My Forum

You can be fit and strong, but slow. I have been running for years, and train my arse off, but I am not yet below 4hrs for a marathon, but I can finish strong and confident.  I may or may not get there one day, but it could be years before I get there, and in the mean time I'll complete the Ironman!

There are many people in my running club who are slower than 4.30 for a marathon, but they are fit, have endurance, are strong and regular runners doing all the right training - just slow.

I guess theres a difference between being trained and fit but a slow runner (that doesn't have the genes to go faster), and an untrained person doing a slow time because they are not fit.

 Personally I want to enjoy my Ironman experience - as I do running and tri in my spare time for FUN, so i want to have the right base before I start, so I do think its worth thinking about how fit you need to be before you start a training plan (tho I defintiely don't agree with the you have to be a 3-4hr marathon runner).

Some people do Ironman as theire first tri - and fare play to them. I have however seen some people do this, and really struggle, injuries, motivation etc etc, and I wonder why they do it to themselves. Is there a hurry to do ironman - as it will always be there?

Hi Mike,

I'm looking for some tips dealing with the taper or last 2-3weeks before a marathon. I am running Barcelona Marathon on 2nd March. This will be my third marathon, and I seem to find the taper weeks the hardest - emotionally.

 I lose confidence and motivation, I generally feel a bit crap, a bit stressed, and a bit scared of race day.....and then to make matters worse i stick my head in the biscuit tin......and then feel even more crap.

My training has gone well, I've had some great runs, and thoroughly enjoyed the training. Of course i've had good days and bad days, but over the course of 20 weeks of training generally its gone well. 

 This time I've been tired over the last week, and have really cut back massively on training. It turns out I have a slight cold, so that might be why I've been struggling. But its still only a cold - and I shouldn't feel quite so pysched out.

 Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

oh you make it sound quite fun.....i'm excited now.....just need to figure out a training schedule....and decide whether to have a new bike!!! so any advice will help.

I'm not fast, and its my first ironman. I  was thinking of running a marathon in the spring, barcelona is march 2nd. but i've read mixed stuff about running a marathon in the build up to an ironman? what  do people think?

Also as Zurich is quite early in the season did you do any races in the build up - and if so what?

Yep!! I'm doing it! there i've said it and theres no going back now.

Is it flat? Is it a big lake? cos if theres a swell i may get sea sick - it doesn't take much believe me.