First Half Marathon Questions

leighdiane91

Hey! So I am training for my first half marathon and had some questions that I was hoping some of you more experienced long distance runners might be able to help me with. TIA!

1. Calories. I know I should be eating more calories on the days I run (4 times a week) and less on the days I do not run or just do yoga. Does anyone know of a calculator or something that could tell me how much to eat on running days vs. rest days? When I look online a lot of the running sites merely state that you need to up your calories on running days, but don't really say by how much! I have been eating 1900 on rest days and about 2100-2300 on running days, does that sound right? I just don't want my runs to suffer from lack of food!

2. Since I started training I have been running inside on a treadmill because of weather (I live in Minnesota) but I know soon I will need to start doing at least some of my runs outside. Do you have any recommendations on a running belt to put a phone/water bottle in? Carrying a water bottle is not an option once you hit 4+ mile runs!

3. Is 20 weeks worth of training enough? I know I will probably be one of the last to cross the finish line, but is 20 weeks enough time to go from doing 5k fun runs to doing a half marathon?

_Terrapin_

1. Calories rule of thumb 100 calories for each mile. Keep it simple.

2. What is the longest you've run up to this point? I carry my phone in my hand or use a belt pocket. For training you can drop water at a halfway point so no need to carry it.

3. Depending on your desire to run most of it relies on the answer to #2 above. If you ran 6 miles then 20 weeks is plenty. So, the longest you've run helps to determine if 20 is enough.

Look at Higdon and Galloway models for training for a half and they ought to be able to guide your decision about the number of weeks. Good luck, and the most important part is to have fun!

cheshirecatastrophe

1. The general equation for running and calorie burning is .65*miles*weight in pounds. You get to decide how much of that to "eat back." I often end up "pre-eating" some of the calories the night before a long run.

2. I use this belt when I want to carry water. The fanny pack-like compartment is large enough to fit my iPhone+Lifeproof case. If you search for "running hydration belt" on Amazon, you'll find a bunch of other solid options that might have features *you* prefer.

3. 20 weeks is actually more than most half marathon plans involve. Have you looked at specific training plans--Galloway, Higdon, etc? (Higdon's are very popular).

3a. I doubt you will actually be one of the last to finish, but--even the last finisher gets a medal and a T-shirt.

BrianSharpe

If you're logging your food here at MFP and use a reasonably estimate of calories expended on exercise on a given day (.63 x miles x weight for net calories expended running according to Runners World) you can go by what this site suggests in terms of calories (if you're here for fitness rather that weight loss you can set your loss to zero lbs per week).

I bought a Fuel Belt a few years ago, it has a couple of 10 or 12oz water flasks (I've seen versions with 4 bottles) and a pocket for keys, gels and/or a phone etc. Honestly I rarely use it as I don't carry water on anything less than 10 miles or so (you won't need to carry water at the race, they'll have water stations along the way - just stay away from the "sports drink" they hand out unless it's a brand you've trained with).

20 weeks can be plenty of time to train if you're just looking to finish. What I might suggest (if there are races that fit in your schedule) is to try and sign up for a 5K and 10K race as part of your training. The atmosphere at races is different from fun runs and getting a little exposure to racing before the big day will improve your confidence and comfort level.

Have fun!

_Waffle_

I use this site called My Fitness Pal. You enter your time running and it calculates the calories for you. It's not exact but it's a pretty good stab in the dark at what you need to be eating.

leighdiane91

Thanks to everyone for the constructive feedback! I appreciate it!

bwogilvie

1. If you log your run on MFP, that will adjust your daily calorie goal. MFP's exercise database is really off for many exercises, but it's decent for running. I would log the next slower exercise (so if you run a 9:50 mile pace, log it as 10.5 minutes/mile).

2. You can actually get handheld bottles for long runs. Nathan is one manufacturer, but there are others (I have no connection to any of them). They have straps so you don't need to maintain a firm grip. If you're doing an out-and-back course, you can drop a bottle a quarter of the way through the run, so you can pick it up and drink at the 75% mark. If you hydrate well at the beginning of the run, you shouldn't need to drink again for at least 7-8 miles, unless it's particularly hot or you're an even more copious sweater than I am.

If you're in the Twin Cities and are running along one of the paths that has drinking fountains, or if you can identify public drinking water along your routes, you might not need a bottle at all. When I lived in Chicago, I did my long runs on the lake shore path, which had at least one water fountain every mile.

3. Twenty weeks is plenty of time to train to finish. I trained for a 25K in less time than that, starting with only 4-mile runs as a base. Hal Higdon's Novice 1 and Novice 2 programs take 12 weeks.

Have fun, and good luck!