Trying to decide to do a HM

Agator82

So summary, I have been on MFP since the beginning of March and have been pretty faithful except for a month and a half between the end of May and the beginning of July. So I picked up my routine and I have been hitting cardio about 4-days a week since the second week of July. This means that I feel like superman (except for after a workout) and now I am contemplating a HM at the beginning of January.

As a noted I started at 330 lbs and I am now down in the neighborhood of 280 so not the best shape, but certainly not the worst. I did a 'try out' on a foot path and I was able to do 4 miles in 54 minutes. Additionally, I have always been well built for walking long distances (I was a hiker before I got married). I plan to continue my weight loss through January and hope to be in the area of another 30 lbs down by that time.

So there is a HM in January that I was thinking about signing up for. I want to do it just because I have never really done something like it and I feel like it would give me a goal to work towards. Is this practical or am I deluding myself a bit? I am going to try another 4-miles next week in place of my normal elliptical time, but I still do not think I will get the confidence to signup for an event when I have no reference to know whether or not I have the reasonable ability to finish under the pace limits.

Does anyone have a suggestion on how to make this determination? Thanks.

Peeriegemgem

Hey there!

You have four months... definitely go for it! I think a good idea would be to find a realistic plan you can stick to. I am currently doing Hal Higdons Novice 2, the longest run in the first week is 4 miles and soon jumps up a mile a week. Before I have run 10ks, so I feel it is do-able, albeit tricky.

The Novice 1 schedule is 18 weeks, so just slightly longer timewise than what you have, but sure you could stick to it. Google it, research it - so what if you have to walk chunks of it, its the commitment and the effort - wish you all the best!

Agator82

Thanks for the encouragement, that exactly what I was looking for. I just found a race in November which has both a 5K and 10K, I was thinking I might go for the 10K as an intermediate 'test'. Thanks for the input!

pverbarg

BE CAREFUL! You might just get hooked and not want to quit after the first one! Then it will be all about building endurance and speed! That timeframe is definitely enough - as already mentioned, the Hal Higdon schedules are great resources! You might also want to see if there are any training groups in your area focused on that race - they cater to everyone from first timers planning to walk to those to combine running and walking, to seeded runners. The big trick is finding what works for you now to stay focused and motivated!

runningwhilemommy

Do it!

arc918

Just be warned, half marathons are a gateway drug!

BrianSharpe

I may be the lone voice of dissent.

Going from zero to half-marathon in 4 months can be done but in your own words you're not in the best shape which means to get to where you want to be is going to require a great deal of discipline and determination. You're also, potentially, setting yourself up for an injury (most running injuries are a result of too much, too soon, too fast) which can set you back.

I applaud your desire to become a runner but would suggest a little slower progression, do the couch to 5k program and run a couple of 5Ks, move up to a 10K and do a couple of those and set your sights on doing the January half marathon in January 2014. Slow down and enjoy the journey - by giving yourself more time to properly prepare you're going to have a much more enjoyable experience and, IMO, are more likely to embrace running as a lifetime activity.

mmk137

do it!

You're regret it if you didn't.

Just have the goal to finish it. So if that means doing 5:1 intervals do it (run 5 mins walk 1 min).

brandyk77

I may be the lone voice of dissent.

Going from zero to half-marathon in 4 months can be done but in your own words you're not in the best shape which means to get to where you want to be is going to require a great deal of discipline and determination. You're also, potentially, setting yourself up for an injury (most running injuries are a result of too much, too soon, too fast) which can set you back.

I applaud your desire to become a runner but would suggest a little slower progression, do the couch to 5k program and run a couple of 5Ks, move up to a 10K and do a couple of those and set your sights on doing the January half marathon in January 2014. Slow down and enjoy the journey - by giving yourself more time to properly prepare you're going to have a much more enjoyable experience and, IMO, are more likely to embrace running as a lifetime activity.

agreed

races are way better when properly trained. There is no rush.

bigandysrunning

OK, here's my opinion on the topic. I feel like I can share a little bit since I have VERY close circumstances to yours. I started to lose weight/ get fit last Nov, and my exercise of choice has been running. You are starting from a point much better than I did, but the point to my story is that it took me from then till now to get ready for a Half. (My first half is scheduled in 18 days). I knew it was going to be a long road because I was literally a couch potato, but it took several months of hard work and severe dedication to get here. I am not saying that you can't put in the work and the dedication, but what I am saying is that the time between now and the Half in January is going to be 4 months of really pushing yourself hard and putting in a lot of time to get ready. Another thing to consider is that what you are looking at leaves very little to no buffer room for setbacks/delays/etc. I took a longer route with incremental "tests" along the way, a bunch of 5K's, a 10K, all working up to the Half.

