What made you think...1/2 marathon? I can do that!

becka63

So, however you got into running, at what point in your training did you make the decision that you could do a 1/2 (or even a full)? Mentally, what was that shift like?

Previously I have run up to 7-8 miles and then just stopped. It's like I'm scared to run any further. Part of the reason is that I get so tired after the longer runs (6+ mile) that I find it hard to function the rest of the day and so I worry that 'that' distance is my limit and a 1/2 would be too much...however, I would LOVE the sense of achievement and the experience of running one!

I should add that I have Crohn's disease and suffer with fatigue, which I know is why I feel so whacked after running more than 6 miles...I just don't know if I'm overreaching myself.

lporter229

My first half was over 10 years ago, so I can't say that I can answer the question exactly, but I remember thinking along the lines of "If other people can do it, I can too". The task did seem pretty daunting at the time, but you are correct, the sense of accomplishment is well worth the effort. And it's amazing how fast you are able to progress and what you are able to accomplish if you are determined.

As you know, I also have Crohn's disease. I won't lie, it does put an additional strain on training. It is important to be well tuned into your body. I have had to drop out of several marathon training programs because of the old Crohn's, and it' can get extremely discouraging. But I did finally complete my first full 2 years ago, and knowing I had that additional "hurdle" to overcome made it all the more sweet. I am about to start training again for number 2 after having a major set back earlier this year. Of course I am worried that the Crohn's will come back once again to keep me from achieving my goal, but I know that I won't do it if I don't try. This is the way I see it: I may fall down again (and again), but if I quit trying, then the disease has truly gotten the best of me and I am not willing to let that happen. I know you can do this too!!

MeanderingMammal

In terms of the decision, I ended up doing 10mi a couple of times when I was preparing for a trail 10K earlier in the year. That was close enough to make a half realistic. Coupled with my brother running one and a little bit of healthy completely non competitive testing against one another it made sense to try it.

My first is in another 6 weeks and I should reach consistent distance in about 3 weeks, so giving me time to taper.

For me it's a big deal, I have a history of leg injury and running injuries in the past so actually doing these distances is something I didn't think was achievable. I figured that about 10K was my threshold, when I started about 18 months ago

Telloth

For me my general train of thought was:
- 'I should start running'
- 'This is starting to hurt less and less each time'
- 'Wow I just ran 5k!'
- (after tracking my runs) 'Holy **** my pace is getting better week by week'
- 'Wow I just ran 10k!'
- 'That half marathon looks awesome, oh what the hell I can run 21k in 2 months'

And so I did. That sort of occurred over the space of 3-4 months. Now it's 2.5 years later and I've run 3 halfs so far. Truth is I just pushed myself and just waited to see where it would take me. My aunt is a serious athlete and did an Iron Man a couple of years back and she probably was the root of my inspiration to see how far I could run. I'm now training for my first marathon in October so I'm still looking for my limits

I sympathise with you cause it sounds like it's really tough to run with Crohn's. I can't give better advice than the two above me because truthfully I haven't experienced anything that has seriously hampered my training. What I will say is I'm very impressed, it's awesome to see people pushing through difficulties like that, it inspires me even more!
So I would say take inspiration from other people in similar situations to your own, if they can do it, you can too, and maybe down the line you yourself can serve as an inspiration to others

vmclach

when I got around the 8-9 mile mark for long runs.. Then I just decided to "keep going" one day to 13.1.. I ran 13.1 many times before ever running a half.

The_Enginerd

I was totally happy with 5k and 10k runs and mud runs as that was a pretty good balance with my weight lifting. Plus, doing a run twice as long just didn't sound like something I'd want to do. At the end of my 10k runs, I felt pretty much like "yep, that's enough running for now"

Then someone inspired me to sign up for a Spartan Beast (12+ miles) and if I'm going to train to run that distance, I might as well do a half marathon. And I discovered I kind of like doing these longer runs once I learned to embrace not always going balls out during my runs and actually doing a proper training pace.

edit: The one who inspired me has minimal Cerebral Palsy and is going for a Spartan Trifecta and half marathon this year.

RunnerElizabeth

I had just finished a beginner 5k program. I was running 5k in 40 minutes. I had done it probably 5 times. I was going to sign up for a 10k in 3 months and train like crazy for it. My sister told me she was going to do a half marathon instead of the 10k. I had literally 5 minutes to decide (the HM is crazy hard to get into). I said "why not?" And signed up and got on a 12 week program.

