First half marathon in 3 weeks - any tips?!
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Thanks so much for the advice everyone! Feeling much more confident
Love the comment about the 'sandpaper', I'll make sure I have a solid bra on that day 
I am now SO excited to run my first 13.1 miles and can hardly wait to tell everyone how I get on!
Thanks again!xxx
Haven't read all the posts, but i'm sure everyone is saying don't go out like a bullet, the adrenaline will make you want to. I would also put Vaseline on your nipples and around the areas where your new sports bra is cuz you might, not saying you will, but you might rub yourself raw and that will help avoiding that issue, that was something I wish someone would have told me. after the run, don't just stop, make sure to walk around.. have fun!!0 -
Make sure you get in a test run if you can and take note of what you are eating/wearing. Don't do the long run too close to race week though. In the last weeks keep your long runs at a very comfortable pace. Log the miles but don't overtrain. Keep your speed work a separate, shorter run. You want to be well trained but you need to let your muscles recoup as well. As others said nothing new. Race how you train. Lay out everything you need the night before and wake up quite early to eat and hydrate. Hydrate with water and electrolytes two days prior. Careful what electrolytes you use if you aren't accostomed to training with them. Sugar substitutes can be awful for your stomach but you don't want too much sugar either. Focus on bland, non-greasy food and high potassium. Some experts advise dropping your fiber consumption but I never have. Don't make the mistake of a greasy pizza or big dinner at an Italian joint. I cringe when I see my friends getting together for dinner night before and going to Olive Garden! I personally couldn't handle that. Since its your first stay safe with the food.0
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So I just finished my first yesterday, start slow and trust your training.
I finished 2:24:26, next year hopefully I'll have a sub 2 hour time0 -
Thought I should post an update - but first let me say thank you all so much for your tips, they were invaluable today. I don't have many friends who run and so you all helped massively with my confidence.
So today was the first half marathon ad actually the first race I've done in my life. I started out well, didn't settle into a proper rhythm until mile 3 (standard for me) and I was keeping within my target pace I had set myself. At mile 5 I felt a familiar twinge in my left calf from an old injury, and by mile 7 I was in the medic van. They advised me to rest at that point but I hobbled on to mile 10.5. At that point my boyfriend (who I was running with) and his mum (who had come to meet us on the course when she heard I wasn't running) convinced me I should give up for the sake of not worsening my injury - so I very very reluctantly did. I know you can't plan for injury and if I HAD carried on I would've only worsened my recovery - but still can't help feeling totally gutted. I have booked physio for next week, so hopefully my next run update will bring some better news.
Hope everyone who has contributed to this post has better luck than I did today!! Xo0 -
I'm sorry that your calf acted up! I've got a tricky left calf right now also... apparently it's going around
Hopefully you'll be able to do another half this summer or this fall and finally cross that finish line! 0 -
Don't let the negative thoughts steal away what you did! Despite injury you persevered through 10 miles. You also took advice and recognized you should not finish...not an easy thing to do...especially for someone with the kind of toughness and determination it takes to go as far as you did.
Heal up. You can train again. You know you can do this now. All you need is proper recovery and can then try again.0 -
Don't be discouraged. You have to make that assessment in the moment and if it was serious enough that you couldn't walk it off, then stopping to save yourself for a later date is where the smart money is. I know after all the training that you feel, as you put it, gutted. But know that you can recover (and hopefully you made your recovery faster by stopping) and race another day. It is often hard to make that choice even when it is the smartest choice.
We'll be here for you to try again.0 -
Sorry to hear! Bummer! Hope you sort it for good. Best of luck with your recovery. Stef.0
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Nothing heroic about struggling on to the end and making your injury worse. I really admire people who know when to stop - and the training won't be wasted as you'll recover in time to capitalise on the fitness you've built up.0
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B0
