Tuesday, March 18, 2008

To Marathon, or not to Marathon?

Is (or was) Ironman your first marathon? I know people have individually talked about their marathon experiences on this blog, but I'm looking for a kind of roll call. It's an old question, whether it's better to have done a marathon or not. I did two marathons before I even considered ever doing an Ironman. But I'm one of those people who just HAS to experience the 3 events individually before trying them on the same day. (I've ridden 112 miles, and at some point I'll do at least a 2-mile swim.) Having done two marathons, and knowing how very real The Wall is, I'm not sure if that makes me feel more prepared or more frightened. But I'm very glad to have the experience behind me.

At this point, it's probably too late to decide to do your first marathon before Coeur d'Alene. So will this be your first marathon? For people that already did an Ironman, was that your first 26.2-mile run, and were you glad it was/was not?

9 comments:

Jeff said...

I've done one and only one, way back in 1991. I said after it I would only do another if it were part of an IM.
CDA will be my first IM

Supalinds said...

I have done 4 marathons and this will be my first IM. I hope that there is something magical about the IM marathon :) although I train far harder now then I ever did for my marathons. And I think the cross training has done my run wonders. I run faster than I ever have and I run far less than I did training for those races.

I often think back with a bit of nostalgia, thinking about my peak week before a marathon being 60 miles, and it only took 8 hours total that week to complete. Peak weeks have taken on a whole new level with IM training :)

momo said...

i'd done five marathons before imfl (my first im). i even did one (big sur) in preparation. but that is because i come from a running background, i didn't start cycling or swimming until i decided to enter triathlon.

i know there are lots of people who will do im and it will be their first marathon. my opinion, and its only my opinion, is that the im marathon is SOO different from a stand alone marathon - that it makes this completely ok. i ended up walking a whole lot more than any stand alone marathon i've done.

and based on my foot - this im will probably be no different. :-)

Fe-lady said...

I ran a dozen marathons (or longer) before I attempted an IM.
And quite a few century rides too.
Sometimes it's just good to go into things blind though.
TOO MUCH INFORMATION can scare the pants off of people...me included!

Fe-lady said...

Oh, and I SURE as hell wouldn't train and run for a stand alone marathon the same year I was doing an IM! (Personal opinion!)

Tea said...

Well, before becoming a triathlete, I was a runner and marathoner. Running marathons has always come easy for me.

So, I'm actually worried about the IM marathon coming after a swim and bike. You just can't predict how your body will respond. I agree with MO, I don't think it's necessary to run a marathon before doing IM. In fact, it might be better to NOT do one.

Iron Krista, "The Dog Mom" said...

I had done 3 marathons before IM CDA last year, but I considered it "my first" with my new knee. It was WAY easier on my body than a marathon.

I would NOT do a marathon at this point, or even in the 20 weeks leading up to IM. Too long to recover!

Anonymous said...

I love your site here too, doing CDA this year as my second IM. Canada was my first last year, and prior to that have completed two marathons (plus one after Canada). I agree with the last comment... IM marathon is completely different on your body. When I finished Nike marathon (for the second time) in October 2007 with some friends who also did Canada with me, we agreed... the end of the individual marathon hurt much more than it did at IM!

SWTrigal said...

Before I did IMFL in 2004, I had never run a marathon or run over 3 hours (I finished IMFL respectably). I ran a stand alone marathon 5 months later and it felt torturous!! for some reason the 26.2 at the end of IM seemed easier. I was going to do a marathon before IMCDA and my coach said no way-too much risk of injury. That is fine with me!