Question:
As some of you may know I have been doing weight training for many
years - lots of heavy squatting etc. However I have this new bee in my
bonnet to do the NYC Marathon before I turn 40. Since I know you need
a solid core of about a year running plus the 18 week marathon prep
routine, I am looking at the 2007 race (if I can even get in - I'll try
to go for the 2006 race, and then cancel - that guarantees you entry
the following year - unless I don't get into either lottery).
My question is very simple - do I need to pretty much give up my weight
training, or change/reduce it significantly, and become an endurance
weenie, in order to accomplish this goal?
Currently I weigh between 155 and 160 at 5'5" and I'm very solid. I
squat weekly, 155 is my max, and do 360 on the leg press weekly as
well. Cardio is not in my life right now, but I have run in the past -
never ran more than around 4 miles however.
Answer:I don't know about the need for a "solid core of about a year running"
before your 18 week prep. If you want to keep lifting, I'd go over to
news:rec.running and see if you can find a program that takes you from
nothing to a marathon in 18 weeks or even less. I think you can use
many programs written for first-time marathons on little or no prep.
Hal Higdon, e.g., says you should be able to run 3-6 mile comfortably
and averaging 15-25 miles in 3-5 day per week - you don't need a year to
get to that level. He also says people come into his program on less,
especially if they're coming from another sport, so I'd say wait as long
as you realistically can.
Higdon's site also has a 12-week program to prep you for the 18-week
program, so now you're talking 30 weeks, which is about 7 months, not a
year and some. Given that you're strong from lifting, you might get
away with 6-weeks of prep instead of 12.
See:
http://www.halhigdon.com/marathon/Mar0026mile.htm
for all this and more. Me, I ran the Philly half-marathon 3 times when
I was in my late 20's with a best of 1:36:40 and I've never done a
marathon. I've got it in my mind to try one sometime, too, and my plan
will be to keep lifting and add in 3 easy runs per week until it's time
to start the 18-week or similar program, at which point I'll cut back
lifting. Maybe before I'm 60, though, as 40 and 50 have already passed.
