How I ran a marathon with NO training
Or how to be an accidental marathoner
I have never trained for a marathon before. My longest run ever was 4 years ago: Nike’s 10 km women’s race “We own the night”. I trained for 2 months and finished the race in 56 mins. But now, back to the marathon part.
Holidays
It was the first week of September when I was on holidays in south of France. I happily enjoyed wonderful scenery, ate delicious food and drank a fair amount of wine. My boyfriend had to run a marathon on the 8th of September, but he injured his knee a week before. Despite the injury, I was certain he would recover for the run (he’s a runner with over 60 marathons under his belt).
Due to his injury, we relaxed and took it slow, when I said that maybe one day, I would like to run a half marathon, or even a marathon with him.
At that moment I didn’t know that two days later I will have ran both.
Bad news
As you might have guessed, his knee didn’t get back to normal. Two days before the marathon, he suggested that I should try and run it instead of him. My first reaction was to laugh. He wasn’t. The last thing I wanted to do on my holidays was to run a marathon.
Me: “42 km, you must be joking!”
Him: “Just run 10 km and you’ll get to experience what it’s like to be part of the big crowd running together. You could walk the entire distance if you wanted it, also it’s a good way of sightseeing. I bet you’ll love it.”
After loads of negotiation, dinner and more wine, I was convinced to run 10 km.
To put things into perspective about my sport routine, in July and August I went for occasional 3–6 km runs, few times per week. As I didn’t go to the gym — running was a perfect choice for a quick exercise.
The marathon started
The day has come. On September 8th at 9 am I was at the start line and the temperature was already above +30 C. It was boiling hot but I can’t take heat very well (aka Made in Northern Europe: I even managed to get two heat strokes while living in London).
I started the run and it wasn’t that bad as the atmosphere was exciting. I ran 10 km slowly and the agreement was to finish at that point. However, as I didn’t see my boyfriend waiting for me at the 10 km sign, I continued. When we met at kilometer 13, I decided to go for 20 km, surprising myself with the decision.
Whether he planned it all out or not, I didn’t see him at kilometer 20 either! What a disappointment. So I continued. Slowly but surely. Until I got a call. A worried voice at the end of the line asked me if I was OK. That was him waiting for me at kilometer 20. “I’m at kilometer 27,” I said. Then I realized I had to finish the marathon.
OK, it wasn’t easy
It might sound that running was easy. It wasn’t. I had no plan or tricks how to run it (apart from #1 which I was told to do) but post-race, I reflected and noted down my experience. I will share 10 tips that helped me finish this marathon.
6 tips that can help you run and finish a marathon with no training and special preparations
1. Never get hungry, never get thirsty
At every single stop-point I had water and small slices of bananas and oranges. Throughout the run, I didn’t feel thirsty or hungry. Hunger or thirst, are signals that your body is deprived of nutrients or is dehydrated. During the run you don’t want to shock your body even more. At the end of the day, it has to take you to the finish line.
2. Trick your mind to relate to previous experiences
Because of the heat, I was constantly worried of fainting. I don’t do well with high temperatures and passing out in the middle of nowhere wasn’t an option.
To make myself feel better, I related the suffering to my previous tennis tournaments 10 years ago. I thought about times I played tennis for 5 or 6 hours in hot temperatures. I compared the feeling I had while running with the same exhaustion I had when playing tennis. Therefore, surviving tennis matches meant I would survive this run and I wouldn’t faint.
3. Be extra positive & listen to your body
After passing the 10 km sign I kept repeating myself that it was ONLY 10 km. Continuing forward, it’s ONLY 15 km, it’s ONLY 20 km and so on.
This is what pretty much went on in my head: “OK, now it’s ONLY half a marathon. Let’s take a selfie? No, can’t be bothered. Or should I? No, I’ll do that later. OK. Let’s go. So now it’s ONLY 25 km. What am I doing here? WHY?? Stop moaning, it’s easy. Running is easy. It’s ONLY 30 km. ONLY 12 more km. It’s nothing compared to the last 30 km you just did. What?? I just ran 30 km? How? I’m not even supposed to be here! OK let’s do this. JUST 12 km left.”
Be positive. Push yourself to be more positive than you ever were before. Use positive language. Make it sound that running is easy. This means — no moaning words. Mind tricks are the hardest, but give tremendous amounts of value.
This was magic. I totally convinced myself that running 42 km isn’t much at all.
