First half marathon!! AHHH!! :)

butreally12

Hey everyone!

It seems like just yesterday that I was posting here asking for advice about my first ever race ( a 5K)... and now I'm back to ask for ANY advice y'all can give me for my first half marathon, on SUNDAY!! Ahh!!

I am super excited!! I've been training for a while now, so I feel pretty confident that I can at least FINISH the distance... but ANY advice you can give me about the big day would be greatly appreciated!! I'm especially trying to work out what to eat this week and the morning of, if I really should be tapering (it's killing me not to run!) and if I should be worried that I have to go to a wedding the day before and may not get enough sleep...

Thanks in advance!!

KoopaSix

Carb load the day/night before. Lots and Lots of carbs. Try to keep them complex/low gi (oats, whole wheat pasta, whole wheat breads, brown rice etc). Pace yourself. Hydrate. Win.

If I were running a marathon I'd personally eat at a 500-600 cal surplus the day before comprised primarily of carbohydrates. Something along the lines of 50/30/20 or 60/20/20.

sjaplo

Don't try and eat anything you don't normally. Run at your own pace, not those around you. Stop at the last part of the water table not the beginning - then walk until you finish drinking. Bring an easy to consume while running snack - that you have already tested. don't overdress - you will get warm.

Enjoy - that's what it for.

Good Luck.

ThickMcRunFast

Yes, taper. You want to get to the race rested. Don't stop running all together, but you also shouldn't be running high mileage.

For a half, no real special carb loads are needed, though if you want to up your carbs a little, do so the 2-3 days before, then eat normally the day before (nothing too high in fiber, greasy/fatty, or spicy). You just want to top off your glycogen stores, not be weighed down.

The morning of, eat what you normally eat before a training run. Nothing new, no surprises.

Get plenty of rest 2 nights before (the night before is always somewhat restless).

Go out slow, try not to get caught up in the adrenaline of race day.

In general, DON'T TRY ANYTHING NEW ON RACE DAY!

Good luck!

waterwing

I agree with the "don't try anything new on race day" thing... including clothes!

Make sure you take good care of yourself the day before and stick with your plan. It's easy to get caught up in the excitement and run too hard or too fast at the beginning.

Most importantly, have an amazing time! Just enjoy all of it!

KoopaSix

Sounds like better advice from the above posters...just saying what I"D do...then again I do zero cardio..so yea..

ZenInTexas

Yes, taper. You want to get to the race rested. Don't stop running all together, but you also shouldn't be running high mileage.

For a half, no real special carb loads are needed, though if you want to up your carbs a little, do so the 2-3 days before, then eat normally the day before (nothing too high in fiber, greasy/fatty, or spicy). You just want to top off your glycogen stores, not be weighed down.

The morning of, eat what you normally eat before a training run. Nothing new, no surprises.

Get plenty of rest 2 nights before (the night before is always somewhat restless).

Go out slow, try not to get caught up in the adrenaline of race day.

In general, DON'T TRY ANYTHING NEW ON RACE DAY!

Good luck!

+1

spicegeek

eat what you have been eating before the long runs - they are training runs for all aspects of the race not just the running but. Get lots of sleep the week before the race - no one sleeps week the night before a race - try and still off your feet as much as you can the day before. Hydrate really well all week and up your carbs a little all week

kota4bye

Good advice here, I'm 3 weeks from my first half.

EdTheGinge

Enjoy it

jkwolly

Yay good luck!

donrdon

Don't do anything different than what you've been doing to this point. Now is not the time for change. The only other thing I'l recommend is, HAVE FUN and good luck on Sunday. Let us know how it goes.

mlt2908

I ran two half-marathons (my first one ever in August and then another in Oct) and have done multiple 10-miler races I would advise what others have said - don't try anything new - not new socks, not new clothing, not new shoes, and not new food, the day of the race. In the couple of days leading up to it, eat plenty of carbs but the day before, don't eat too much fiber and eat something with carbs but not a lot of fiber the morning of the race. Make sure to not overdress so that you get overheated....unless you can easily peel off the extra layers. Just focus on taking one mile at a time and tell yourself that you DID prepare for this race and can finish. Good Luck!

Linli_Anne

For my first half last October, to avoid an unwanted/unwelcomed bathroom break mid-race I opted to lay off coffee for the 3 days before the race, and I also decreased my fiber by switching to simple carbs (think white breads etc.) Other than that I didn't really change my eating habits much; no real carb loading done.

The day of the race I got to the sight early to avoid long lines at the bag check, so I could familiarize myself with the grounds, do some walking, and I visited the bathroom probably 3 times before the gun fired.

