Running my first half marathon....Any advice

rbn_held

In August my boyfriend and I are running our first half marathon. He's ran a marathon before but this will be my first long run. Any advice or suggestions from experienced runners who have done halves before? Thanks in advance for your help

EG52

Hi - I've ran plenty of Half and Full marathons and now run Ultras of up to 70 miles, my best advice, forget your calorie counting for 2 weeks before and load up on Carbs and Protein, or even though you will still finish, you will feel tired for a week or two after and your body will crave the carbs it needs, so basically you will try to eat your way across England.

PositivePower

Running is not my favorite....I completed my first half in Feb. I made sure I got fitted for shoes since I was having some knee and hip pain. It all went away after I got the shoes. Then just work up to running more and more. I didn't run the whole thing, but I still felt like I accomplished something great. Now I really enjoy Warrior Dashes and Mud Runs....less running involved

Good Luck to you!!!!!

cls_333

You should do minimum of some 10 mile runs beforehand. Try to do runs that keep you on your feet as long as you think it will take you to race the half maration. Get used to drinking plenty of water before you run, as well as during your run, especially since it is during August. Getting used to running with water in your belly is hard for some people. Trust me, I've seen dehydration issues, and they're not pretty unless you like unconscious trips to the ER. If it has hills, train on similar terrain, you will be very happy you did. Do some long intervals (like miles) at the pace you want to race at, so your body gets used to that pace. Not sure what your experience level is, so not sure what else you need to know. Good luck!

essjay76

If you haven't done any shorter races, definitely do one before your half marathon. That way you can guage what your training and expected race pace should be. There are plenty of calculators out there (MacMillan running is a good one) that will predict your race time based off of your personal bests..

Though you should finish it just to finish, it would be a good idea to know what kind of pace you'll be keeping. You'll need to take it slow and not bolt out too fast.

And yes, get a lot more miles on your feet. Do a longer run (9-11 miles) every other weekend if you're currently at that mileage. Most experts and training programs advocate doing your long runs at an easy pace, 30-90 seconds slower than what your race pace will be.

Good luck!

essjay76

And I second the notion that you shouldn't be too worried about calorie reduction while you're training. Nutrition is key to good performance - make sure you're getting plenty of fuel while you train.

987Runner

Great advice above! I just completed my first half last weekend, finished in 1hr53min.

Don't count calories leading up to the race. I gained 1.5lbs in the week leading up to my race last weekend but I felt fantastic!

Get fitted shoes and make sure there are no issues. It sucks to have to buy another pair, but it's worth it in the end if you have to.

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.

Don't eat any more fiber than you usually do two days before race day. One lady actually pooped herself last weekend. :-(

Keep on with the training leading up to the race. I highly suggest following a plan like Hal Higdon (I'm sorry if you said you were doing that, I already forgot what I read! doh!). Cross training is important too.

If you think you'll use "fuel" during the race, try them out on your training runs. I found that I did best on gummy bears or PowerBar gummy gels. Gatorade or something equivalent upset my stomach. I've read some people like gels or bars or whatever. Try a few different things and tune into how your body reacts or doesn't react...and I suggest this during your long runs because you don't really need the fuel on short runs (under an hour).

I was sore the day of the race, but not the next day. I think that had to do with being hydrated, stretching after the race, eating/drinking protein right after the race, and having kept up with training. I also did yard work when I got home. I don't know about others, but sitting around after a race makes me super stiff.

blasiansrus

bump

artbkward

Do not start out to fast.

You may run the first few miles feeling great and trekking right along but if your body isn't used to that pace it can't sustain it. You might have to consciously run slower which is hard to do.