Runners..shame or no shame

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  • wewon
    wewon Posts: 838 Member
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    Personally I would never miss a 1/2 marathon for fear that I may have to walk part of it.

    I think that after its over you will be glad that you were in it. If you skip it for this reason you will always look at it as a lame excuse.
  • RunnerBlonde808
    RunnerBlonde808 Posts: 257 Member
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    Absolutely no shame in walking when you need to. I got a 2nd place in one of my races where I walked a couple times. I think putting the walking breaks in there sometimes makes you run faster during the run time. It's just a mind thing I guess.

    Do it!
  • jnerdin
    jnerdin Posts: 39 Member
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    How far have you run at one time?

    If it's over 9 or 10, you'll finish.

    ^^I agree with this. The adrenaline and the atmosphere will push you the rest :)
    I agree with this and so does Competitor magazine. There is an article in the latest edition that make the case for not doing runs any longer than 16 miles to train for a full marathon. I don't know if that means that 8 miles is long enough when training for a half marathon, but I've run two half marathons without ever stopping to walk and those are the only two days in my life that I've run as far as 13.1 miles. There is something about the race atmosphere and the overall experience that make it possible - even enjoyable - to push yourself harder than you ever could while training. That said, I agree with everyone above who says that there is no shame in walking. Just do your best.
  • lorierin22
    lorierin22 Posts: 432 Member
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    I'll be doing my first half at Disney in Feb and I have no intentions of running the whole thing (even though I am going to train like I will). I'll be stopping for photos, probably the rest room, water, gatorade, etc. I won't feel any shame about it, but I guess it's just a personal preference. If your goal is to run the whole thing, then that is your goal. My goal is just to finish :)
  • mnmoore76
    mnmoore76 Posts: 7
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    When you get out there and you hear the cheers from the crowd, you will definitely be motivated to keep moving. My first half marathon I ran to mile 11 before I stopped (had to use the bathroom). I didn't want to, but that short break was what I needed to stretch my muscles and make it to the finish line. I always tell myself, as long as I'm not being picked up by the pace car, I'm doing GREAT!!! They say 10% is physical and the other 90% is mental.
  • marycmeadows
    marycmeadows Posts: 1,691 Member
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    walking is fine -- i'm training for a half..... my trainers have told us to walk for 30 seconds to a minute at each water station (which is every 2 mi) --- the half is coming up on nov 14th and I'm doing long runs every saturday. the highest I'll get before the half is 12mi, but if I can do that then I sure as hell can do 13.1 ---- Last week was 8.5mi - and I did it with an avg of 11:17mi -- faster than the week before with more distance.

    your brain tells you to stop long before your body needs to.
  • tressatnt
    tressatnt Posts: 77
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    How far have you run at one time?

    If it's over 9 or 10, you'll finish.

    Yep. When I ran my first half, I was only doing 6 miles at most and on the mill, I had only run outdoors for a week or two before the race and I ran 10 miles the week before. If you can do 9 or 10, you can finish. I stopped to walk for only a few seconds here and there. You can do it! AND, there is no shame in walking if you have to. I bet you finish, being in race atmosphere is different than running on your own!
  • Slimat30
    Slimat30 Posts: 142
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    I only train to 10 miles before a half marathon. I'm sure you will be fine :) x
  • JustJennie1
    JustJennie1 Posts: 3,843 Member
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    Just do it!

    And for the record you never run the full 13.1 miles when you do your training. I think the most that I ran towards the end of my training was 11
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
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    On Oct 14 there is a huge 1/2 marathon here. I've been training with a group since July. However, I have just not go my running miles up to 13.1. I really need like 2 weeks longer than I have to get my miles up. My group says I should still do the 1/2 and just plan to walk. I just feel like its not the same if I don't run the whole distance. What do you guys think?

    I've never done a race -- even a 5K -- where most people didn't walk at least some of it.
  • CheekyRunner
    CheekyRunner Posts: 105 Member
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    I would do the 1/2 with some walking if needed. You would be missing out on something great. Be proud, do it and use your time as a goal to beat nest time. There is no shame is walking...just giving up. You can do it if you put your mind to it! Good Luck!!!!:flowerforyou:
  • amybg1
    amybg1 Posts: 631 Member
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    There's def no shame in taking walk breaks, especially at water stops! I take some every 6 minutes currently hoping to go up to 10 or longer in a few weeks. Since I hurt my knee walk breaks help it (it's supposed to be healed but still causes issues) I say just as long as you can run the few hundred metres to the finish strong would be your ultimate goal if you do find you need to do some walking.

    Don't forget that there are some people who also actually walk the 1/2 marathon distance
  • blittle2
    blittle2 Posts: 94 Member
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    I do run 4 minutes and walk 1 minute intervals and I pass many people that try to run the whole race. There is no shame in taking walk breaks. My running partner has got in the top 3 in some races doing intervals. When we train the longest miles we do prior to a half marathon is 11-12 miles and for a full we only go up to 20 so you should be fine.
  • bahacca
    bahacca Posts: 878 Member
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    when i trained for my half marathon, the furthest i had ran was 10 miles, i ran the whole thing :) last two miles were slow but i did it!
    Pretty much exactly what I was going to say. Once in the race, the spectators, other racers and pure adrenaline keep you going. At around mile 12 I wanted to walk, but I said to myself"You ran 12 fing miles-1 more is NOT going to kill you!" I also had in mind my friend who is quadraplegic and cannot even MOVE her legs, let alone run. So I pushed out that last mile for myself and for her. Just pace yourself and don't go fast out of the start. I did it in 2:44-not the greatest time ever, but I wanted to do it in under 3 hours, so I did that:-)
  • bahacca
    bahacca Posts: 878 Member
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    And a friendly word to all who do intervals, PLEASE do not stop dead in the middle of the road and start walking. Move to the right and then walk;-) I almost tripped over several people when I had a nice pace going, was behind them than all of the sudden EEERRRRR-walk.
  • brennsie
    brennsie Posts: 41
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    NO SHAME. Running a half marathon is a big deal, and pretty impressive when you compare that to the fitness level of the average citizen. So yeah, you might need to walk some, but at least your getting out there and doing it!
  • ken1994
    ken1994 Posts: 495 Member
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    I am with the no shame crowd! Good luck and have fun, quite an accomplishment.

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