I finished my second marathon (Toronto waterfront) today. 4h32min, less than 10min slower than last year despite spending a good chunk of 25~35km barely able to run from the worst muscle cramps I have ever had in my life.

Training and injury backgrounds:

For some context, I ran my first marathon last year in 4h22min. I had jumper’s knee during that training block and spent the last 8 weeks seeing a physio and rebuilding my mileage. This year I was much more consistent, did way more mileage, strength training the whole time, and a lot more long runs on hillier terrain. Then of course a few weeks before the race my left knee decided to have a mild flare up again which was addressed promptly by physio with some drop in mileage as well, but overall way much better than last year, though it magically came back as "phantom discomfort" during taper. My physio thought I was still ok to race, KT tape helped a lot, and by race morning the knee actually felt pretty good after warming up, before I used any pain meds (for nerves lol).

I didn't follow a particular training plan, just had some discussion with my physio, and running higher mileage than last year overall, and had 3 runs at least 32km/20miles, and at least 8~9 runs over 26km/16miles. The trails I usually run on is more hilly than the actual course and with a lot of sharp turns. I also had a significant amount of mileage on treadmill, 1~3%incline, but almost all of my long runs (>＝ 26km/16miles) were outside. Strength training 1~2x a week As prescribed by physio.

Race day weather and gear:

Weather was also way colder than what I normally run in. It was around 3c at the start. I normally hate the cold so much that below 10c I usually only run like 5k outside, but somehow I was standing in the corral without gloves, wearing a T shirt + thin zip-up and didn’t even need to zip it up. At around 5km I took off the zip up and tied it in my waist. I was also wearing prescription sunglasses, a cap, a hairband, a flipbelt, regular socks, and Boston 13. Carrying 6 maurten 100 and 4 maurten 160, all expired. Applied two layers of lotions under sport bras chafing area and lower back. The rest is same as last year, mostly for my nerves: voltaren on areas that got angry during taper, kt tapes around knees, 1000mg tylenol before bag check.

Course and other stuff:

The course is the same as last year, mostly flat with the biggest "hill" at the beginning. A couple of hills near the end of the race, and one section in the last few kilometers still stinks due to its proximity to some water treatment plant (correct me if I'm wrong).

I don't sign up for races often and actually i have only been running for 4 years so I cannot compare it to other races except the notorious Toronto marathon in may. Obviously the waterfront is way better organized.

The view is mostly just the city with a bit of the lake. I didn't sign up for the view anyway, I was here because it's the cheapest race for me to do without the need to travel or board my dog

My race experience:

First 24~25km was good

The first half actually went really well. I was running pretty fast, a bit too fast at first but I corrected that, mostly enjoying myself, knees behaving much better than expected, with only very occasional sensitivities that almost immediately went away, and generally feeling like I had made it through the thing I was worried about. The only thing I noticed was that after running on long stretches where the right side was noticeably higher than the left side, my right knee got a bit sore but nothing alarming.

First cramp:

Then around 25km my right adductor suddenly cramped while I was running. I almost fell because it caught me completely off guard, and as I tried to maintain my balance my other leg muscles got a bit irritated. I literally never cramp while running, so I had absolutely no idea what I was supposed to do other than slowing down and suffering.

At the next water station I stopped, drank water/electrolytes and tried to stretch. My left knee briefly flared up when I started running again, probably because now both legs were doing weird shit and I had to figure out my form again, but fortunately the knee settled down pretty quickly and I slowed down more since my right leg was still cramping, hoping things don't escalate from here.

Stretching broke my right shin

Then my stupid ass made everything worse.

Since the adductor was cramping and my quads were getting tight too, I thought, ok, I’ll stretch my adductors and quads at the next stop. While stretching my right quad, my right shin (especially closer to the back of my foot)suddenly cramped so violently that it was probably the worst pain I have ever experienced during a run.

And then for the next ~8km both my legs were painful and cramping at multiple spots. Right shin was by FAR the worst, but both adductors and quads joined the party too. I could sometimes run, then suddenly couldn’t, then walk, then run again. At some points I was more worried about actually injuring something than losing time.

useless patella straps:

I even packed two patella straps because I was worried about my knees. During one flare up I stupidly tried putting them on because I had no better idea what to do. They somehow made the pain worse, so I ripped them off again. Thought about tossing them but remembered I'm unemployed and broke so better not waste stuff.

Around 31km it got ridiculous. That one km took me almost 11 minutes. I basically lost close to 5 minutes in ONE kilometer compared to the pace I had been running.

At that point I had already quickly gone through the five stages of grief and accepted that the race was ruined time-wise. But then I thought about how much the registration cost, and decided there was no fucking way I was wasting that money. Even if I literally walked while texting on my phone, I could still finish before cutoff. So I thought fine, I’ll walk if I have to, and run whenever my legs allow me to.

Recovery in the final stretch:

And somehow around 34~35km things started getting BETTER.

The cramps weren’t completely gone, especially the right shin, and I still occasionally had to walk when it threatened to seize again. But I could run longer and longer stretches. And every time I was actually running, my pace quickly went back to around my first-half pace, just under 6min/km. And in the last 2~3km or so, I only slowed down at the last aid station to drink water, and ran at my first-half pace the entire time without walking at all.

That was probably the funniest part of the whole race. Around the final few km, everyone around me looked like they were entering the traditional marathon death march, while I had just spent 10km experiencing hell and suddenly felt relatively fine again. My legs honestly felt MUCH better in that final stretch than they did at the end of my marathon last year, except for the angry right shin.

Legs feel stronger this year

Last year I remember the final 10km being more like my legs just gradually stopped listening to me. This year, once the cramping backed off, it was mostly just normal post run soreness (scaled up by the extra distance) and I'm also in way less pain after the endorphin wore off. And no "jello legs" at all this time …yet.

I only ran 10minutes slower than last year which surprised me since I never thought i would make it anywhere under 445 during the worst of my cramps. I guess. And now I'll just wait and see how my legs recover and whether anything feels broken.

i currently do a few 5km runs a week on pavement and am looking for a good supportive running shoe with a lot of cushioning. I also may run a half marathon in february so I am looking for one that is good for long distance. my pace is around 6:30/km

I posted a while back seeking solidarity in feeling ‘in the way’ on busy greenways with my more.. casual… easy pace and received wonderful support and feedback. Thank you again to this group and thank you in advance for any input offered here!

I did my first half marathon back in April following the Hal Higdon intermediate 1 program. It was my first half and I did not have a time goal but that program fit well with my schedule and I sort of maintained it (avg 25 miles/week) as a base (after a rest period and 6-wk 5k block) since. However, my ‘performance’ has been declining in the sense that all paces (tempo, easy, etc) have slowed to maintain same effort.

When I completed the half, I signed up for a full in March 2027.. I figured that would be enough time to like… improve in some measurable way? 😅 to my body’s credit, we’ve been consistent with strength routine and remained injury-free, so that’s a huge win. But now it’s approaching 18-20 weeks out from the full marathon and while I figured I’d stick with the Hal Higdon intermediate, I fear a bunch of junky miles that aren’t the prescribed effort by the program is not going to benefit me. I’m considering doing the Novice 2 plan which goes down to 4 days/week running and is less mileage all around. Will I be prepared for a full? Will I lose fitness or increase injury risk? Will I actually recover well enough to complete a run at race pace and find a sustainable easy pace for long runs and have more confidence going into the race? Curious for any input from those who have switched up training programs/approaches!

*note: I’m working with a Dr, I’ve had bloodwork in May, August, last week. Ferritin has climbed from 17 to 28 through supplementation since August. I had some elevated markers last week (MCH, AST, CK) but didn’t know I was getting blood drawn and had been to the gym prior to the appointment. The first two are always high for me, possibly due to some autoimmune disease involvement which I am treated for separately. Vitamin D/B have been consistently in normal range. Sleep, stress are well managed and I don’t feel tired or fatigued throughout the day. Fueling and nutrition is good but I could better optimize timing with it.

Thanks, all!

Perhaps just my body being weird but i ran my first half this morning and since finishing (5 hours or so) I’ve had like 6 or 7 bouts of hiccups. Any one else get post race hiccups?

Hello! I just finished my 4th half marathon with my 2nd best time, although it was my best training block (I'm blaming dehydration). There is a festival in April, 2027 that I am eyeing up that offers both a half and full marathon. I am considering training for the full, but I have a few questions.

1) Is that a good amount of time to step up the distance, or should I aim for the half and then keep building for a fall marathon?

2) What should I do in the meantime before the training block starts? Would you recommend maintaining my current training (time/weekly mileage) and add some strength training, or step back on the running and focus more on strength?

