Missed 2 1/2 Weeks of Half Marathon Training

rockerrinkie

Soooo I started training for my first half marathon that's at the end of October. Everything was going good until bad weather forced me to miss a couple long runs. Then I was sick for a week followed by being injured for a week. All in all I've missed about 2.5 weeks of training. The longest run I've done so far in training is 5 miles. I have 6 weeks left until the half and I'm wondering if I should even attempt it now. I feel so far behind.

SmooMurd

With 6 weeks to go, and at 5 miles as furthest distance, I think you could still do it as long as you're consistent with training for the remaining time. If you increased your long run by a mile each week you'd basically be to 13.1 by the race date. Just take it easy and slow and have the goal to finish, not some specific time goal. You can do it!!

SonicDeathMonkey80

A half marathon is forgiving. I would try to hit at least 11 miles for a long run and let the chips fall where they may on race day. If you're skipping long runs because of the weather - I'm assuming heat - you should dig a little deeper the next time around.

As far as being sick and injured, I dunno the nature of each, but that's unfortunately just how things go sometimes. You haven't squashed the idea of running the race, and you only missed 2.5wks, so I'm also assuming you're ok by now and both weren't severe.

W1 - 7
W2 - 8
W3 - 10
W4 - 12
W5 - 8
Race day

Good luck!

joanna_82

Yes, you can still do it. I've done a half with a longest run of 8 miles, which was hard but I got to the end. Then I got up to 11 miles for the others and they were much better.

I would suggest the following, but this is only a personal opinion. Feel free to add walk breaks in if you need them. Time on feet and doing the distance is more important than being able to run it all without stopping.
6
7.5
9
11
6
RACE

Feel free to ask for any more help.

davemunger

Are there any other races in the area that are later in the season? Can you defer and / or sell your entry to the first race or is cost not a big issue to you? If so I'd suggest postponing the race. You want your first half to be a fun, exciting culmination to your training, not a death march.

pirate_john_75

When I did my first half marathon, the longest I had ever run at one time was eight miles. I not only was able to run the entire half marathon without walking, but my pace was one minute faster than my goal.

stevenlcopeland

You will be fine. Go for it

Capt_Apollo

pick up right were you left off. if your longest run so far was 5 miles, then your next long run should be six miles. you have six weeks left, so you should be able to get to 10-11 miles.

don't forget to taper off. it is very important that the week before your race that you rest and recover. short maintenance runs, 3-5 miles in length should be the most you do, along with plenty of stretching or a yoga class.

this is your first half marathon? congratulations, it's already a PR no matter what.

rockerrinkie

Thanks for all the advice. I'm just going to try to get back into my running groove and see how it goes. As of right now I'm not giving up.

veloman21

What are your expectations? If it's just to finish then no problem at all, you have plenty of time to get ready and you can always walk whenever needed.

If you have a time time goal like finishing in 1:30, then it's probably not going to happen.

I'm not a runner but I did the Marine Core Marathon a few years ago having never run more than 10 miles until the 30 days before the race. Except for a calf cramp at mile 22, I had no problem finishing and enjoyed the event tremendously even though I really don't like running much at all

I do a lot of long distance cycling and frequently walk 10 miles or more so my body is used to long periods of continuous effort.

Go for it and enjoy!!

rides4sanity

I missed 6 of the last 8 weeks of training for my half, due to a stress fracture in my tibia. My long run at the point of injury was 7 miles. I am fit and cycle a lot, but was very nervous about the race. With two weeks left to train, and no desire to re-injure my leg, I lowered my pace and got in an 8 miler. I still wanted to do the event, but I knew my original goal needed to be changed to accommodate the circumstances. I accepted that I may have to run walk the race and that finishing healthy was more important than hitting a specific time... I didn't wear a watch on race day, instead of checking my splits, I ran at a comfortable pace. I walked the water stops (every other) and ended up finishing in 2:06... Not what I wanted, but not as bad as I thought it would be. Now I have a time to beat next year. Good luck respect your body and enjoy the experience.

rockerrinkie

I don't have any particular goal time. I just want to finish and not die. lol

daydreams_of_pretty

I re-injured my ankle the week before my first half marathon, and I'd also missed some training because I'd hurt the same ankle a couple of months prior. I had already contacted the race coordinators to see if I could switch to the 5K, and the guy recommended that I wait until race day to make a decision because he thought that I could still do the half, pointing out that I could walk if I needed to.

I did what he said, thinking that it would just be a hassle the morning of the race. What he knew and I didn't was that race day brings a wash of adrenaline. I had planned on just walking the whole thing (I had my ankle all wrapped up), but I ended up running part of it. I seriously felt like I could do anything. That being said, I couldn't walk for three days afterward, so be careful. I do think that you can totally do your half, just don't go nuts and try to push yourself too far.

rides4sanity

I don't have any particular goal time. I just want to finish and not die. lol

Then you'll be fine!