My first marathon training could barely be called training. Previously I had done a half, as the furthest distance I've run. Unfortunately due to injury I couldn't train until the last month. I ran 4 miles, 13 miles, 16 miles, 16 miles, one weekend after another. All very slowly. Then I tapered and did shorter runs, resting the week before the marathon. On Marathon day I hit the wall around mile 18 and trudged the last 8.
Fortunately for you, you have more than a month to prepare! You're also already halfway there. The key is that once you've done the distance, you keep the endurance for a very long time. So you just need to up the miles each run, then taper off to rest before the race. You don't need to do a full marathon before the race, but a few miles short is fine. The last runs, work on speed. Don't do any long runs two weeks before race day, so your legs are fully recovered.
After that, the main thing to worry about is simply staying hydrated and not overheating. The main reasons people drop out of races is because of these two reasons. It's rarely because you're out of breath or your legs are too tired. You can push through those, but not heat stroke and dehydration. You will also need to eat salt or salty foods along the way to replenish. Get used to running with a pack and/or bottle.
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My first marathon training could barely be called training. Previously I had done a half, as the furthest distance I've run. Unfortunately due to injury I couldn't train until the last month. I ran 4 miles, 13 miles, 16 miles, 16 miles, one weekend after another. All very slowly. Then I tapered and did shorter runs, resting the week before the marathon. On Marathon day I hit the wall around mile 18 and trudged the last 8.
Fortunately for you, you have more than a month to prepare! You're also already halfway there. The key is that once you've done the distance, you keep the endurance for a very long time. So you just need to up the miles each run, then taper off to rest before the race. You don't need to do a full marathon before the race, but a few miles short is fine. The last runs, work on speed. Don't do any long runs two weeks before race day, so your legs are fully recovered.
After that, the main thing to worry about is simply staying hydrated and not overheating. The main reasons people drop out of races is because of these two reasons. It's rarely because you're out of breath or your legs are too tired. You can push through those, but not heat stroke and dehydration. You will also need to eat salt or salty foods along the way to replenish. Get used to running with a pack and/or bottle.