Welcome to Getting Fit at Fifty

My name is Art Davis and I started running in 2007 to lose weight. Check out my before and after photos at the bottom of the page. I ran my first 5K and 10K in 2007 I went on to run my first half Marathon and full Marathon in 2008.























Monday, February 14, 2011

Your First Full Marathon

My first full marathon 26.2 miles was The Cincinnati Flying Pig in 2008. I signed up for the pasta dinner the night before and in the process won two tickets to see the Cincinnati Reds play the Chicago Cubs. It is really a great race one of the most fun I have ever run. People dress up in pig costumes with wings, a group of firefighters marched the course in full gear,  the finish line is the finish swine, volunteers along the way encourage you with such lines as "We are sorry it is hilly in Cincinnati but we just suck it up" and "It is all downhill from here." I remember running up hills getting to the top and looking up and there was another hill.
I also learned some of the unfortunate things that you will see during a marathon. I saw people cramp up and have to drop out, and I saw people get sick and vomit. It was also the first time I saw an ambulance pick up a runner. Marathons test the limits of the human body, training properly greatly reduces the chances of an injury, but even so things still do happen. I would highly recomemnd the Flying Pig it is a great race and here are pointers on running a marathon:
  • Pick the right marathon: Some marathons are relatively flat courses and some are hilly.
  • Pick the right training program: There are beginner programs, intermediate programs and advanced programs.
  • Pick the right shoes: Do not scrimp on the running shoes and buy the right ones for your foot.
  • Allow plenty of time: To start a marathon program you should be running a minimum of 15 - 20 miles a week and a minimum of being able to run 30 minutes without stopping. Personally before I started a training program I could run 7 miles without stopping and programs typically go for 16 weeks.
  • Get to the marathon early: Stretch, relax and get your mind focused.
  • Eat Right: Eat a good healthy breakfast and eat a good pasta dinner the night before.
  • Hydrate: Drink plenty of fluids before, during and after.
  • Don't give up: The training is long, intense and it hurts but the feeling of Euphoria after running a marathon is worth it.
Any other Pointers?

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  1. Jessica DeLineFebruary 17, 2011 at 4:59 PM

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    ReplyDelete

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