marathon running for smokers

[wintersquall]

ok BG, here's the deal.

good buddy from college who was never much of an athlete compared to me calls me up, says he's doing triathalons and shit and feels fucking WONderful, w/e.

tl;dr now i'm roped into running the twin cities marathon in september 2009 - almost exactly 9 months from now.

problem one: i haven't run competitively since high school, which was a long time ago.
problem two: i smoke like a chimney, and drink a lot on the weekends - probably carrying an extra 20 pounds over what is healthy at 5'8", although i'm not fat overall - just have a belly.

for you runners and doctor types:

i've found an 18 week program that can supposedly get a runner marathon-ready if they start it being able to run 3-6 miles without discomfort, and 15-25 per week on average. so i have until june 1st to get to that point. i can't run a mile, probably can't even clear a quarter right now without walking.

how viable is this, being a smoker? can it even be done in 9 months? i do plan to quit smoking this weekend, and my gym membership starts back up tomorrow. i've also cut down portion sizes on meals, and am making the heathier decision when choosing meals when possible.

how likely am i to actually just keel over and die? (this is the likely outcome i've heard from a few nurses etc.)

is there anything concrete i can do to increase my chances of success, other than the things i already have covered?

[tyven]

ib4 tyche and serif start talking about what shoes to wear and tyche starts posting adidas ads.

[Correction]

How do you feel after a 5 mile run? Have you even tried it yet? Smoker lungs aren't really well suited to activities that require prolonged heavy breathing :D

[The Stig]

I don't smoke, and I don't really drink, and I don't excercise a lot. Running half a mile kills me, as in, I need to stop and take a lot of breaths to recover. I'm not overweight/fat either, but just unfit. I don't actually feel good/enjoy doing it either.

However, nothing is to stop you if you take it slowly and gradually improve. Don't sudden go 180 and you should be fine.

[Mizango]

Yeah Tyche is definitely someone you would want to talk to in regards to getting in shape for an event. He runs marathons religiously.

[Tristam]

Unless you've got another problem, you prolly won't keel over and die, I had a buddy quit smoking last year (and start running) and just did a half marathon en route to doing a full marathon in a couple months. plus he got loaded two nights before the race, so yeah it's doable.

Your lungs will improve weeks after you quit smoking, as long as you're giving yourself plenty of time to train you should be ok, consider another race halfway into your plan to get ready and build confidence before the marathon.

My training program for tris generally gives me one night a week to go out with friends, but I rarely get shitfaced anymore, when I started out doing races I was more into drinking and as long as I gave myself two sober weeks before a race I felt great.

edit: 9 months is plenty of time, take it slow and work on building endurance rather than speed, most people getting into endurance events tend to start their runs waaaaay too fast and have no concept of what their pace or HR is. It takes me a solid 20 minutes to warm up to the point where I even consider pushing a pace.

[0ni0n]

i've found an 18 week program that can supposedly get a runner marathon-ready if they start it being able to run 3-6 miles without discomfort, and 15-25 per week on average. so i have until june 1st to get to that point. i can't run a mile, probably can't even clear a quarter right now without walking.

how viable is this, being a smoker? can it even be done in 9 months? i do plan to quit smoking this weekend, and my gym membership starts back up tomorrow. i've also cut down portion sizes on meals, and am making the heathier decision when choosing meals when possible.

A marathon is no picnic. I have been training for 6 months for the next Nike 10k, so I know it's challenging if you work full time or have a family. If you do nothing but train for the run in the next 18 weeks, you would have a chance. Either way it will take a substantial amount of commitment and discipline to pull off this feat. I would suggest you stop smoking now and start and follow strictly whatever regiment you have planned. You should search for threads of discussion about running preparation.

[volcanicweather]

edit: 9 months is plenty of time, take it slow and work on building endurance rather than speed, most people getting into endurance events tend to start their runs waaaaay too fast and have no concept of what their pace or HR is. It takes me a solid 20 minutes to warm up to the point where I even consider pushing a pace.

