Advice from runners please!

Al77

Good morning! Ok, so I am fairly new to running. A couple months ago I signed up for a 9K. At the time, I have no idea why I did it. Honestly, until race day I hated running with a passion. I've always been an athlete but hated running. So I did the 9K and I absolutely loved it, and got a pretty decent time. Over the weekend I did a 10K, again, decent time and loved it. I am signed up for a 7 mile race in August also. This all leads me to my point. I am seriously considering training for a half marathon in the fall. I have about 14 weeks to prepare, and most training programs I have seen are 12 weeks, so I think I can do it! My question is, has anyone followed a 12 week program for this? So many of them are so different. Some just say run this amount these days a week, some say run this day, speed work this day, cross train this day, etc. And I've also asked other runners and they say don't bother with a program, just work on your distance running/stamina. Don't worry about your time, etc. So, any advice on how to prepare for this? Or am I crazy for even considering? ; )

mlally1014

You will be able to do it with no problem. You already have a good base running program with miles. The beginner 1/2 marathon program will work great. If you can run 6 miles now, then you are already half way there. Lace up those shoes and keep running

AnneElise

You can definitly do it! I am running a marathon in october and I am only up to 9 miles. I am using Hal Higdons Novice Training plan for the marathon. My sister runs them (5 a year) and told me that one was the one she thought was the best.

Here is his Novice Half:
http://www.halhigdon.com/halfmarathon/novice.htm

and his Intermediate Half:
http://www.halhigdon.com/halfmarathon/inter.htm

I think that the plans with speed training are if you are trying to finish in a certain time where the ones that you just run distance are having a goal to finish the race.

beckym71

You can absolutely manage the half in that time frame. I agree with the recommendation for following Hal Higdon's plan! Good luck!

Happyguy

The programs you wrote about are different because they are targeted at runners with varying training levels, experience, and goals.

If you are running 10k's without undo difficulty training for a half shouldn't too difficult.

See if you can find "The Competitive Runners Handbook".

maddox22

You can definitely do it. I ran my first half in May. I was initially following a training plan, but it wasn't working well for me (when I didn't meet a goal for one of the days, I felt bad, and was less likely to hit the next goal), so I ditched the plan and just focused on running as much as I could without injury. The race was okay--the weather was pretty lousy and I had an upset stomach, so I was slower than I was hoping, but I still finished.

You're right that there are a ton of different options out there. I think it's a lot like eating--what works for one person might not work for someone else. I do think a plan can be useful for your first race because it gives you something to aim for. Look over the plans and choose one that seems reasonable to you. If you don't like it, try another one next time. Good luck!

jcubesmommy

Different training programs are designed to help you in different ways... the one with speed work is designed to help you get your best time - the ones with the building distances are designed to help you build up the stamina to go the distance of your race. Then, there are many different styles... rest days, staggering distances. There are reasons for the different training programs but no one is the best one. You get to choose what you like best. You are a runner - - Your gonna be great!!

jabdye

I had the same problem Maddox had when training -- if I missed a goal I was so upset. I used Hal Higdon for my half -- and used the FIRST program for my full. Decide how many days you can run/want to run. Hal's program was more running days. since I cross train a lot I tried the FIRST program -- where you do three runs a week. Speedwork - tempo - and long run. choose what works best for you. you can definitely be ready in time. Good luck!