On paper it doesn't seem like it would have been a good idea since I had no idea if i could run more than 3 miles, but i did it anyway. Got my 5k time down under 30 minutes in the meantime too. And my HM went great! I've done 5 more since then and I'm currently training for my first marathon.

So i did it because of peer pressure!

lishie_rebooted

I got into running in 2012.
Signed up for the Army Ten Miler that year.
A coworker was like "hey half marathon!?" And yeah, that's how that happened.

My second is in Oct. Had to take off a lot of 2013 due to injuries. I like running.

I said I'd never run another half. I lied.
So I might end up with a full under my belt at some point (not soon tho)

boatsie77

Part of my strategy for dropping my weight I did lots of walking. Then I entered my first walking 5K at 200lbs when I was 57 years old. Over the next several months I walked more 5Ks (including a Mud Run) and even won walking awards which included 2 for overall woman walker.

After turning 58 and at my goal weight I decided to enter a 1/2 Marathon. I didn't enter as a walker because I started adding a little running to my training, and didn't want to just speed walk the whole thing. So I completed my first 1/2 marathon last November run-walking in a time of 2:25. Since then I completed 2 more 1/2 marathons. Then I somehow came up with the idea of completing a full marathon for my 60th birthday...and it just so happens that the Disney Marathon happens in January 2015 -- so I "jumped the shark" and registered in April and I'm currently in training to run-walk that marathon.

Part of my "maintenance strategy" is to always be in training for a 5K race each month--it keeps me focused on exercise and eating good food (most of the time). I'm not at the point where I love the running while I'm doing it...but it feels so damn good after it's over and I'm finished, so I just use that as my motivation.

Kupe

My father in law, in his hey day the man ran 3 comrade marathons (90km) and at least a dozen full marathons. So when I started running, I thought that I should at least give a marathon a go, so off I went, completed 1 full marathon, 2 timed a 1/2 marathons and a number of 21km + training runs. Gave myself Achilles Tendonitis so I have eased up on the running and ride more.

litsy3

I'd been running regularly for fitness in a totally non-competitive way for about 3 years (distances from 3-6 miles, more often 3 or 4) and then my friend came to stay with me to run the Paris marathon and I thought 'well, if she can do a full marathon I should be able to manage a half'. I did make sure I ran at least 8 miles before I entered, though, just to be sure I'd get more than half of the way round!

lockeddoor

Ran a couple of 5Ks. Then I started training for a 10K, and found that I could run 7.5-8 miles without feeling utterly destroyed.

Personally, it did take a lot for me ramp up to 13 miles, but what made me sign up for my first half marathon was the day I finally, very slowly, ran my first 13 mile long run. Once I knew I had it in me, I signed up for my race, and trained. I guess i just needed to do that distance once to see what it felt like and know that the distance itself was achievable before I shelled out the money and committed (unfortunately I do not have a large budget for entry fees, as most of my spare cash goes towards replacing my shoes, gear, etc).

becka63

Thanks for the responses!

I think the ones that resonate most with me are the people who said that they just ran the distance without being in a 1/2, especially taking into consideration registration fees etc.

I'm currently doing higdon's 1/2 novice and just completed wk 3 where the long run is 5 miles. I spent the first mile thinking 'i can't do this' and then after I got my stats knew that I could, and I did! So I will carry on with the programme. There is a 1/2 near me mid-October, but due to being utterly broke at the moment, I can't afford to enter and like one poster said, I don't want to commit financially without knowing I can physically and mentally achieve it.

:-)

_Josee_

I had just finished a beginner 5k program. I was running 5k in 40 minutes. I had done it probably 5 times. I was going to sign up for a 10k in 3 months and train like crazy for it. My sister told me she was going to do a half marathon instead of the 10k. I had literally 5 minutes to decide (the HM is crazy hard to get into). I said "why not?" And signed up and got on a 12 week program.

On paper it doesn't seem like it would have been a good idea since I had no idea if i could run more than 3 miles, but i did it anyway. Got my 5k time down under 30 minutes in the meantime too. And my HM went great! I've done 5 more since then and I'm currently training for my first marathon.

So i did it because of peer pressure!

Same for me!!! (Except for the sister part.. It was some online friends!). I was actually on the last week of C25K when I signed up lol

Honestly, that half is what made me LOVE running and gave me so much confidence on other parts of my life. The training was HARD, I felt like I was always running (I was soooo naive lol), I knew nothing about running, but I got it done and the race went great. It showed that if I really wanted something, I could get it.