3) (TW for weight discussion) I gained a decent amount of weight during this training block. I understand it comes with the territory sometimes, but it would be great if I could try and cut some of it before the next block, if for no other reason than so I don't have to buy new jeans. What have you done between training blocks to shed some of that weight but still maintain fitness and not under-fuel?

Hello everyone ! I have started running on this May and since then, I ran 4 times the 21km distance, three on my own and one half marathon. This Sunday there will be another half marathon in my city and I really want to finish the whole marathon. I haven’t prepared or anything for it and I don’t want to finish it with a good time. I just want to be able to finish it, either by walking or running or both it doesn’t matter. This is the only full marathon in my country this year. What should I do?

I started running for my mental health in June. At the time I could barely run 2 miles at an 11 minute per mile pace. I followed a training plan that my friend (an experienced runner) made for me to work up to being able to run a half. Before this half 8 miles was the longest I had ever run without stopping.

Yesterday I finished the half with a 1:44 time. My original goal when I signed up in June was to just be able to run the whole thing and/or finish under 3 hours. The rush I got at the finish line was unreal. I can’t wait to start training for the next one after a week or so of rest.

I'm psyched to report that I got my first sub-2:00 half marathon today with a chip time of 1:59:44. Clock time was 1:59:59, which felt pretty dramatic crossing the finish line!

I thought my fitness was hovering right around 2:00, so I was optimistic that I would at least end up with a distance PR—something like 2 and change—or a course PR if things really went off the rails. At the same time, the course is fairly hilly and it was super windy today so I did not think I had sub-2:00 in the bag. Miles 8 through 10 were brutal, but I was able to pick it up on miles 11 and 13. (Mile 12 is a hill, thanks.)

I'm in my mid-40s and have been running for around 3 and a half years. This is the 6th half marathon I have raced, and I've also run two full marathons at this point.

CW: Discussion of weight below.

While I don't want to discount all of the training and mentorship I've experienced on my running journey, it's worth highlighting that I've been working with a dietician for the past year to help me get my ferritin levels up and improve my fueling overall.

It has been a truly wild ride trying to unlearn ingrained ideas about thinness and valuing a lower number on the scale. I am eating what I previously would have considered an obscene amount of protein. I am also 15 lbs heavier than a year ago, and I've hit PRs in the 5k, marathon, 10k, and now half marathon in that time. I still have a lot to unlearn, but I think I can say that eating more seems to be working out pretty well for me.

It's worth checking to see if your insurance covers a registered dietician. It's often considered preventive care! Every body is different, and it has also been hard, but it has been one of the best decisions I've made for my health.

I made a post super nervous about my first marathon and not making the cut off. 8 didn’t make the 6:30 cutoff I finished at 6:39 with an amazing group of girls. The van did pass us but we still have a finish time and still got our medals. I’m so excited! Never doing this again though half marathons are definitely more my jam

I am fit and active in other ways, particularly through strength & conditioning training/CrossFit adjacent aerobic work for the last dozen years or so, but I have always literally said, "I don't run." (I will always accept rowing or a barbell!)

However, I decided to start running in April with a goal of joining run clubs when I move next year to make friends, with a goal to just run 10k comfortably. So I did an 8 week new to running 5k plan in Runna. That went well so pushed myself to sign up for the Baltimore half marathon and did an 18 week plan (I live in Baltimore). I thought sub 2 was in reach, but it would be hard, especially with the challenge of the course.

I'm thrilled with the time (1:55:50) for literally my first "real" race ever, but never did I expect running to bring me such appreciation and gratitude....the time to think and connect with my body, experience the city I have lived in for almost a decade in a whole new way, and see _way_ more of places I've traveled to over the past few months on 3 continents!

The event was so fun, especially chatting with some other women at the start and all the support from residents across the city! I only wish I either started running sooner or joined in the crowds cheering before yesterday.

For most of my life, I’ve been the least athletic person in the room, and I never would have thought I’d be able to run a 50k - but this weekend, at age 40, I pulled it off! I had to dig deep to get there, but I am so, so glad I did. This sub was a huge source of help and inspiration, so mostly I just wanted to say a huge thank you to this whole community!

considering buying this top bc of the gel pockets in the back. all my other Bandit sports bras/crops are M and I’m wondering if the sizing for this top is similar? I thought I had heard this top runs a bit small but maybe I misheard. thanks in advance!