First Half Marathon - Need Advice!

spammyanna

Bump! I have my first half in a few weeks, and my second two weeks after that. I am EXTREMELY nervous. These are some great tips.

SmudgerSmithRhino

Hi, Running tips,

Definitely do not wear anything new, especially shorts, I saw a guy crossing a finishing line with blood running down his legs.

Carb load the night before, plenty of pasta, and drink plenty of water.

Band Aid on the nipples absolutely, every time. You can prove your manliness after the race by not showing any pain when you rip them off! Also take a few with you in case you get any blisters.

Plenty of Vaseline around your groin, there is no such thing as too much! It will stop any chaffing.

It is very easy to get carried away at the start of the race and run faster than normal. Before the race think about the time you realistically want to achieve. Then as you are running the race after every mile marker work out your finishing time and if you are running too fast then slow down otherwise you will run out of gas. If you are getting close to the end and feel you still have plenty in the tank then you can speed it up.

Finally, enjoy the race, there is no better feeling than seeing that finishing line and crossing it.

Let us know how you got on!!

brandyk77

Carb load the night before, plenty of pasta, and drink plenty of water.

sorry but no - this is not the case. Gorging yourself the night before (16-12 hrs before your race) is not ideal.

Your carb loading should be done 2 days prior to the race with your last real installment at lunch the day proir (nothing HUGE though). Food takes longer than you think to go through your system and can cause huge GI issues.

Pasta isn't the end all be all either. anything carby with do....keep away from fiber (i.e. veggies). My go to food is chipotle with less beans.

little_princess

Hi! I did my half marathon on Saturday! It went great for my first one! 1 hour and 59 min How did yours go?x