UKH

Firstly, I'm in no rush. I've seen these "couch to marathon in 3 months" 'plans' and they make my shins hurt. 

My situation is that I am moving home to live with my parents until August 2019-I'm likely to have a lot of time and am trying to work out what my goals will be. I used to adore running (10-15miles/week ~6yrs ago) and am keen to get back into it- my first thought was that I'll take the year to build up to a solid uninjured half marathon. I have had IT band problems for the last two years so figured this would be enough of a task.

But, with over a year to do it, could I safely, solidly build up to a marathon? Or set myself like a 20 mile challenge or something like that? I realise that this also involves training besides running.
Really my question is what can one realistically achieve in a year, avoiding injuries and assuming lots of motivation and time to run- starting from 0 miles a week?

As for my fitness: I'd say I'm okay fit, I go to spin classes twice a week, walk everywhere, and prior to a shoulder injury climbed and swam regularly. I've been working hard on the IT band physio for the last month and have been running 1mile (aha I know) once a week to try and ease my knees into running again. (I'm slowly building this) They feel okayish at the moment. 

Really I'm just trying to judge how high to set the bar for myself. I don't want to put it too low and not really utilise the year (I'll have less time afterwards) but don't want to be dumb about it and just wreck my legs. My main concern is to get back into running, run far and often and continue running, but I would like to put a goal on that. 

I would spend 6 months doing a mixture of training, trying to avoid repeating any activities more than twice a week as it sounds like you need to build some all round resilience and resistance to injuries. It will build a base for you to work from. Focusing just on running doesn't sound ideal for you initially.

How old are you?

I suspect the answer to that is entirely dependent on your running form. 

I built up to my one and only marathon from regular 5 to 10km evening runs in about six months and my knees suffered for it, but I was jogging and landing with a straight legged heel strike.

After I'd recovered, I got into barefoot running for a few years and changed my form completely. I don't really run these days, but if I injure my shoulders and am looking for something other than climbing, I can go "couch" (active but not running) to half marathon distance in a couple of months no problem. 

I'm pretty sure first marathon in six months would have been fine if I'd known how to run

I'd also think about form and the shoulder injury. It might not feel like you're doing much with the upper body, but if you're carrying any tension up there, or your shoulder is in a poor position, when you're running long distances the repetitive motion can wreak havoc.

I'd say set the marathon goal but be prepared to let it go if your body says otherwise, and set intermediate goals around improving your form and speed at shorter distances. If you end up not doing a marathon but setting PBs at 5 and 10km, you'll still have achieved the main aim of building a solid foundation for continuing running

I've only started running in December and have set my sights on a half-marathon in October, with an eye to a full marathon next year sometime. I took advice from a seasoned marathon runner who said jumping straight to a marathon in 9/10 months would be possible, but it would be better to take a slower approach to work up all around fitness rather than just training for a single run. Will have better long-lasting effects hopefully.

I reckon a half at the end of a year, and a few 10ks  getting progressively quicker through the year, would be wiser.

The limiting factor for longer distances tends to be soft tissues, not cardio fitness, because the latter improves faster than the former.

I think the thing to remember is the downside of over egging it is long lasting soft tissue injuries (I was out of running for 18 months following my first half). The upside is ... being able to say you did a marathon ... in a (probably) pretty unimpressive time.

This is my perspective as I regret not running a little slower in my half and being able to contibue doing them. Noone cares that I was 7 mins quicker than my target time, including me (though it felt important at the time)!

Another way to go is to train for a half and if you have no niggles and feel ready for a lot more then go for it!

One example (n=1) of me, I ran a 1/2 with about 6 weeks training, I was bike fit but didn't run at all until I put the shoes on at the beginning of the 6 weeks.

A year later I ran a marathon (it could probably have been sooner but that is when my race was.)

I was 34 at the time. I suspect the outcome would be very different now I am 40. (in fact I know that's true as I am just starting to get running niggles for the first time in 6 years)

When I was at Uni (a long time ago now) I went from walking a lot but no other exercise to a marathon in about 6 months - started running in April and 4.05 marathon in September.  It would take longer if your were older or wanted to go faster in the marathon.

The main mistake I made was not doing more races.  It is a hell of a lot of training for just one race which, especially when it is your first time, is quite likely to go wrong on the day.   If I was doing it again I'd maybe have a 10k and a 1/2 marathon as milestones on the way to the marathon and a second marathon a month or so after the first.   

You are quite likely to get a disappointing time relative to your training in the first marathon and then a week or so later be feeling super fit and wishing you had another one coming up so you could try again and do a few things differently.

I'm 22, 23 in May. 

I guess the reason I'm not looking at 10Ks is because I could run them with ease before, (not that there wasn't a lot of room for pace improvement). Even this time last year it was after a 10K that my IT band flared up-  it just doesn't make me feel as psyched to aim for a fast 10K as opposed to aiming for a further distance. The furthest I've ever run is 11 miles and I know I wasn't particularly fitter at the time, nor had I been training for it- it was just a really nice day and I kept extending my run. That's why I think the half marathon is perhaps quite doable, although I know I'll have to be more injury aware.

