Half Marathon- too lofty a goal?

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  • lindsay0515
    lindsay0515 Posts: 52 Member
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    I would aim for a 10k first to build up (that's what I did, personally) but if you follow a training program and progress at a reasonable pace, I think you can do whatever distance you want! Just listen to your body and enjoy the experience! Completing a half marathon doesn't mean killing it - it means completing it - at whatever time your body is capable of! GO FOR IT - you can do it! If you need extra motivation to complete your first half - make it somewhere fun! Mine was at Disney and it was a blast! Totally forgot I was running a lot of the time! :)
  • csman49
    csman49 Posts: 1,100 Member
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    aye just get it done lass, then you have a target to beat for your next one!
  • WhatMeRunning
    WhatMeRunning Posts: 3,538 Member
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    I don't think there is any harm in having a half marathon goal. I would recommend training towards and completing a 10k first though as a milestone along that HM goal. I started running almost a year ago exactly and finished my first 10k in September and my first HM in November.
  • KF1216
    KF1216 Posts: 175 Member
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    DavPul wrote: »

    If you're on a HM training plan that's 16 weeks then you'll be running 10k distance fairly easily by September and you could enter a 10k event as one of your longer training runs. This is assuming you're not trying to podium the 10k.

    Ha! No not trying to podium anything! I'm a stay at home mom to three kids- the cutie in my picture is turning five next month and new baby is almost 1!) And I just feel like I never do anything for myself so am looking for a goal to strive for to bring some feeling of accomplishment to my life.

    As for childcare- I'm thinking I can do my long run on the weekend when husband is home, then will have to run in the evening when he jets home from work a couple nights a week. I can take the baby in the jogger some days if the big kids are at camp or play dates.
  • ncfitbit
    ncfitbit Posts: 1,058 Member
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    I've only been running since last October, but I love it! I like training for races because it encourages me to run on those days when I might be tempted to skip it, but my only goal for an actual race is to start it and finish it with a smile on my face. I might be different than others who have speed or distance goals. As long as I don't get swept, I would be happy.
    I really enjoyed training for a local 4 miler with a group through Fleet Feet. As part of that training they did speed work, hills, fartleks etc. and offered clinics on form, cadence etc. that really helped me feel great when race day arrived. I felt totally prepared and that felt great. Next, I'm planning a 5 miler this October, a 10 miler next April. If those go well and I like running those distances I will try for a half next October or December, only because I'm not too sure yet how crazy I am about training in the summer!
  • whmscll
    whmscll Posts: 2,254 Member
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    DO IT. Several years ago at work we talked about having a BHAG -- a big, hairy, audacious goal. And then we worked really hard to achieve it. If a half marathon is your goal, GO FOR IT and adapt your training regimen to be ready. Even if you can't run the entire way you can finish.

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