During the race I was fortunate enough to run with a friend, and it took all the nerves away. We spent the whole 13 miles talking, waving at and thanking supporters, and smiling. It may not have been the hardest I could have pushed myself, but that wasn't my goal for that race, I wanted to experience it, and to complete it, and I did in what I think was a decent time. So, remember to have fun and enjoy yourself out there.

bobbijodmb

awesome advice--- I have my first half in 24 days and super pumped but also excited

runnergirl0721

Enjoy it! I am training for my first half too!

liza89

I did my first half last year and was surprised at how overwhelmed I was by the amount of people running, in such close proximity to me. Its easy to get caught up in what other people are doing, inc how fast they are running so expect to get jostled along with the crowd. If you are aiming for a set time 2hrs, 2hrs 15 etc I would still think about starting with a slower group just to ease yourself into the run and get used to the environment... that way you can easily overtake as you go along!! Also dont be too disappointed if your dont reach your goal, you've never done a half before so you've nothing to benchmark yourself against, come the next one you will have a PB to beat!

Agree with dont do anything out of habit, ESPECIALLY including food. I was on a low calorie diet anyway and was told to carb load etc which I did then wondered why I struggled on my last few runs before race day.. if you are fine training with your current diet DONT feel the need to do what others are doing, stick to what works for you.

Good luck!! Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!!

SueInAz

Lots of good info so far. I will echo not to try anything new. Training runs are the place for that, not a race. Wear something you know will be comfortable, eat only things during the race that you've tried before. Lay out everything you're going to need (clothes, gear, bib, timing chip, GPS watch, etc.) the night before and map your route to the start line so you won't be in a panic or a rush before the race. There's no need to carb load before the race but keep your foods things that are simple to digest; simple carbs are good for that. Avoid high fat, high fiber foods. Someone once said, "If you carb load before the race, you're going to carb UNload during the race." You want to avoid the long lines for the portapotties during the race, trust me. In fact, get to the race in plenty of time but not too early. Get in one of the long lines for the portpotties and be sure to empty your bladder within 10-20 minutes of the race start. You should be able to avoid needing to go during the race that way.

As far as sleep and all that... it's not something I'd recommend but I've completed half marathons after closing the bars down the night before. (Hey, beer is a carb, right, and who needs more than 3 hours of sleep?) I won't say that race was pretty but it certainly wasn't my worst finish time ever and I got it done. I'm not "in it to win it" in the first place.

I guess my point is not to worry too much about it. Odds are, you aren't going to win the race, and that's not your goal anyway. If you need to take a few walk breaks during the race, that doesn't mean you've "failed". There are many people, myself included, who use a run/walk strategy through the whole race and finish faster than those who run the whole 13.1 miles. I'm sure you'll see more than one of them out there on Sunday morning. Enjoy the experience and when you're done you'll have a personal best you can try to beat the next race.

Runs4Wine

Like all races, don't do anything new. If you haven't trained with food/gels/Gatorade, don't succumb to it on the race route. You'll regret it at the finish line.

You've done the hard part - the training - now it's just to show up, enjoy, and set a personal record

butreally12

Thank you guys - SO much great advice here!!! I love it!!

I have definitely heard (and agree with) the advice to not try anything new on race day... and that brings me to another predicament. The poster below me sort of answered it, but I want to make sure I understand...

I've been following a running plan, but to be honest I know absolutely nothing about running nutrition. So, my plan told me to run 13 miles, and I went out and did so, without water, or food, or anything like that. Now that I'm researching fueling and stuff I realize that that's probably not the best... (again, I'm absolutely new at all of this!)

Almost everyone seems to recommend SOMETHING in the way of replenishing your body at some point along the way, so I'm wondering if I should try gatorade or water during the race? Again, I haven't trained using it, so my instinct is no, but do you guys think it would help my performance? (My goal is just to finish... but secretly I'd like to be around 2 hours) Everyone seems to recommend it...but...

Again, thanks so much for all of the responses!!

ThickMcRunFast

Thank you guys - SO much great advice here!!! I love it!!

I have definitely heard (and agree with) the advice to not try anything new on race day... and that brings me to another predicament. The poster below me sort of answered it, but I want to make sure I understand...

I've been following a running plan, but to be honest I know absolutely nothing about running nutrition. So, my plan told me to run 13 miles, and I went out and did so, without water, or food, or anything like that. Now that I'm researching fueling and stuff I realize that that's probably not the best... (again, I'm absolutely new at all of this!)

Almost everyone seems to recommend SOMETHING in the way of replenishing your body at some point along the way, so I'm wondering if I should try gatorade or water during the race? Again, I haven't trained using it, so my instinct is no, but do you guys think it would help my performance? (My goal is just to finish... but secretly I'd like to be around 2 hours) Everyone seems to recommend it...but...

Again, thanks so much for all of the responses!!

You don't really need anything for a half. If you haven't had it on training runs, just go without. The last thing you want is to find out at mile 8 that those power gels really don't agree with your stomach. If you have trained with water, drink that during the race.

