How I Ran a Marathon without Really Training for a Marathon
- Annabella Carbone
- Mar 9, 2020
- 5 min read
26.2 miles. On July 12th, I found out I was running that distance in 3 months. At that point, the longest distance I had run was a half marathon. And did I mention that I hate running? But here I am. Staring at the email stating that I was going to run 26.2 miles.
Anyone who knows me knows that I am into fitness. And if you didn’t know, now you know. I like to weightlift. I like to see what my limits are and I like to see results. I’ve been lifting for 7 years now. However, I have been running for 10 years. Ironic, right? I hate running, but here I am. Basically a veteran in the “sport.” As any athlete, I ran because my coach made me do it at practice. We would run laps around my high school (which was on a hill), we would run through the hallways (up and down the stairs through different floors), and my worst memory of running, is running continuous laps around my gym for the whole duration of the practice.
So you can say that my relationship with running was initially toxic. And like any toxic relationship, I winced at the thought of my future relationships with running. I knew that getting into it was going to be a process and a lot of healing. I wanted a positive relationship with running, and one that made me better. I did what anyone should do when they are growing and feeling uncomfortable. I kept feeling uncomfortable until it became somewhat comfortable. But the thing with running is that you will always feel uncomfortable if you want to improve. Like a toxic relationship, you just never feel like you’re good enough. You can always run further. You can always run faster. You can always have more gear that will make you run further and faster. The first few times I ran, I was breathing so hard. I went to a lung doctor and basically forced him to give my healthy body an asthma pump because I swore that I had asthma.
Later in my running journey, I realized it didn’t have to be something I hated. It can be something I find comfort in. It was something I used to bond with people. It was like a weird cult. Every day I still claim I’m not a runner. However, we are really all born runners. You just need to choose the kind of relationship you want to have with it.
Ahh but yes, I was staring at the email saying that I was going to run a marathon. As far as my actual training for the marathon? Pfft. Well, I was already kinda running. But no crazy distance. 5 miles at most. I was definitely weightlifting already which helped a TON. I cannot stress enough the importance of this! Please, please, please incorporate core, leg, endurance, and high intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts! Weightlifting really helped with my bone mass and my muscles and tendons were strong. When I had to start training for the marathon, I was doing a 5 to 10K run and one long run a week. But I wasn’t disciplined. On Saturday mornings, many times I would skip long run and go lift weights instead. Long runs are scary when you’re by yourself. There are many times you want to give up. I started getting phantom pains in my legs and feet before the marathon. So I stopped running. My last real run before the October 13th marathon was late September. Then I did about 2 miles to shakeout the day before. So trust me when I say, I didn’t really conventionally train. The longest distance I ran was 17 miles. Then it was balls to the wall!
Strategy
Because of this, I had to just think about the strategy. Strategy (and good company) is what got me through the finish line. I read an article (https://www.runnersworld.com/training/a29342955/marathon-training-strategy/) that talked about how to break up the running pace-wise. The 10,10,10 rule. First 10 miles are to be ran at slower than marathon pace. I was able to run, talk, and take pictures! The next 10 miles are marathon pace. I was kind of able to talk, but not as much as the first 10 miles! And the last 10k pace is just doing the best you can and running with your heart. The last 6.2 miles was all grit and grind. This pace strategy helped me tremendously. Additionally, another thing that helped the pace was music. I created two playlists: one with slower R&B and the other was faster, upbeat rap and hip-hop. I used the playlists in accordance to the 10,10,10 method!
Then nutrition. I had a strategic plan regarding that. I needed:
Peanut butter and banana sandwich and black coffee- well, this was my breakfast (pre-race—about an hour beforehand)! Carbs, protein, potassium, and a little bit of caffeine (I only took a few sips of the coffee. Coffee is a diuretic and you don’t want that mess...)
Clif Shot blocks- 3 blocks (which is one serving) after my first hour then 3 blocks every 30-45 minutes; easy source of calories, carbs, and electrolytes which are all lost when running. The average amount of calories lost during a marathon is 2700 calories and a significant amount of glycogen (stored carbohydrates). These calories and carbs need to be replenished! Each serving of shot blocks is about 100 calories and 24 grams of carbs. Remember: carbs are energy! Practice taking these (or gel packets) during one of your long runs and make sure it is with some water.
Advil Extra Strength- 2 right before the race and another 2 after 4 hours in; Advil is an ibuprofen and is an anti-inflammatory. It reduces hormones that cause inflammation and pain in the body. I took it so I didn’t feel any pain during my run!
Tylonel- 2 after 2 hours in; Tylonel is an acetaminophen which is a pain reliever. Tylonel relieves pain differently than Advil so I took the proper dosage when necessary and for a preventative measure.
Salt- whenever I felt cramping in muscles; low sodium levels cause cramping in muscles (many physiological processes behind how a muscle works…sodium plays a big part)
Gatorade/Water- interchanged and took a cup every time I saw a station! (squeeze the cup like a spout); Gatorade has electrolytes, sodium, and potassium!
If you have done half marathons before, I’d say you have an edge. However, it can also mess you up if you kind of think of it that way because you will mentally check out when you hit 13 miles. You definitely do not want to do that! I’m assuming if you are reading this, that you are a first timer. So just enjoy it. Enjoy the route, the views, and the people. I had a JBL speaker to vibe out and so that I can hear the cheers and cheer for other people. But other than that, it was a mind game. I couldn’t believe that I was doing it until the day before and I had a
mental breakdown.
I cried because I didn’t feel like I deserved to run the marathon and didn’t think I would complete it. I had to remember why I started running and think about my
relationship with running. I also had to remember that everyone’s race is different, and they run for different reasons. I could just run and do what I do: catch a vibe, take pictures, and enjoy my company.
I felt guilty for finishing it and wasn’t really that proud of myself. I had this weird out of body experience because people were congratulating me, but I didn’t feel a sense of accomplishment. I had a good time, finished under 5 hours, and had negative splits (meaning I got faster toward the end of the marathon). I am still not sure why the marathon didn’t really phase me that much or why I felt this. Maybe because a marathon was something I never wanted to do and I never saw in my future so I wasn’t mentally prepared.
But I did have one take away. I proved to myself that I can really do whatever I put my mind to.
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