Training for the PHX marathon in December. Despite my best efforts to do my long run after work it just doesn't make sense when the sun is still up and the real feel temperature is still about 105.

Have had to shift my long runs to before work which means a 3 to 3:30 AM wakeup and man does the sun not being up make a huge difference.

Today was an 18 miler and so I had to set my alarm even earlier. As fate as would have it I woke up wide awake at midnight so got it done (~9:30 pace), had enough time to shower and take a quick nap and now off to work.

If you're training in this brutal heat or humidity just know you're seen and we got this!

I’m at the point in training where every long run is the farthest I’ve ever ran. I’ve been using Runna for my training plan and I’m wondering if this long run is too intense? I’m 6 weeks out from race day and my long run this week is 18 miles long—4 miles at a conversational pace, 10 miles at marathon pace (11:00/mi for me), 4 miles at a conversational pace.

I’m curious what others think! Maybe it’s too intense or maybe I’m just nervous. Thanks!

I’m running my first marathon in Oct (Chicago) and I’m getting to the points of my longer runs before my taper (20mi will be the longest) which I only intend to do once before the marathon then go back down. Also, prefacing this with the fact that I’m doing the marathon to finish with no real goal time in mind - right now my Runna plan has me between 5:00 - 5:30 and if I hit that great and if it takes me longer great.

I was wondering though, is it better to do the full long run even if it takes me over 3 hours? I feel like I’ve seen mixed things on this where some people say to do the full mileage to understand how that feels (which makes sense to me), but then others saying you shouldn’t do the full long run mileage if it takes you more than about 3 hours.

Curious what people thing here!

I’m training for my first marathon (NYC in November) and I’m feeling pretty discouraged right now.

I’ve been feeling really good about my running lately as distance is picking up. My endurance has felt great, and I honestly feel like I could handle the distance from a cardio/energy standpoint.

Unfortunately, I’ve started having issues with my left IT band/outer knee. It first flared up during my half around mile 7, and then again during my next long run around mile 9. I stopped both times rather than pushing through.

I went to my PT, who confirmed it’s IT band syndrome. He’s given me some strengthening exercises and said I can use the bike or elliptical to maintain cardio if running is painful.

I’m supposed to be getting into my longer marathon-training runs now, and I’m pretty upset about potentially having to cut back or miss some of them after feeling like I was finally making so much progress.

For anyone who’s dealt with IT band syndrome while marathon training:
-How long did it take you to get back to running?
-Did cycling/elliptical help you maintain your fitness?
-Were you able to get back to your marathon training?
-Any advice or reassurance?

Hi all,

Hope someone can help put my mind at ease here. I’m Hoping the run my first Marathon on the third of October. I’ve been wearing a pair of Hoka Clifton 10s as my main shoe throughout my training, they’ve been oversized. My foot is a size 6.5 and I was wearing an 8. I’ve just bit the bullet and decided to get a pair of Mach 7s in a size 7 to wear for race day. How much of a difference am I likely to notice and do they have sufficient padding for the later kms/miles. Thanks for any advice and yes I know I’m a dumbass for the original sizing. Also ordered online no try on…

Hi everyone! A week ago, I ran my first full marathon. First of all, I'd like to say thank you to everybody who posted here and helped other newbies. As I can call myself a marathoner now as well, I thought it might help someone if I shared my experience.

Running background and goals. At school and university, I enjoyed running during PE classes. I wasn't the fastest runner and had no additional training. The first thing that helped change my attitude was the Nike Running Club that was established here in Moscow in the early 2010s by the new generation of running enthusiasts and with the help of Nike. From 2012 to 2015, I raced 10k every year, with the best result being 42:36 (if the distance was measured correctly). Then I had a pause till 2018, when I decided to get back into running and race a half marathon (finished in 1:55:45). Then I paused again until 2024, when I had two HMs (with a PB of 1:52:52), and a 15k run next year. Overall, by 2026, I had a background of a few 5k runs, seven 10k runs, one 15k run, and three HMs.

All my previous races were in my hometown, but this time I decided to travel to a place I'd never been to - Chelyabinsk (1500 km from Moscow).

Thoughts on HR zones training. When preparing for half marathons, I used HR-based training plans suggested by Polar Flow, as I had a Polar watch, and had 3-4 workouts per week. The plans were OK, I had many super slow runs with a low heart rate and some fast interval training too.

But in 2024, I realized my suggested HR zones were set too low, as I felt massively underprepared as I finished my first HM of the season with my legs literally refusing to move after the finish line (it was also a bit hot). I tweaked my zones up a little and, in 6 weeks, finished the second race easily.

For the marathon, I switched to a more traditional pace-based plan. However, I also sorted out the HR issue. I knew my HRmax was around 195 but I didn't know my zones were also much higher than I expected. As I started my marathon training, I had a medical checkup and a treadmill test with gas analysis, which showed my aerobic threshold at around 158-162 and anaerobic threshold at 176. I set the zones based on these numbers, only slightly adjusting them during the season based on my feelings.

All in all, I learned that most HR zone formulas sucks. But if you cannot afford a lab test, use the Karvonen method. The numbers it gave me were close enough.

Marathon training plan. Choosing a training plan was rather problematic. There are many instructions on how to compose a plan of your own. I really wanted a ready-made solution. But even such solutions are different in structure and follow various approaches.

This is when comments on Reddit helped a lot, drawing my attention to the Hansons' plan. The more I read about it, the more I liked it. It's very straightforward as it gives clear instructions about pacing (I didn't want to puzzle over the Jack Daniels' VDOT tables), it's not just boring slow running, it has speedwork... nice, I thought: I can run 6 days a week. And I could.

I tried to exercise as close to the schedule as I could, with minor adjustments. For example, on Fridays, I would run super easy 5k to 7k runs with a running club. For this reason, I often added distance to my Saturday easy runs.

I didn't feel extremely exhausted at any point of the training block, except for a few runs in hot weather. I mostly trained in the evening.

It's a pity the Hansons' approach is not that popular here in Russia. The reason, I guess, is that Luke Humphey's book doesn't have a Russian translation, unlike the books by Jack Daniels or Matt Fitzgerald.

Racing during the training block. I decided to have a few test races during the season. The first one was an HM in late May. Actually, to run it, I jumped right in the middle of the Hansons' HM training block in March - I thought it was safe enough as I had some previous experience. The race was nice, I nearly beat my PB. After the HM, I just switched to the marathon block, which was still in its early weeks, according to my schedule.

I also had a 10k Night Run on Week 9 of the block, which is a week or two later than the recommended by Luke Humphey in his book. However, everything went smoothly, replacing the 24 km (15 mi) long run with a shorter easy run didn't cause any problems.

Shoes and accessories. I started with two pairs: Mizuno Wave Rider 27 and Saucony Endorphine Speed 4 for speedwork and races. As my Mizuno got noticeably worn out by 850km, I added a Saucony Ride 18 for longer runs, keeping Mizuno just in case or for very short easy runs.

Socks. They just have to be comfortable. I don't have problems with most socks. The pair I liked the most and which I used for races was Uyn Marathon Zero (black).

Shorts. The need to buy more shorts surprised me but it turned out that with this intensity of training they start to stink, even though I'm not a heavy sweater and don't live in a humid climate. Brands don't matter much, I used two old Nike pairs I had and bought two more made by the local running brands that are currently on the rise, VTR and Gri. I liked all of them.

Belt. I recommend this inexpensive Aonijie belt. Everything fits in it: water, gels, keys. I liked the 250ml silicone flask that came with it, too, and bought another one later.

Cap. I don't like caps, so I bought an Aonijie visor for hot sunny days. It's ok.

Nutrition during the training block. I had a milk+banana smoothie after most runs. Generally, I didn't change my diet much, just tried to eat less junk food, more vegetables, and also more carbs before/after long runs.

I drank more water and juices than usual. I mostly had mineral water and often bought the one (namely, Stelmas Mg+) with a higher concentration of magnesium. And also started taking magnesium glycinate.

Right before the marathon, I tried carb loading: I ate almost exclusively rice, buckwheat (it's super popular in Russia and is as useful as rice, I adore it) and pasta, with minuscule additions of protein and fats. This is psychologically challenging, I wanted meat :D

Travel and accommodation. I came to the city two days before the marathon and that was right. There's a 2-hour time difference between the cities, and I had to wake up early as the race started at 8 a.m. So, I took melatonin two days in a row. The sleep wasn't great, I woke up many times to drink water. Besides, the place turned out to be rather noisy. Luckily, it didn't affect my performance. At least it was dark and the bed was decent.

Fueling on the run. I had SiS Go gels. I took one 10-15 minutes before the start and then had a gel every 30-40 minutes. At approximately 2:40, I ate one SiS Beta Fuel gel, which has almost twice more cabs than SiS Go (40g vs 22g), and the last one was again the standard SiS Go at around 3:15-3:20, probably just as a psychological boost. I drank at every water station, mostly water but had isotonic a few times. A slice of orange also felt nice at a certain point.

Tactics and result. Initially, during the training, I aimed for a sub-4 marathon and set my target pace at 5:38/km. As the training block was at its peak, I realized that I got faster. So I decided to aim for 5:32/km as the realistic optimal pace.

On the race day, the weather was very nice (15 to 17 degrees Celsius / 59 to 63 Fahrenheit), almost no sun, cool wind. I started slowly with the 3:59:59 pacers. As I felt confident on the road, I felt that their pace was too slow, so after 4-5 km I increased my speed a little. Still, my first half of the distance was rather slow: I passed the 20 km mark at 1:53:04, i.e. my pace was 5:39/km. But I felt I had a lot of power, so I increased my effort. As a result, I ran (partially downhill) section between 23 km and 28km with the average pace of 4:49/km. Amazingly, the slower uphill segment afterwards didn't cause me much trouble, and on the final kilometer I pushed to 4:12/km. And made it in 3:51:21.

Recovery. I felt great after crossing the finish line, ate a gel, a hot dog etc, and had a steak for the dinner. Yes, my legs hurt but that was manageable. I walked less than usual for a day, but recovered in a few days, and on Thursday I had a 14.5 km hike up to one of the peaks in the Taganay National Park and back (elevation gain ~500 m). The latter was too much, I felt more tired than after the marathon :D

Final thoughts. Marathons are great! I guess I could run faster but I played it safe. It's very probable that you can do it too. Consistency is the key.

My first marathon is Chicago in about 6 weeks. This is my first marathon training cycle, and I’ve been running my double-digit long runs around 13:30–13:45/mi, intentionally keeping them very easy since these distances are new to me.

My shorter easy runs (4–6 miles) naturally fall around 11:30–12:30/mi, and I could push those closer to 11:00 if I wanted, but speed hasn’t really been my focus during this training block.

My most recent long run was 15.5 miles at about 13:45 pace, and I still had enough left to run the final 2 miles around 12:00/mi. I’m also training through the summer in Hawaii, so most of my long runs have been in pretty significant heat/humidity, while the race will be in Chicago in October.

For other first-time marathoners: how closely did your race pace end up matching your long-run pace? Should I realistically expect ~13:45/mi on race day, or is it reasonable to expect that I could run somewhat faster with a taper, race-day conditions, and cooler weather?

I’m not trying to force a specific time goal. I’m mostly trying to figure out what a realistic starting pace should be so I don’t go out too fast. TYIA!

Hello Runners :)

I am somewhat new to running and have signed up for the Manchester marathon as its something i've always wanted to do and it will help me get fit again. I am using Runna to build my plan.

For reference, I have always been sporty but since getting an office job, wanting to do anything when I get home after a commute has been a challenge and due to this I have gain some weight and lost lots of motivation.

So my question is - How do you stay motivated? What drives you to get out on a run after work?

Thanks so much !

Hello everyone,
First marathon is coming up on the 20th, and have gotten into my taper weeks recently. However the one problem I have faced throughout all my training is that I keep getting crazy amounts of blisters on my feet, especially after my long runs. I also am on my feet most of the day at work so that doesn’t exactly help with their recovery. Wondering if anyone had any thoughts, tips or tricks that they use to deal with this problem? They are quite literally my only problem with getting to the mileage required for the marathon, my feet just start hurting too damn much by the middle of my runs that i have to slow my pace down so much. Any suggestions?

-I already have new shoes that I broke in a few months ago, they fit great
-I use running socks for less friction
-I also use moleskin on my longer runs all the time, unfortunately some of the spots I get blisters on make it tough to stick to for my longer runs.

Ran the Sydney Marathon as my first full marathon, and it was amazing! I doubted that I would finish under 4 hours because I only had 14 weeks of training and just 500 km of total mileage, running 3–4 times a week. Despite the very low running mileage, I gambled to still go for sub-4 because I had zero injuries before the race and was able to do a 1:50 HM last year and predictions say that given that stat a sub-4 finish is possible.

Training-wise, I was doing mostly easy runs with only one speed session per week. By easy, I mean about 20–40 seconds slower than my marathon pace. My longest run on my block was 26 km. I never trained without doing leg pre-run stretches and did weights 2–3 times a week, with one dedicated leg-strengthening day.

I didn't hit the wall or get any cramps, which was great. I used a total of one Maurten 160 gel and eight Maurten 100 gels. I was also holding a small plastic bottle which I kept until the 40th kilometre where I stored a mix of water or whatever electrolytes I could find along the way at the drinking stations, drinking whenever I felt I needed to. Finished the race in 3:57!

All in all super stoked with how my first marathon went. Focusing now on recovery as my legs are very sore and can barely walk haha!

Hey everyone! Running for the first time this November (have done 2 halfs, but never a full) and I have a specific question about how to move forward in my training plan. Long story short, I had to skip 2 weeks of training due to a bad foot bruise which meant I skipped my 13 mile and 10 mile long runs (with my last long run being 12 miles and this upcoming weekend is supposed to be 15). So I missed a taper week and the half marathon run. Does anyone have advice on how to finagle my runs this week and maybe next to get myself back on track?

First timer. I think I was a little delusional when I originally signed up, thinking I should target under 4 hours, but I don’t think I have enough base to do that and need to set a new pacing goal. My highest weekly mileage in August has been 28 miles, but I took so much of the summer off, and my longest run has only been 12 miles (10:40ish pace; low 140s bpm). I don’t think sub-4 is realistic given where I am with my lack of base. I cannot fathom running 9 minute miles for 26.2 miles when I don’t even run 9 minute miles in my short runs. But I do want a stretch time goal.

Should I try for 4:15? 4:20? Maybe even 4:10?!

Other relevant information:
• Half marathon 3 months ago: 1:48 (off of 15-20 mpw)
• I’m not new to running but this year was the first year I’ve run more than 20 miles a week
• Nutrition seems ok for me. I do Huma gels without water on all of my long runs
• I’m not following a strict plan because I’m a mom with a demanding job, but I have been trying to do one mid-long run (6-8 miles), one long run (10+), and two other easy runs (4-5 miles)

I’m currently training for my first marathon (the NYC) this November and aiming for a **sub-4-hour finish** (\~9:09/mi pace target). I’m following a personalized **Runna plan** running 4 days a week, but as I look ahead, I’m wondering if my weekly mileage—specifically the proportion spent on mid-week runs versus long runs—is a potential red flag, or if sub-4 is realistic with this setup.

**Recent Half Marathon Data:**
**Distance:** 13.1 mi
**Average Pace:** \~9:01/mi overall (splits range from \~9:35 warm-up to several \~8:34–8:55 miles in the middle, fading back to \~9:17–9:20 toward the end)
**Average HR:** Hovered around 160–170 bpm for most of the effort
**Current Runna Schedule Breakdown:**
**Weekly Mileage:** Hovers around 24–28 miles/week through peak training.
**Long Runs:** Scaling steadily to 15, 17, 19, and capping out at a 22-mile long run.
**Mid-Week Runs:** Very low mileage per session (e.g., Easy runs around 3 to 3.5 miles, Speed/Tempo/Intervals at 3.2 to 4 miles).

**My Main Questions:**
**Is Sub-4 realistic?** Given my recent 13.1-mile run split (holding sub-9:10 for most of it), do I have enough aerobic base to sustain sub-4 on race day?
**Should I manual-bump my mid-week mileage?** On weeks where the long run is 19–22 miles, my weekday runs are only \~3 miles each. Is it standard practice with Runna to manually increase the easy runs to 5–6 miles to get weekly volume up to 35–40+ miles, or is keeping total volume \~28 miles fine as long as the long run gets done?
Would love to hear from anyone who has run sub-4 on low mid-week mileage or adjusted Runna's default volume as well as how a program like this prepares people for the NYC Marathon with the immense elevation!

Context: I've been running off and on for a few years, and earlier this year something clicked. After some healthy momentum for a couple of months, I signed up for the Seattle Marathon in the end of November. I'm sure this will get some divide, but I built a 20 week plan with Claude, cross referencing various material.

Goal: Sub 4 Marathon in November, complete a 50k in March. The plan is geared for a heavier build to the 50k with a marathon along the way, but I wanted to see what anyone thought of the load and if there's any potential for burn out or injury.

Current: My last long run was 20mi with a 9:20/mi average pace and 149 bpm average heart rate. Tempo runs have been 4mi at 8:00/mi and 155 bpm average heart rate.

Weekly Structure:
Mon easy / Tue off / Wed tempo / Thu hills / Fri easy / Sat Long

I had a 36km run scheduled for today. For the first time during marathon training, I failed and only did 25km. I couldn’t catch my breath, chest felt heavy, but it very humid.

Last week, I had a successful 31km run. Thank god. But i’m about 6 weeks away from Chicago, and I’m nervous, it’s my first marathon.

The longest i’ve ran in marathon training thus far is 34km, but my only issue is, due to the heat, I took 20 minutes of stops for water battle refills, and to lower my heart rate. My 31km was only 4 minutes to use to bathroom and water refill, which is an improvement.

But i’m losing confidence. I’ve ran 1700+ km this year, which is great, but this is the hardest thing i’ve ever done.

One thing i’ll add, as we move into September, it’s cooling down, which will hopefully curb the amount of water refills, and stops to lower my HR.

With 6 weeks to go, do I have enough time to get my shit together, stop with the water breaks, and get on track after this failed long run?

Hi!! I really need some advice! I have my first marathon in 6 weeks and I have been training with runna. I have noticed the plan was quite aggressive for me and I read a lot of people got injured because of it.
Now i planned to do two more very long runs 31 km and 34 km. And then start the taper. Is it a good idea or should I do just one more long long run and then keep it a bit shorter?
Context: i have been training since April and I have done 2 half marathons. I am not a fast runner (HM time 2:03). I have done runs of 20,21,22,24,26 and 30 km Building it up week per week.

I run 4 times per week. What should I do??

Hi fellow runners. Currently training for my first marathon. I’m about 8 weeks out and every time I run between 14-16 miles I start to get knee and ankle pain at the last 30 minutes or so of my run (this didn’t happen to me before). I do strength training and cross fit alongside my running plan.

Has anyone experienced this before and do you have recommendations of things I can do for prevention and reinforcement?

Hey runners!

My 22nd birthday is in October and I had this dumb/brilliant idea... I want to run 22km to celebrate 😂

I just ran my first 10km in 1:14:49 yeterday. So 22km feels BIG but also perfect for "22 on 22".

Did anyone do something similar for their birthday?

Any tips to go from 10km to 22km in ∼6 weeks without injury?

And how did you deal with it mentally on the day?

I did my first marathon yesterday and it was going perfectly to plan, and then came the 36km mark…

I’ve been training for a 3:30 marathon, but when the day came closer, I adjusted it to 3:45, and set out.
Everything went to plan and I hit the halfway point spot on. I was going for a negative split, so I hell the pace for a few more km and sped up a little around 30k (as planned). At this point I was feeling the fatigue setting in, but this is what I’ve been training for, I was just surprised I hadn’t noticed it earlier.

Enter the 36km marker. At this point my muscles started to hurt, like really painful. I felt every muscle and scene from the waist down get tight. Interestingly enough, my hr was still in mid to high z3, and I could still speak full sentences, more or less. But my legs wouldn’t produce the speed that was needed. I slowed down considerably, and I started to fear that I would have to fight for sub 4. I kept looking over my shoulder for the 4:00 flag, but it never came.

Around 38,5km my legs loosens up a bit and I could start running closer to goal pace again. This time I was tired af but it didn’t hurt. I spent the next km doing maths, and getting different result every time, but could I salvage sub 3:50? I reach 41k and upped the speed. It was now or never.
Then I felt my toe nail come of and it was so painful that I almost stoped, but I tried to keep up pace.

I was so empty when I reached 42k and saw the finish line. At this point I had forgotten everything about sub anything, and it was just a battle to survive the race. I just wanted it to be over.

The audience cheering carried my down home strait, and I finally crossed the finish line with a time of 3:49:52

I had been pretty angry from 36km that I wasn’t gonna finish on my intended goal time, but by the time I got to the finish line it had changed to pride, happiness and a sense of accomplishment. The sub 3:50 was just the icing on the cake.