Hadn't really thought about how it could effect my shoulder. Thanks for the thought, I'll have a chat with my physio on that one I guess. (For what it's worth, it was a torn rotator cuff in October, it's largely settled down now, but still no climbing)

Thank you so much everyone for your replies! I think what I'm likely to do is train for a decent half. I guess if it goes well I could do more than one or go on to do a marathon. I just lack the concept of how long these things take, didn't want it to be like a "A year?! that's LOADS of time! you only need like 7 months!" kind of thing. 

Shame that you got a dislike for this. It is a perfectly reasonable comment. At 22, getting faster is a much better thing to train for, I'm sure that this obsession with distance is actually putting people off running. 

My advice to the OP, get back in to your running, enjoy it, build your mileage, join a club, do some regular racing, if you still want to do a marathon in six or nine months, so be it, but you have got decades to run marathons, why don't you see what you can do over shorter distances whilst time is on your side.

This is really not something that had occurred to me. At the risk of sounding just as naive as I am- does it get a lot harder to be quick as you get older compared to still being able to go far at a reasonable pace?

Already I'm dismayed at how easily I seem to get injured nowadays compared to 5/6 years ago (though I know that might sound ridiculous as a 22 year old). So your comment has actually resonated with me. I'd hate to realise in 10 years time that I've missed the window for speed while the one for distance is still very much open.

I would aim to run 5k, based on your injury history, get that in the bag using a 2-3 month programme and the build up to a 10k and then half-marathon etc. and see how it goes. Perhaps make your aim to enjoy your running rather than make a particular distance your aim. Short fast races and scenic mountain ultras are the way forward – marathons are a necessary evil in-between!!

In relation to you injury getting gait analysis (cross-over gait, weak glutes etc can be associated with ITB for instance) might be useful. Have you got a local running club you could join so there is a social side to your running. 

Good luck with your return to running and perhaps also living with your parents again if it has been a while!

I doubt my experience will be much use, but...

I went from couch to marathon in 3 months, Dec '16 to a 3:52 time in march '17. 

I was a 41 year old fat bastard who hated running, the only motivation was to beat my younger fitter brother ( ahem... nailed it ????).

No training plan, just got some trainers and ran as far as felt comfortable a couple of times a week.

I get the feeling people tend to overthink this stuff. Just run . Enjoy it . See how it goes .

PS didn't run again afterwards, and I'm a fat wheezing bastard again. 

Digression; a relative of mine did it. He said what he saved in rent, he paid for with his sanity.  

It took me about 3 years and close on 10+ half marathons to learn how to run a half properly. I’ve now run 18 marathons and I’m not even close to knowing how to run a marathon properly. 

Its a brutal distance and takes a long time to master. 

Agree on all counts. Can't see why people disliked a perfectly sensible suggestion.

I'd not touch the marathon until a sub 3 is possible personally.. Just become a better runner first, join a club, learn what works for you and build as a runner over the years.

My peak was 33. I think you need a good few years, 5+ to peak. You need to get stronger first. Build the miles slowly, try different types of races, trail, fell, road, different distances and build the experience.

To put it bluntly it'd be pretty silly to try a marathon with any ITB issues. You need to find the underlying course of that first.

Thanks everyone for your responses. I'm really glad I asked. (and I'm so excited!)

I'm going to join my local club (never occured to me!) and set my sights on a fast 10K. If there's much of the year left following that then I'll look at a half marathon. I realise I would definitely rather run whatever race I pick in a decent time rather than just getting it ticked off- and I've never been a quick runner, so actually maybe this is an even cooler challenge.  

And to everyone who mentioned about the ITB- rehabbing that and keeping it healthy is for sure my priority in any plan I'll make; I definitely agree with your wisdom!

Cheers again all  

I have done five marathons, pb 3.02 hrs in my fifties a good while ago, after many years as a footballer.

I read as much as I ran; the wisdom answer to most distances is to build up to run three times the distance in a week i.e 10k run>30k a week; 10 mile>run 30 mile, marathon 78 mile a week; these are maximum distances for only a couple of weeks mid way through your training programme. Sir Mo I guess will be doing 100ml a week.. There is also the need to improve by doing interval and speed sessions.

My best week was a 66 miles. A good tip for a reasonable marathon time is do the training for a half marathon and sling in a couple of 18 milers; these long runs are to build confidence that you are not going to get anxious when your start seeing the later mile markers.

Of course the issue is time, the faster runner you are the less time you spend running/training. If you have job running 78 mile a week is like having a part time job on top of your regular employment. Oh and possibly a family /social life. 

However it is the answer if you do the correct mileage the race is about the same effort as running for a bus- if we ever do that these days.