UKH

OK, not entirely couch but certainly not the fittest.

Up until a few years ago I was a very regular runner but due to time and an injury I havent run properly and consistently for some time. I could probably do 10 miles at a push right now at about 8:30 mi miles overall.

I am due to have an operation on March 2nd for my shoulder which will leave me unable to run for 2-3 weeks and then we are back on it. I will start over the next day or so and get 4-5 weeks in before March. The Kielder marathon is 8th October and I would like to do that one with a couple of friends. This will be my first although I have run many half marathons down to 1:36. I'm 41 and in reasonable fitness.

Am I biting off more than I can chew here?

In reply to TheDrunkenBakers:

You have plenty time, you just need to try and get your base fitness up before you start marathon specific work.

I friend of mine did Kielder last year, she got injured at the London Marathon in April and wasn't running again until July. Did Kielder with the aim of just getting around and did it in just under 4 hours (her flat marathon PB is around 3:27). Said it was pretty rolling rather than hilly).

In reply to TheDrunkenBakers:
No thats oodles of time.
Just build back up gradually until June and then you've got the normal 16week training period (roughly)

In reply to The New NickB:

Id love to do sub 3.30. Was your friend particularly fit?

In reply to Stig:

Whats the gradual recommendation?

In reply to TheDrunkenBakers: I'd say a month or two of base mileage, say between 20-30 miles a week. It depends how injury prone you are really. All the manuals tell you to be careful and to increase mileage by 10% a week, and only adding a mile or so to long runs. Personally I can do rapid swings in mileage depending on what I'm training for or other things going on, but I have a pretty consistent base now going back 3 years or so. If you're coming back from injury I guess you want to err on the side of caution.

In reply to TheDrunkenBakers:


Her 1/2 PB at the time was similar to yours at the time. If you can get back to that fitness, it's case of doing the marathon training and getting it right on the day. I would expect Kielder to be a bit slower.

In reply to TheDrunkenBakers:
Thanks for all the advice. I thought long and hard about it and Kielder seemed too hilly for my level right now, and the fact that I live in Newark with mole hills being the only inclines for training so I have signed up for The Yorkshire Marathon, which coincidentally is on the same day. It looks a little less intimidating and a lot easier to get to.

So the plan will be to start running now with about 10-15 miles per week until the op and then after that start the running proper. Fingers crossed i can remain injury free.

In reply to TheDrunkenBakers:

I was just about to recommend the Yorkshire Marathon to you!

Kielder is beautiful (I'm a Northumbrian) but more of a trail run than a standard marathon.

The oldest (?) road race in the world was resurrected last year as a Marathon from Morpeth to Newcastle but I think the logistics of Yorkshire will be better for you.

I missed out on London so ran Paris instead a couple of years ago and went from never running at age 42 to Half Marathon in six months then to the Full in Paris 6 months later. 1:57 for Half, 4:27 for the Full........not great but quite proud of myself.

I'm still running now 2 years later approx 15 to 20 miles a week, got the Reading Half next month.

Good luck with your op and share your training on here

In reply to TheDrunkenBakers:

So how's it going - recovering ok?