Today my legs are pretty much useless, but I’m already looking forward to get started on the next training block. I’ve realized that I need to do more strength training, and get more volume in my legs

Bonjour. Je vais participer au Marathon de Chicago en octobre 2026 soit dans presque un mois. J'ai eu le 23 juin une fracture de fatigue au tibia péroné qui s'est déclenchée. Plus de run depuis. J'ai compensé par pas mal de vélo avec 1 h à 2 heures par jours. Je faisais 75 km par semaine de run avec une sortie de 22 km le jeudi et 22 km le dimanche. Dernier marathon terminé en 3h. Aujourd'hui pour voir l'évolution (sauf une radio de la jambe le 20 août montrant que la résorption est bien faite et que l'os a retrouvé une linéarité donc positif à l'image) je réalise 4 tests pour voir si je peux reprendre. Test 1 le touche = pas de ressenti sur la région de la blessure. Test 2 une marche rapide de 30 minutes = ok pas de mal lors de cette sortie. Test 3 monté sur la pointe des pieds sur la jambe avec redescente lente = ok pas de douleurs et j'ai fais le test 3 fois de suite. Test 4 et selon moi le plus important des petits saut sur la seule jambe ou il y a eu la blessure 10 petits sauts = aucune douleurs (une gêne très minime mais je mets ça sur le coup du psycho car c'est localisé au niveau du mollet... Je ne sais pas si c'est en lien... Étant un peu anxieux sur cette blessure pour ne pas la redeclencher...). Mes questions est il plus sûr d'attendre encore une semaine voir deux et de reprendre un protocole de course basé sur 4 minutes de courses pour 2 minutes de marche et d'assurer d'avoir un peu la reprise au niveau des jambes ? De ne pas courir pour avoir une assurance d'un rétablissement complet pour ne pas risquer de relancer la blessure le jour de la course de marathon sachant que je ferai le jour J les 4 min courses et 2 min marches ? Mon but est de terminer le marathon même si je dois mettre les 6 heures max. Je vais profiter de l'ambiance. Merci d'avance pour vos expériences.

I know it’s an achievement to finish a race! But walking from the halfway point wasn’t what I wanted. And it was a world major too. I’m just so gutted I really believed I could run a marathon in (what I think) is good time.

The twinge started at 9km and I’ve never had this pain! If it was after 35km I’d say it was fatigue or the fact I just distance PBed. But 8.7km in??? Anyway at 18km got too much and I called it cause I love running and would rather sacrifice a good race time than 6 months off.

Finished in 6:02 and got a sexy medal tho!!! And the knowledge I’m a stubborn mf walking 20+km.

Ran several halfs comfortable at 1:57. Decided to commit and signed up for Santa Cruz in Oct. This past weekend completed my longest run at 17mi. Ran a 10min/mi pace up until mile 15. Legs started to feel really heavy. Ended up walking and jogging the final two miles. Everything felt great but my legs wasn't cooperating. Curious if this is normal. I also had some side pain towards the end. I think this may have been with all the water I was chugging down with my gels and salt tabs every 30mins. Goal is to finish the marathon by 4:30. I know in reality I may just finish at the 5hr mark.

Hey all!

On track to run the Toronto Waterfront October 18th in 5hours, but I'm getting nervous and hoping for shared experience.

While the time cut off is 6hours, there is a coral group for walkers. Has anyone run/walked this course and completed after the time cut off? What has your experince been like in general?

My goal is to have fun and not injure myself, so I'd ratjwr miss my time goal but still complete the full distance.

Open to all feedback.

Should I carry water?

I have shorts with pockets, and I can fit like 8 small fruit bars in them, which should be enough, cause I think I will run it in around 4 h.

I don't know how to do it with water though, there are water station, but I like drinking small sips trough the run, and I don't want to waste time stopping. I also don't really want to wear my vest for it.

Any tips?

On my *intended* 20 mile peak week run, I felt some pretty serious pain from knee to ankle at mile 5. I walked home and iced/elevated.

What do I do now? I feel fine when resting and walking, but I get a dull aching pain when I try to run. What is the balance between resting and prepping? I am afraid to push my luck, but I also want to keep training. Anyone been here before? What did you do?