This. Don't try to be superman right away, your body needs time to adjust to the new routine you are installing. Eating healthy is essential, sticking to a strict diet (most days) which works for you and your goals is as well. So is getting an adequate amount of sleep.

I would highly recommend doing a full series of stretching and warm up exercises before running, especially if you're running in the cold. You're just asking for injuries if you don't.

I've never been a marathon runner, but have had good cardiovascular health through playing basketball and BJJ. So if you need a running mate around Uptown when the weather warms up, feel free to shoot me a pm =)

[wintersquall]

well, it's reassuring that i'm -probably- not going to kill myself doing this, though i acknowledge the risk exists.

i have exactly -9- months to go from a out of shape POS (today) to a trim, distance-eating machine. i'm joining the YMCA downtown Minneapolis, and plan to use their treadmills which have a heart monitor function to begin the training; hopefully that way i can tell if i'm about to blow a valve or something.

drinking is out until the nicotine demon has been banished, my final alcoholic drinks will be tonight so i don't have a half bottle of good vodka lying around collecting dust for 3-4 months.

i was hoping to shock my body into doing this quicker, but i'm hearing just to take it easy... i ran mid to long distance in high school (800 and mile), and remember how to do interval training etc but that sounds like a bad idea.

still not sure if 9 months is actually long enough for a 36 yr old to go from smoking to running marathons, should be interesting.

i also plan on lifting to strengthen up as well... i lifted for 18 months up until march of last year (and ignored cardio for the most part), but smoking killed most of the gain. any tips on mixing that in with the running, such as when/how much/days off?


volcanic, i plan on using the lake chain for running once it's warm enough to actually go outside - may take ya up on that one, assuming i can actually run that far by then!

[Wulfgang]

A) Stop smoking now, lungs recover fairly quickly for a young smoker
B) Stop smoking now, but if you can't kick it entirely, start dipping; still bad for you, but so is sitting in a chair playing a computer game (I did this)

Either of those would have to happen this week. I started smoking fairly heavily when I lived in New Zealand and tore my ACL/MCL/LCL completely in HS, still managed to run a half marathon about 6 months after stopping smoking.

I could not run a full marathon ever, despite conditioning, because of the knee, but I think its a fairly good example.

[Tyche]

Wow, I love this thread. In no particular order...

@OP- Enjoy your 8 hour marathon (Sorry, I'll reply seriously later)
@Tyven - H8 u
@Thestig - You can run a half mile without stopping, you just don't have the drive. The human body is amazing, the mind isn't.

Ok, seriosuly OP, I'm sort of busy right now, but I'll provide you with a very very long post a little later. I'll tell you this right now though, you aren't going to be competitive at all. Not in 9 months. Finishing it is a great accomplishment. Don't set a timing goal. Finish it. Also, less than 2% (I think I'm racalling this correctly) of runners finish the second half of a marathon in a faster time than the first half. Reasons are obvious. Pace is important. I have too much to type and not enough time to type it. i'll reply tonight if someone else doesn't say what I need to say. I may even just map out your whole fucking 18 week regiman if I get to it. It's going to be the hardest thing you've ever done, get ready. Having a Y membership is going to be your saving grace.

[tyven]

i have never known a man so passionate about moving your legs quickly

[Tristam]

Starting on a treadmill is actually a pretty good idea since you'll have good control of your pace. My GF has similar high school running experience to you yet she ALWAYS pushes the beginning of her runs too hard, when I run with her I get annoyed at her start pace (~7:30 miles) and the fact that she basically bails out after four-five miles lol.

Most people I know spend a solid 2-3 months preseason building an aerobic base consisting of lots of long, slow, distance training. Literally not pushing hard atall and simply maintaining a target heart rate well below their inseason training rate. After that phase, I spend a few weeks on a treadmill and over the course of a workout increase the pace and keep an eye on my heart rate. At this point, you should have a good aerobic base and you can think about interval training, but until you get used to endurance training, I don't think intervals will do much good. Don't forget hills! One season I hit the hills really hard on my bike as usual but I failed to incorporate hills into my runs as much and during my last race, which was on a hilly course, I rocked the bike portion but totally flopped on the run, my mile pace was literally 1 minute off my season best and I was very close to cramping, I was pissed.