I am not by any means suggesting that you do not go for a half, but if you have the time, I would schedule one a little farther off. Mainly because (as was mentioned in other responses) it might serve you better to take a little more time, do everything you can to avoid injury, leave a little buffer for any unforeseen or "real life" things that may come up and sidetrack your training, enjoy the process and be better prepared come race day.
...or, just incorporate this half into your training. if you go into it knowing that you are still "in training" and don't put all the pressure on yourself to run the entire thing if you're not there yet and run it to your abilities at the time, It could be a really fun experience. But that is much easier said than done. It's really easy to get all caught up in the hype and excitement on race day.

Just things to consider. The fact that you are thinking about doing this is absloutley awesome, and I would STRONGLY encourage you to go for it. Maybe not the January race per se, but definitely a half. And you don't necessarily need to wait another full year for that particular half to come up again, possibly just look for another one a few months later.

at any rate, feel free to message me if you have any training questions or anything. I'm certainly no expert, but I literally just went through what you are looking at, so at least I can share my experiences.

I've been blogging this entire time about the weight loss and running (starting with 4 weeks to 1 mile, then Couch to 5K, and then training for the half. Not sure if you are interested but you might be able to find some parallels to what you are going through. If you want to check it out, it's: www.bigandysrunning.wordpress.com.

Good luck and believe me, if I can do this, you can too.

runrockclimb

I'd say go for it as long as you aren't trying to run the whole thing. Walk it, or run/walk it. Set your goal to finish and don't worry about time or how often you walk, and if you decide to go for it, listen to your body. Stop if you start feeling run down, or start hurting. There is always another race and its better to be safe, and race another day than to hurt yourself getting started and never come back to running, or never be able too.

rtbrown82

I was 400 lbs when I did my first 5k, I was 265 when I did my first half marathon, I was 225 when I did my first marathon. DO IT! That is all within a year, it is completely doable! Find a plan and stick to it the best you can! You can run it, you can do it! I ran my whole half marathon, I had to walk some on my marathon after mile 20 , those hills in Atlanta are deadly

Don't underestimate yourself, keep on it, set realistic goals and train for it. Make sure you are doing at least 75% of your runs outside and know that Elliptical doesn't equal running! 4 miles in ~50 minutes is pretty solid. Find a way to track your running (I use Nike+ and DailyMile {http://www.dailymile.com/people/RussellBrown}, that is what helped me the most, when I started running I ran like a 15:00/m and now I usually run in the high 7's (7:45/m). I also joined a local running club and have been running with them, that again helps a ton. Don't forget the 10% rule... don't amp up your long runs too much too fast, but do what you can.

It can be done and the running will amp up your weight loss, if you keep eating right!

meagalayne

^^ Freaking UNREAL inspiration, RTBrown!

To the OP - I did not start racing until I had lost about 55lbs and was nearing a healthy weight, so my advice and personal experience is limited. I struggled a LOT getting started with running and it took me a lot of time as an overweight person to make any progress at all, because mentally I was still a quitter and didn't have the weight loss success under my belt to bolster my confidence and to remind myself that hard work *pays off*.

That said, once I signed up and ran my first 5K I was hooked. I ran a 5K on Canadian Thanksgiving (early Oct) in 2010, then a 10K on Hallowe'en and completed a 10miler on Boxing Day (Dec 26th) of that same year. In 2 months I had made a huge amount of progress - granted, I knew my pace and time were not going to be competitive but I just loved to train and loved pushing myself to see how far I could go. I was OK with taking walking breaks throughout my races, being passed by faster runners, and just racing my own race. I was setting the bar for myself and knew that the following year I'd be back to demolish my times with adequate focused training. The first time around it was all about finishing and feeling GOOD.

Now, I must say, that since then I have been racing for another 2 years almost and things have become increasingly more difficult. At the time, my schedule was very flexible and I had a lot of free time to dedicate to training hard. I didn't have much stress in life, was working a lot less than I am now, and had way less obligation to friends/family/partners and otherwise. Training that much requires not only a serious time dedication but can also be very emotionally/mentally draining. It takes a lot out of you - transformation of any kind really is "mind, body and soul". So I'd say you have to look at the big picture. If you really have the time and energy (physically and mentally) to put towards this then absolutely - GO FOR IT! But keep in mind that it is a huge commitment and ask on yourself and there is absolutely no need to rush into it. There will always be another race, another day.

Whatever you decide - Best of luck! I can't wait to hear about your journey :bigsmile: