so i decided i was going to do a marathon on NYD , i havent been running long , ive done a few HM which i love ! i have a personalised plan as i joined a local running group , the support there is amazing , im slow and my marathon has a 6 hr cut off time so as well as upping my distance i also have to try and up the speed so i dont get pulled at halfway point , im ticking everything off the plan , if coach asks for fast she gets it , however my long runs are proving to really test me and i dont know if what im feeling is normal ! , on the last 2 of my long runs ( 16 miles ) i have completely broke down in tears at about mile 13-14 , i stop and cry and then pull myself together and then carry on after giving myself a mental talking too ! , my question is , is this normal ! my crying is so hard like completely devastating proper crying ( im not a crier in "normal " life lol )
my marathon training is making me cry ! - Fun Beyond 10K & ...
my marathon training is making me cry !
Well, marathon training is VERY HARD, so in that sense I'd say it's fairly normal to feel overwhelmed at times. If it's unusual for you to cry like that though, I wonder what was going through your head during those runs, and what could make you feel better about it?
i pretty much think the only thing going thru my head is when will it stop lol ! and yes its very hard and certainly not for the faint of heart , luckily im quite a stubbrn mule otherwise id have thrown the towel in weeks ago !
Well, good for you! And, as you of course know, it will stop at the end of the training runs, and on New Year's Day!!! Not far away at all, and each of those long runs is a massive achievement you should be proud of, so hold onto that thought. And when the going gets tough (and, honestly, the bad bits come and go for everyone during a marathon!), one step at a time gets you through.
You can do it!!
Wow, going for a marathon - well done. I have no advice, but wanted to pop up and say how in awe of you I am. I believe we graduated C25K around the same time and your achievements have been inspriring to see. Keep it up.
we did indeed X and thanks so much sometimes i still think im not good enough and other times i remember that first killer minute lol X
Here's my tuppence worth - its not how far you are going to run, but how far you have already come. Win lose or draw in the Marathon - you ARE a Runner now and nobody can ever say different.
Wishing you happy and peaceful miles my Running Pal 
You’re doing it so you’re definitely good enough!
Some random thoughts:
Maybe the idea/realisation of how far you’ve come in such a short time is overwhelming you.
Maybe it’s the speed/time thing bothering you - are you aiming to run the whole way (it is possible to run/walk it). I’m not saying change your training (but there is always a Plan B).
You have a coach have you spoken to her about it?
What are you doing to distract yourself during your long run - are you listening to anything or doing it naked?
If this has happened in the same place each time, can you vary your run so that your mind doesn’t get that cue?
One last thing is that I read there was a 7hr cut off for the marathon I was doing but on checking the results there were people with official timings after that, so maybe your 6hr might be a bit flexible.
thanks for that Annie it may be something to do with all of the above i guess , and they are REALLY strict on cut offs like literally down to the second !! so yeh thats not helping , i do intend to run it all but am happy to walk if i feel i need to thats what ive been doing on my " sticky " mile just before the tears start ! , i havent ran the same route twice on these runs and i vary so either music or company or naked , i just get so overwhelmed wth it all , oh well maybe for me its " the norm " lol
You are amazing and I think you will be great. I cant give any advice as I’ve only begun marathon training this week for a 30k. You seem to be truly resolved to do this though and that should pull you through no matter what your eyes decide to do 🙂
The crying might be about a drop in blood sugar, this would affect your hormone levels i guess. Not a doc obviously 😁 but it could be a physical response to something chemical going on
What are you taking with you as fuel? What are you fuelling up on beforehand?
Do you feel ok in yourself when not running? Eg, could you be coming down with something?
i do eat while im runniing i have bars and take gels oh and as many sweets as i can get away with and no i dont have crying bouts until long runs so doubt im coning down with something , ill shovel more in as i may not be fueling enough ! , maybe stick a marmalade sarnie under my cap !!!
I fuel on slow release porridge A big bowlful an hour before say, and take enough to eat with me. A rehydrating /fuelling drink is vital on longer trips. Tailwind is good. I take a bag of Hula Hoops for the last 10k. Flippin brilliant! Then another snack for the last five. I fuel early! You’ve depleted your pre run meal in about an hour, so I don’t wait til I get hungry, I start eating so I don’t get hungry. If you run out of calories that’s when you’re going to get funny feelings and your legs will go
thanks lovely im obvs not taking enough in then , ill fill my boots always have oats for brekkie but will be more consious of the eating ! hula hoops sound good
So - first marathon attempt with a 6 hour cutoff - your race pace is 13:44 mins per mile. What pace are you doing your longruns at??? I hope not 13:44
I forgot to ask. Are these training runs done by yourself? I wondered if you were running with the group, the act of trying to keep pace might be causing you to panic and get overwhelmed
Blimey that all sounds really touch, and it sounds like it’s all a bit much. Can you amend your plan a bit to allow for sanity? That cut off time is incredibly tight, they are usually much longer than that, I do really feel for you, please take care and look after yourself 🤗
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