Half Marathon Question

foreverstarstrukk

Hello

I am very new to fitness/working out. Within the last month I have went from barely jogging a mile at 4mph...to running 2 miles at 6mph. I would consider myself very motivated & I like to challenge myself. However, I am new to running, and while 2 miles is great for me personally, it is nothing compared to the distance of a half marathon!

This summer, my gym is offering a beginner marathon training and I thought it might be a good way to practice training for a half marathon.

So for those of you who have run a half marathon... I guess my question is, were you good at running before you started training? And how long did it take you to be able to run a half marathon?

I realize that it is training in itself, but I'm afraid I won't be able to keep up, as much as I want to. I have never been the athletic type, but it would be an amazing accomplishment to be able to do this. Any tips/comments...?

Thanks!

nakami

I had 8 week training 3-4 times a week slowly increasing from 5K to 15K prior to my first half marathon...it was enough.I am slow runner

tuscaroragal

HI! I'm new to running too, and I am not even as close to running miles as you are...I'll be excited to see what everyone says! I just signed up for my first 5k for May 21st. Thankfully, it's a fundraiser, so not huge pressure...also, they announced that you can walk on the run, but not run on the walk...so I signed up for the run (I'm a little nervous about that) Even if I can't run the whole thing, I am going to do my best to try. I am currently following the couch to 5k program. I have just started with week 4, and I'm not sure what I'll be able to do by May 21st. I walk at 3.7- 4.0 and then run around 5.0 to 5.5. I'm not even up to running for a consistent mile yet! So, keep up the good work!

lorika1977

Hi, I am currently training for a half marathon which will be in a month. I used the training schedule on www.marathonrookie.com.
It says you need to have 4-6 weeks of running under your belt before starting to train for 1/2 marathon, 30 minutes without stop every time you run. I ran 8 miles last Saturday and I am scheduled to run 10 miles this week-end. I think it is totally doable. I have been running for couple of years now but I would not run more than 3 miles and I would run sporadically.

Good luck!

AmyKessler

I was horrible when I started running. It took a couple of months to be able to finish a 5k (and I still had to walk in the middle). I ran my first half marathon about a year after and my first full marathon a year after the half. I've done 2 fulls and several half marathons now. I'm a little slow, but it's SO rewarding! Go for it!! I think I could've done things a little quicker had I pushed myself.

monica22886

I say try it, what does it hurt? You can always run/walk it and it's still a HUGE accomplishment. Who cares about time - that's what I did for my first one!

I was a somewhat steady runner and thought that first marathon was tougher that I thought it would be, but it pushed me to work harder and get better for my next!

GOOD LUCK!

Phatpatty

I am answering just to give some friendly advice, i have not ran a half marathon before but am as well working towards it this fall...
I have completed several 5k's... i think if your running 2 miles @ 6.0 you should be able to keep up! how are you feeling after you run the 2miles? try and push to a 5k, which is 3.1 miles... you may need to slow your pace to complete the extra distance, but it's sounds like your doing awesome!! Try the class, if it's for beginners i would think that people from all activity levels would be joining as well...good luck!! you can do anything you put your mind towards

kimd1974

Start with a 5k and then the following month (at least 4 weeks) do a 10k and then in 6 more weeks you should be ready to run a 1/2. I am running my first 1/2 in 2 weeks. My training was on track and I got very sick for 3 weeks and lost quite a bit of endurance. I have a 10k tomorrow so I'm hoping I will be able to run the entire thing. I have a feeling I will be able to run 10 miles of the 1/2 and walk 3.

I could only run 1 mile @4.5 when I started.

godblessourhome

I had 8 week training 3-4 times a week slowly increasing from 5K to 15K prior to my first half marathon...it was enough.I am slow runner

that is good to know! i was training for a 15k at the end of march. then i had surgery the beginning of april and will not be able to get back to training until the beginning of may. my first half-marathon is the beginning of june. i have been worried that i won't be able to get back on track, but this gives me hope!

kmac420

I was running 6 miles a day most days of the week before I started training for the half. I've heard you can enter training as soon as you can run a 5k easily though.

npryor100

Great goal! I have a similar story. Try signing up for 10K run that is 2-3 months away. That will give you plently of time to slowly increase your distance and then you'll be on track for a longer distance.

Congrats!

skinnyack

Oh you can totally do it! Just take the ego out of it. My goal was just to be under the 3 hr cut off. I did walk/run intervals (a la Jeff Galloway- great way to start). And I did it. You will too! It'll be awesome! Go for it!

mmasteller

I started running 2 years ago and have completed 6 half marathons and 1 full marathon (as well as plenty of 5Ks, 10Ks, and 15ks). When I started, I started walking 4 miles throughout the town I live in. I then began walking a block, running a half block, etc. Then I went to walking a block, running a block, and reversing it so I was running more than walking. Now I run and run and run. My first half marathon I walked the entire thing. My goal was to complete it and it didn't matter the time it took me. By the middle of it, I wanted to run/jog but I couldn't because it was a competitive walking half marathon and I would have been disqualified if I ran. The second half marathon I did, I ran almost all of it. Prior to it, the longest run I had done without walking was 7 miles. I averaged a 10:30 per mile. I'm now closer 9:15 per mile when I run long distances due to building up my endurance, losing weight, and getting healthier as I train.

RMinVA

I started like everyone else: running a few minutes at a time, and building that up. I eventually started running every couple of days for about 3 miles. And just stayed there in that range for about a year.

My "jump start" was running my first 5k...I ran home right after that, found a half marathon training plan (TONS of them on line), and started looking for my first half marathon. I had targeted one in mid-March (which was a 4 month window), but wound up doing one in April. If you are dedicated and willing to put in the time, then I say go for it. Don't worry about your time...the most important thing when you are first starting is to go the distance.

I am fast approaching 4 years of running and 3 years since my first race. I have done several races of various distances, including 2 half marathons. My preferred distance though is 10 miles...long enough to really feel like you have accomplished something, but short enough to push it!!

And a couple of quick pieces of advice to avoid injury:

1). Get fitted for shoes @ a running store: not one of the big boxes, but a store that specializes in running - they will analyze your run and get you in the proper shoe
2). Find a plan and stick to it: going @ things willy nilly or trying to do too much too fast is a great way to hurt yourself

foreverstarstrukk

Thank you for all of the support & motivation! Your stories are inspiring.

I didn't even think about the fact that you can walk if you have to, which makes it slightly less terrifying.

I will make sure I can run a 5k before I sign up for anything!

Thanks again!

ilsie99

If you can run 4 times a week (consisting of 3 two miles runs and one three mile run) without any injury or big issues, then you can most likely train for a half marathon. Forget about speed for now, that will come with experience!

The main thing to always keep in mind that will minimize your injury risk is always follow the 10% rule!