_Terrapin_

I carb load for a 5k(true story); seriously tapering is best for the distance, enjoy yourself. Listen to ThinkMcRunFast solid advice

butreally12

Thanks!! Any other opinions out there on the fueling (including water) thing? Also don't want to damage my body!

ehensarling17

In general, DON'T TRY ANYTHING NEW ON RACE DAY!

Thanks!! Any other opinions out there on the fueling (including water) thing? Also don't want to damage my body!

I'd definitely suggest you avail yourself of the water/Gatorade at the water stations; neither of those are likely to wreak havoc on your stomach. If you haven't used gels during your training runs, now is not the time to give those a test run. I've come to love gels; you should consider giving them a try once you resume training after the race!

Word to the wise: Don't eat Mexican the night before. Seems incredibly obvious but that was one of those "Oh DUH" lessons I learned the hard way.

Runs4Wine

So how did the race go?

geebusuk

NOt useful for the OP, but thought I'd leave it here as I was reading up on carb loading quite a lot..
For a half marathon you shouldn't really need to carb load.
The idea of carb loading is to give you muscle Glycogen stores some extra, but generally for a half marathon (presuming you're doing it in under two and a half hours or so), your muscles should have enough as it is - presuming they aren't depleted from previous training/calorie deficit.

As I was running for a fair bit longer than that on Saturday I did the single day carb loading thing - 2 1/2 minute run, followed by 30 second sprint, then something around 12g carbs/kg of lean body mass - avoiding too much fructose. Seemed to do the job.

aarar

Watch your pace especially at the beginning of the race. It's really easy to get caught up in the excitement and go out too fast.

Edited to add: just realized your race is over! Hope it went well!

butreally12

Thanks for everyone's advice - it was AMAZING!! I had the best time in the world... I seriously was just so happy to be running with like 4,000 other amazing people that I don't think I stopped smiling once!!

I ended up finishing with a time of 2:02 or so, and I have to say that I'm extremely happy with that! (I know that's pretty slow for a lot of people... but hey!) I'm sorry for the next few paragraphs because I know nobody cares but I'm still so excited!

I started the race towards the back of the crowd, (five minutes from the gun time) and I crossed the halfway point at just under an hour. I was so nervous that I would start off too fast and then just tank, that I probably started off too slowly (my first mile was 10:15...) . To be fair, though, the race was on a pretty narrow path and it was hard to pass people (especially because a lot of people would just randomly stop and start walking, with no warning - kind of annoying!) I kept reminding myself to slow down, but I felt so amazing that now I think I could have stayed at a faster pace.

I felt SO GOOD until about mile 8, when I got this terrible side stitch. I had to stop and walk for about five minutes, which made me sad, but I was so thankful that it went away. I've never really dealt with stitches during training, so I had no idea how to deal with it... any advice?

I ended up not getting any water/gatorade/gu during the race at all... I just felt so good, and I was worried that I would upset my stomach. Maybe that caused the cramp? Or maybe it was because I was getting cocky and ran miles 6-7 closer to an 8:30 pace??

Either way, I know that without the stitch, I could have ran it in under 2 hours, and now I want to do another one... like now! (Maybe not now, I'm still REALLY sore haha.)

Thanks everyone!!

SueInAz

I'm so glad things went so well for you!

As far as the side stitch, there are two different theories on what causes them. The first is that it's something about the pre-race meal. The second is that it has to do with your breathing pattern, specifically that exhaling when your right foot hits the ground puts force on your liver just as your diaphram is moving up. I've found that when I get one, changing which foot hits the ground as I exhale *always* fixes the problem, which, for me, negates the food theory.

lmroessler

Glad I found this. I'm doing my first half in 11 days (yes, that's right - I'm counting down!!). Lots of good advice from everyone. Thanks!!

mlt2908

Don't try and eat anything you don't normally. Run at your own pace, not those around you. Stop at the last part of the water table not the beginning - then walk until you finish drinking. Bring an easy to consume while running snack - that you have already tested. don't overdress - you will get warm.

Enjoy - that's what it for.

Good Luck.

I second all of those suggestions. I would eat more carbs in the days leading up to the race, and on the morning of the race, eat carbs that don't have tons of fiber (I often have yogurt and a very light cereal such as Special K). If you haven't tried them already, while you are training, you may want to consider some goos or gels to consume during the race. Do not try them for the first time though the day OF the race - they don't agree with everyone. I find they help give some extra energy during long races (I have run a bunch of 10 milers and did my first two half-marathons last year). Don't overdress ( I have made that mistake before and it sucks), and don't experiment with new socks or shoes the day of the race. I also find it a little easier to carry water with me also (I wear one of those belts) and you can then avoid the big crowd by the tables and I sometimes have a hard time trying to drink out of the cups - I'm sloppy! Good Luck and have fun!