Running that half is also what made me fell in love with distance running.

99clmsntgr

I was working with a friend who's an annual Goofy runner to get into running. And we set a goal - he was planning to run the Disney Wine and Dine half in 2009. I had never run that far, but they offered a relay, divided 5 miles for the first leg, 8.1 miles for the second leg. My wife, who at the time was also getting into some running, agreed to run it with me. She'd take the short leg, I'd take the long leg, and the Goofy friend would run the whole thing with both of us.

Had a specific training plan that included several 10-mile runs to get me ready for race day. "Holy cow, these runs suck." slowly turned to "Man, that was a pretty good run."

Race day came, and, at the end, I was really pumped and felt like I could have kept going if I wanted to.

After that race, reveling in my accomplishment, I was talking with other running friends (in particular one of the coaches from Up and Running fitness in Melbourne, FL and the now owner of CrossFit Rise Above, also in Melbourne) and they hit the nail on the head -- it's not that far of a stretch to grow your runs from 10 miles to 13 miles. So I signed up for a race and set a plan and the rest is history.

Now, I have no desire to stretch to a whole marathon. Not even to check some kind of "I did it" box. I think the half-marathon is perfect. I know I stressed my body and I tested my physical endurance but didn't completely wreck myself in the training and race day. And it's not so long of a race that I check out into Zombieland. In the hour and 40 minutes I run the half, I can stay mentally engaged, which, for me, is important. I don't think I have the attention span for anything more than what I'm already doing.

saskie78

I ran the last 8 miles of a marathon on a relay team and just knew I had to do a half marathon. I loved it. Also, the girls I was running regularly with were doing the half that year and they really weren't any faster than me or in better shape than me and I suddenly realized half marathons were for everyone--you didn't have to be an elite athlete to finish one in a decent time

Good on you for pushing through despite the Crohn's. I don't have advice on that because I don't know what it's like. But I really love to see people pushing their limits a little, whatever those limits might be (time, physical ability, mental blocks...). Good luck and see where your training takes you!

ZenInTexas

Sometime after I ran my first race, which was a 10k, I started to think that maybe I could do it, and wouldn't it be cool to say that I ran a half marathon? I really wanted one of those stickers for the back of my car. :laugh: In so many ways training for that half was the hardest thing I have ever done, even harder than training for a my first full.

smarionette

I started with the odd 5k. No training for them, just did them (very, very slowly. More like walking). Then I did a couple obstacle runs and found I enjoyed them. The year before I got into it my husband had run the city 10 miler, and had a blast, so I signed up for it...and proceeded to not train for it like I should have. I was about to put my bib up for trade when the Boston bombing happened, and I went out and ran 7 miles that night. I finished the 10 miler talking a kid through mile 9 who was ready to give up. The race itself was 10 miles of cheering people even for us back of the pack runners. I was hooked. Signed up for my first half later that year, proceeded to run 2 that fall (with 2 training runs at that distance), and this year I've already run 2 more, with 2 more scheduled.

JTick

I was trying to set my goals for 2014. I had been running for about a year at the time, and was halfway through a 10k plan. I have no idea where the thought came from, but I said I want to do a half. It terrified me. I was still over 200 lbs at the time and had knee problems that exacerbate with running.

The training was hell. I started training in January for a March half. It was the coldest winter since I've been born. I did 11 miles with a high of -2F. It was miserable. I couldn't get past 11.5 in training, and thought there was no way I'd ever make 13.1. I was terrified of the 3 1/2 hour time limit on the course.

But I did it. That feeling of crossing the line was amazing. And I've been hooked ever since. I'm now looking at my first full early next year.

LoneWolfRunner

I never had a chance to think about it.... I started running 3 1/2 years ago because my brother kept pressuring me. He has been running for over 20 years and is a seasoned ultra runner. He convinced me that a half was no big deal and so I ran my first one only four months after I started running. It actually was a bigger deal than he led me to believe...lol... but since then he has continued to convince me to do more and more stupid things... he jumped me into a couple 30ks, then had me skip the marathon distance go straight to 50k.... and now in October a 50 mile. Often part way through these races I question my sanity for thinking it was a good idea to run them... But on the flip side, during the height of my training season I now do 12-15 mile runs on a weekly basis, so I guess naivete has its advantages...