How hard would it be to train for my first Marathon while deployed to Iraq during the hottest months?
I'm 32 years old, in good physical health, and have no medical conditions. I want to run the Marine Corps Marathon in 7 months, but my training will bring me through temperatures of over 90 to 100 degrees at night over those months. Would this be wise to do, or would the weather have too much of an affect?
Answers:
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Is it possible to do? Probably. Do you really want to put your body through that much stress while you'll already be in a horribly stressful situation? I wouldn't want to. You'll be running the risks of severe dehydration, exhaustion, etc. You'll most likely be doing your body more harm than good. While your goal is admirable, I would suggest keeping yourself in great shape but not pushing yourself to such an extent. I just don't see how it could be healthy for you.Thank you for defending our country and good luck.
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It's not out of the realm of possibility. It will probably include a lot of treadmill training runs...which is OK. Set the treadmill on 1-1.5% grade to simulate some of the harder aspects of running when the ground isn't moving for you. I ran the Marine Corps Marathon in 1992...it's a great race! It will make a great homecoming goal to have your friends & family cheer you on. Check out the links below for help. Best of luck over there...Godspeed.- Mike
When I read your question, it reminded me of someone else who was doing something similar last year. It took me a while to jog my memory, but I now remember. There is an Army sergeant who trained to run a marathon while stationed in Iraq and came back to run at Boston. The link to the article is below.
It seems that his biggest concern was finding new and interesting (and safe) routes and measuring them with his GPS device. I imagine that keeping hydrated was pretty high on his list, but it was not mentioned in the article. He mentions, however, that he ran in the morning when the desert temperatures were relatively cooler. His longest runs were about 3 hours long.
I remember reading a few articles of soldiers serving in Iraq and still finding time to train to run marathons. Dude, that is just amazing and it blows my mind, but the short answer to your question is that it can be done because others have done it.
I'm also planning on running the next Marine Corps Marathon in DC. If you're there, I'll be somewhere in the race cheering you on..
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