On the other hand, my knees and ankles were not feeling much of the positivism. At the last 2 km I couldn’t lift them off the ground even for a slightest jog, so I started walking. I knew that I will need them later too. Be aware of what your body tells you. If you can’t take it no more — walk.
4. If it’s hot — pour water all over you
This was extremely important and saved me from overheating. I poured water on my skin constantly so it was always wet. Combined with a bit of wind (thank God for that) it helped me to feel cooler.
5. If there are hills, walk them
Save your energy. Take your time. Better walk than lose all energy and motivation. The road ahead is long. You have to keep your attention sharp, especially if the road has trail parts where you have to constantly look out for stones, rocks and uneven surface. Otherwise, Adiós, amigos — you just sprained your ankle.
6. Distract yourself
I didn’t have headphones or someone to talk to. If you listen to music, podcasts or audio books while running, great. You can kill two birds with one stone: run a marathon and listen to “Homo Deus” by Yuval Harari.
As majority of the runners were French and my French was equal to zero, there wasn’t much chit-chat. I still had to distract myself from the effort, so I gazed at little towns, trees and roads; beautiful wine castles, vineyards and other runners’ outfits.
Also, running for a long time is a great way to practice “be present” and “in the moment” rituals.
4 post marathon tips
1. Don’t sit down after the finish
When I finally reached the finish line, received a medal and a bottle of wine — the only thing I wanted to do was to s i t d o w n. However, don’t for at least 30 mins as you won’t be able to stand up. After you finish the marathon, just walk slowly, stand or stretch to promote active recovery. Alternatively, get a massage. A gentle one, be kind to your legs.
2. Go for a run 2–3 days after
The next few days after the marathon were hard. I felt a constant pain from head to toes, especially in my back and legs. My ankles were swollen. The first night I couldn’t even turn my body from one side to the other. Even walking felt like training. Every single step was a mission impossible. However, I pushed myself and went for a gentle jog 3 days after the marathon. It wasn’t a graceful run at all, as I was hardly able to lift my legs of the ground, but I was happy I did it.
3. Reward yourself after
As a reward I got a lot of massages. This made me think that running a marathon was worth it for that reason only. The second reward — eating. I burned 3107 calories running and what kept me alive were pieces of bananas and oranges. Even two days after the marathon I was hungry more than usual. Unfortunately, my body didn’t want any salads. Bread, pizza and bananas (again bananas) were the stars of the show and I ate them without a hint of guilt. It was interesting to see my body crave things that I would normally avoid. Except bananas (I HEART bananas). If you’re not so much into eating and massage, maybe reward yourself with a new pair of running shoes?
4. Set a new goal
No, not another marathon for me. However, I was recently registered for a half marathon in May (guess who did that). My goal after the marathon is to run 100 km every month. I discovered, that short runs make me happy, so I set myself to run shorter distances more often. In September I ran 90 km, in October — 120,8 km, in November — 106,4 km and now as of December 27th — 92,5 km (I have to go for one more run this year to reach 100 km).
Set yourself a goal that will motivate and inspire you to be better, fitter and happier.
To conclude
When I told my boyfriend that one day I’d like to run a half-marathon or a marathon, I didn’t mean two days later. “Be careful what you wish for” is a real thing.
My first ‘accidental marathoner’ time was 5 hours 58 mins. I finished 3335 out of 7956 people running. From this experience I learned that sometimes we surround ourselves with limits and convince we are not capable of something. I was certain I could never run a marathon. But I did it, without a deliberate preparation. If I can, you can too. Forget your limits and then beautiful things can happen.
Bonus point — why running is good for you
- You can listen to your favorite audio books or podcasts.
- Running helps to get rid of a headache ( it works for me).
- It’s a way of meditating.
- It’s a great way to explore new places (go for a run when you visit a new city).
- It doesn’t cost anything (but a pair of sneakers).
- No need to make plans. Anywhere, anytime, it’s just you and the road.
- It strengthens your immune system.
FUN FACT: According to a study by the University of Arkansas with 408 participants, running makes you more desirable. 80% of men and 60% of women felt more attractive due to regular running.
So when are you going for a run?
Thank you for reading! If you liked my marathon experience, hit the clap button so that other people can see it and get inspired to run more ;)
All tips shared in this article are based on my personal experience. If you wish to take this advice on board, consult with a professional and listen to your body to achieve your goals.
