Weddingbee boards

I have run 2 half marathons and will run a 10 mile race in a few weeks.  I have NOT been training :(.  I signed up for the race as a good way to stay in shape leading up to the wedding.

The only worry I have is, that I usually eat like crap a week or two after a race, so hopefully I'm more discipline.

Oh, and I started running because my FI is a marathon runner.  So I just try and keep up. 

Another runner here!

I love the half marathon, been running them about 9 years now. However, this fall I too am running a Marathon, and feeling so grateful it comes after Hood to Coast, as I think it will be a good last event before the push to run my first 26.2

My advice, train in the gear you will run in, shoes, shorts, sports bra, shirt, hat...etc.

Also note, if you always run with an iPod you probably won't be able to at the event. So, I suggest not running with one for your training, or alternate days so you don't grow dependent on it. Music is really mood altering and can be very helpful in training.

Keep a good eating program, from now until you complete. You will need plenty of nutrients, including carbohydrates and lots of water. Building a habit of consuming your typical 64 ounces a day, also, you'll need to be able to learn to drink while running. There are a lot of ways of doing, you can stop and sip, or gulp and run, even folding over the top of the paper cup to keep water in it as you run. Or you can learn to run with a camelbak, 26.2 miles is a distance and you will need to be hydrated. 

You will also need to be rested. Think about the days, or rather if you go three days without a run how your body is nearly aching to put foot to pavement. You want to feel this way before the big day, several days before the big day. 

Pace yourself. When people first start running with groups they have a tendency to go out too fast. Get a watch and learn your pace, run a little slower than your typical pace in the first couple of miles, people will pull far away from you, but you'll catch up to them or pass them around 10 miles or so when the lactic acid starts to tear their muscles down.

If you need something like shotbloks, learn to use them on your longer training runs so your body doesn't have adverse reactions to them. It't not uncommon for people to suffer all sorts of digestion upset, which is why I say stick with a regular food program.

Also, be aware that if you are running this just a week before your wedding, you might want to have your last dress fitting about 2 weeks before because you will have lost weight, it comes with the territory.

And plan for a massage a few days or the day after the event. Otherwise you could be waddling down the aisle in serious pain. Half marathons are easy on the body, Hood to Coast is harder, and so I imagine that a full marathon is going to be slightly harder than that.

Also, for your training, if you can, alternate your running training with cycling or elliptical trainer, they give the knees a break. As another posters said, weight training is important. and yes it is. i'd say I agree with squats and lunges, but you also need leg extensions, these keep the knees stable. And tons of runners make the mistake of not working your abs, try handing leg raises and decline crunches, this mixes it up and still keeps your core strong, which you'll need for all the time you spend upright.

this isn't everything of course, but i hope it helps somewhat.

Perhaps you could do a few 5k's before the big event, this might give you an idea of what to expect as far as people and how the events are staffed and how you do with crowds and temperature, and running on pavement.

I am so glad to see so many other runners here.

Good Luck to all of you!

This is a great thread.  It makes me believe I can finish a full marathon.  However with each half marathon I have run, I'm like "this sucks" and don't know how I could keep going.

I think I want to train for a marathon after I have a baby.  I love cheering for the marathon and seeing kids with Run Mommy signs

craftypants....that is almost too good to pass up!

 I am thinking of signing up with Team in Training and that is one of the offered races. Chocolate on the course, that takes the cake!

Runner here, too; but haven't completed a full marathon, just a handful of halfs/other races. One of my life goals is to complete a full someday, but like someone else said - what a huge time committment it is! I was planning on training for one in September but never got around to getting serious about it - with 5 months away it is too late now, especially considering the wedding is in August. Someday!

For some reason the Portland Marathon does  not appeal to me, not yet anyway. I think I'd rather have a few marathons in before I think about Portland.

 I love Hood to Coast, but can't figure out why there isn't that same kind of desire for Portland. The Eugne Marathon same thing, and I am from Oregon!

I am thinking perhaps Dublin, Houston or Painted Hills, which is a marathon out near where I live and only has like 10 runners for that event. It's not easy but you don't have to struggle to pass or run with a crowd of people, which is the only thing about running any race that drives me nuts, oh and drafters.

Perhaps I should watch Portland once and maybe that would change my opinion. Portland is so beautiful and you get to run the St. John's Bridge, which has to be a total rush. And all the great beer after. Yes, that would be a reason to run Portland.

Good luck all you runners.

I am thinking there should be a thread just for runner support. 

Any cyclists out there?

Runners!

I have a question about pedicures.

How do you keep your feet looking pretty while maintaining nails that don't get damaged from running.

I keep my nails short, but I really want them to look pretty for the wedding in 6 weeks. Growing them longer is not an option as it cause me to get blisters under them. I typically paint them red as I think it looks best on short toenails. I am planning on a "real" pedicure, as I live 3 hours from the nearest town, but how often do you get them, and how soon before the wedding should I get my last one? Are there colors you prefer?

thanks everyone,

I do scrub my feet every day in the shower with either a stone or a swedish file. 

But runrunrun, your details are helpful.

How do you decide on length and shape? 

and as for socks with lotion...surely to be part of my routine.

Also, do you find with softer feet that you get  more blisters? I once used lotion on my feet before running, very bad idea as I developed a few blisters.

15 miles is a great distance. Have a great time!

I have run the New York marathon twice (in '04 and '06).  A few years before the first marathon I did, I joined some friend to watch people cross the finish line.  I remember thinking -- if these people can do it, so can I.  It took a few years, but I did it.

One recommendation I have is to get really good seamless sports bras and tops.  I found this out the hard way.  When you start upping your mileage, the friction really takes a toll on your skin where the seams are.  I was doing a long run in a shirt that had a bad seam that came in contact with the inside of my upper arm.  It became so raw that I had to hold my arm out for over half the run.  It was miserable.

Also, body glide will become your new best friend.

Definitely train with gu (or other on the course supplement) and gatorade.  You want to know how your body handles these.  For the last marathon, I found that the gatorade made me feel a little sick when training so I stopped.  I should have worked through it.  I needed the sodium on marathon day.  I got slightly overhydrated, which is more common in slower runners like me.

Also, increase your mileage gradually.  Most training programs have good guidance on this.  If  you increase too much, too soon, you risk injury.

The longest run I ever did when training was 20 miles.  I only did the full 26.2 on marathon day.  Most guides that recommend the 20 mile max training run say that the risk of injury from a 26.2 mile training run outweighs any benefit of doing it.  If you can do 20, the momentum of the day will carry you through to the end.

Good luck and enjoy it!!!

what a great thread!!

I am a runner too, no marathons yet, just halfs. I just finished one last weekend, the More Women's Half Marathon. Anyone there? It was HOT, but I had a great time!! 

I second the bodyglide reccomendation- I use it on my feet and around my sports bra lines and never get blisters. Also, it is great to use with uncomfortable flats or heels that usually cut up your feet. 

happy running!

Congratulations!!!

I'd say you earned at least a massage and a great breakfast!