As far as lifting goes, I gradually phase it out towards my races to the point that I dont lift at all late spring/early summer. I do think people underestimate the importance of lifting in a training regimen, but unless you have lots of time I wouldn't worry too much about it. Staying flexible is very important.

[wintersquall]

well, i am setting a time goal... they close the course off and load you into a van at around a 13:22 per mile pace, so i will finish in that time (around 6 hours) or collapse trying. i don't expect to qualify for fuckin' boston or anything, but i will finish the actual race under the cutoff time.

the training website i was pointed to by the buddy:

Beginning Runner's Guide - Introduction


i'm looking at his novice 1, 18wk program - hence the guidelines i've set for june 1. all input is appreciated, and i fully realize this will be the hardest physical and mental challenge i've attempted. actually, i don't know if there is anything tougher period that i can think of... brb having a smoke break.


EDIT: my maths fail, 18 week training program means i have to be out of pre-training phase by about the second week of may >.>

[Tyche]

I think it's 3:20 for 37 year olds for Boston. You sure you don't want to try?

[wintersquall]

ha... a smoker qualifying for the boston on his first marathon? i'd be famous or dead, neither of which particularly appeal to me.

[Tyche]

Can you run 5k right now (3.1 miles)? If I had a 5k time for you, I could probably throw together a really good program. Lot's and lots of stuff to talk about though.

edit: Also, where do you live?

[wintersquall]

Can you run 5k right now (3.1 miles)? If I had a 5k time for you, I could probably throw together a really good program. Lot's and lots of stuff to talk about though.

edit: Also, where do you live?

nope, no way. i smoke, have been for 15 years - if had to guess, i -might- be able to run a quarter mile in about 3 min without having to stop or die, but i won't know until tomorrow night - that's the first thing i'm going to do, gauge where i'm at on the treadmill.

i live in minneapolis, hence the gym membership - got a few months before outside running becomes a possibility. they do have an indoor, 1/10 mile track - it's a pretty high class Y being downtown, mostly lawyers/yuppies in there.

[Tyche]

Smoking is going to be the very least of your problems. Starting back up 9 months out at 37 years old to run your first marathon is the bitch. Don't let the whole "smoking" aspect get to you. There's smokers who run sub 3's. Don't let that be an excuse not to stop. Seriously, stop smoking. It'll help. Do you feel you're going to be able to actually quit, or are you just talking out of your ass? I ask this seriously, as I'm not a smoker, but it's my understanding that it's very difficult to stop. You couple that with the stress you are going to be putting yourself through, it just seems like it'll be hard for someone who's done it for so long.

[wintersquall]

a current smoker can run a sub-3 hr marathon? really? i find that hard to believe, unless they're the "have 2 cigs in a bar once in a while" kind, and young to boot. i have classic smokers ailments: persistent cough, can't breathe deeply and not well at all sometimes etc... one of the reasons i took his challenge is to have a concrete reason, above and beyond the other 76598765432 reason there are to quit smoking. shit's starting to freak me out.

my plan is to quit cold turkey saturday morning upon waking. i am going to have on-hand, in case of DIRE emergency (hallucinatory DTs, headaches that make you throw up, etc - quitting nicotine is almost exactly like heroin withdrawal for some longtime smokers) a tin of that snus stuff from camel (have used it in the past when unable to smoke due to meetings, etc)... i'd rather do that than smoke, the lungs won't take any smoke inhalation with what i'm going to be doing... as i understand it, i might as well jump off a building now and save myself time if that's gonna be the case.

edit: i'm hoping that the exercise will help reinforce the idea of not smoking, which is why i'm starting training and quitting at the exact same time, although i realize i'll be training with almost no lung capacity for a week or two.