens or punish and injure himself somewhere in the 20s. A bad idea all the way around. I've met several people intending to only run a half and felt so good at 13 miles decided to go for the full marathon. I'm pretty sure they all regretted their decision.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:22:46 here again. I think many of you are being a bit dramatic here. Maybe he "runs" it and walks quite a bit. No big deal. Plenty of people walk. If he finds it impossible- as many of you predict- then he drops out. It doesn't seem like a good idea to me but I dont think its super dumb. Its just not the marathon experience that people train for.

Of course if OP's husband respects the distance and understands his limitations, he can finish in 5.5 - 6 hours (nothing to be ashamed of) with a slow run/walk. But based on this impulsive decision, I'm betting OP's husband will take off sprinting the first 10K, limp around jogging for the next 5 miles and then completely run out of gas by mile 15 - if he doesn't injure himself beforehand. Doesn't sound like a fun time to me.

[Anonymous]

My husband ran the Marine Corp Marathon in his late 20's without training (although he was a runner). He was part of a "support team" for a friend who had trained. He was the only one of his group who actually finished. I wouldn't recommend this approach but he suffered no ill effects. I think the key is knowing if and when to stop.

[Anonymous]

What's his bib number? There's a tracking device embedded in it that allows folks to follow you on a website. My parents "watched" me run the MCM from home in Florida two years ago.

We can track you dh and post his progress here.

[Anonymous]

He risks injury. Anyone read the blog Dooce? She did this shit last year. She buddied up with Christy Turlington who actually DOES run and Christy Turlington invited her to run the NY Marathon with her. Because Dooce couldn't turn down the opportunity to kiss Christy Turlington's ass, she decided to do it. She had like 6 weeks to train. I think her longest run leading up to the marathon was 10 miles. She finished, but she injured herself. She later claimed she broke her foot, but she's prone to exaggeration and also said she was walking after the race, so a break seems unlikely, but she DID injure it and hasn't been able to run since. Marathons are more about being tiring; if your body is not physically up to the challenge, you risk doing some serious damage.

[Anonymous]

Curious to hear what happened today with OP's husband.

A number of years ago I ran a marathon on about 6wks notice. Longest run I'd done in months was 8miles. BUT, I had two marathons under my belt and had been running various distances for about 10yrs, even if the months preceding the race had been short mileage only.

I respected the distance and did it for fun. The slowest of my three times, but no worse for the wear.

I also have a friend who accidentally ran MCM. She was late getting to the starting line and jumped in line, thinking it was the start of the MCM 10K. Because she was late, she wasn't aware that the marathon had been delayed due to a start line medical emergency. She was already 5mi in before she really realized that it wasn't the 10K route, and decided to keep going until she felt like quitting. Which she did, at the 26.2mi mark. She was hurting for days and days.

It can be done, but I wouldn't necessarily recommend it.

[Anonymous]

Barney Stinson is married? OP, maybe find the relevant episode of How I Met Your Mother where Barney does indeed run a marathon off the cuff. And then can't walk. Fiction, but maybe he needs a visual?

[Anonymous]

Curious about this too! OP, is DH limping around the house?

[Anonymous]

I saw a first time marathoner won the men's race. (I told you guys it wasn't that hard) Granted, the winner ran cross country and track in college and is a world class US Army athlete, but maybe OP's husband managed to do too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I saw a first time marathoner won the men's race. (I told you guys it wasn't that hard) Granted, the winner ran cross country and track in college and is a world class US Army athlete, but maybe OP's husband managed to do too.

It's not a question of first-timer. It's that he hadn't trained. Two VERY different scenarios.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
I also have a friend who accidentally ran MCM. She was late getting to the starting line and jumped in line, thinking it was the start of the MCM 10K. Because she was late, she wasn't aware that the marathon had been delayed due to a start line medical emergency. She was already 5mi in before she really realized that it wasn't the 10K route, and decided to keep going until she felt like quitting. Which she did, at the 26.2mi mark. She was hurting for days and days.

It can be done, but I wouldn't necessarily recommend it.

that would not be possible today. You will get caught and be banned. It is called a bandit runner. If that is something you want to do, then try that at some low key races. I have heard of runners near the finish line being tackled by security. It is even illegal to run with a bib that has someone elses name on, and illegal to sell a bib

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I also have a friend who accidentally ran MCM. She was late getting to the starting line and jumped in line, thinking it was the start of the MCM 10K. Because she was late, she wasn't aware that the marathon had been delayed due to a start line medical emergency. She was already 5mi in before she really realized that it wasn't the 10K route, and decided to keep going until she felt like quitting. Which she did, at the 26.2mi mark. She was hurting for days and days.

Okay, this is not possible. I've run both the 10K and the marathon. The start lines are separated BY A RIVER! The 10K starts at the Smithsonian Castle, while the marathon starts in Virginia on Rte 110 next to the Pentagon. You can't "accidentally" start the marathon thinking it's the 10K.

[Anonymous]

This was years ago. Literally almost ten years ago.

I'm well aware of what bandit running is and am hugely opposed. She didn't plan it, just serendipitously became a bandit. She thought she had lined up at the 10K.

[Anonymous]

So, OP, did he do it? How did it go?