First half marathon - not a runner - HELP!

Meloonie
Meloonie Posts: 144 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I've committed myself to taking part in (nearly) a half marathon. The problem I have is that I've never run for any amount of time other than say... running for a bus??? I work out everyday doing a mix of cardio, strength and endurance and I would say I have quiet a good level of fitness.

My problem is I honestly don't know where to begin with training or preparing myself for this running business! I have five months before the race so any advice to get me going would be hugely appreciated.

Please help me!

Replies

  • vmclach
    vmclach Posts: 670 Member
    since you are in pretty good shape. I would start speed walking everyday. Turn it into a jog when you feel good. I'm sure you'll pick it up fast
  • CarsonRuns
    CarsonRuns Posts: 3,039 Member
    http://www.halhigdon.com/training/51131/Half-Marathon-Novice-1-Training-Program
  • RonandDi
    RonandDi Posts: 120 Member
    Regardless of fitness level, I think going from not running to a half is setting yourself up for an injury. Thats a lot of pounding in a short amount of time. Good luck, I hope you do it.
  • lawkat
    lawkat Posts: 538 Member
    There is an app called Couch to Half Marathon. It incorporates walking and running. Most half marathon programs tend to be based on people running at least 3 miles a day. I wouldn't plan on running the whole thing. I would certainly start with a couch to 5k and then building from there. If you add too many miles too quickly, you can hurt yourself.
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
    Good for you, and you've given yourself plenty of time to get ready for it.

    How are your running shoes?

    I'm doing my first half in June, so I'm half way through a 12-week training programme. The essence of this is
    Run 4 times a week
    make at least one run a focus on speed/ tempo
    One long run
    Increase the long run slightly each week.
    Have rest days.
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
    People train for a full marathon from scratch in six months, so I'm sure you can do a half in five if you're dedicated enough!

    I'd do Couch To 5K (C25K) first to get you running for half an hour. That's pretty much vital. You can do it with a stopwatch or download various apps or podcasts.

    Unless you have a particular need to do it non-stop running, I reckon Jeff Galloway's run/walk method would suit you best, help avoid injury and probably get you round faster than trying to run the entire way. Once you've been running a while,use this to calculate how often to take walk breaks:
    http://www.jeffgalloway.com/training/walk_breaks.html

    BUT I wouldn't use his half-marathon training schedule, I feel it has you going too far, too fast. Instead, use the Hal Higdon novice plan, as CarsonRuns recommends.

    More thoughts on beginner's running here:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/BerryH/view/20-things-i-wish-i-d-known-about-running-when-i-started-103936

    Good luck, and be sure to come back and let us know how your training's going!
  • Meloonie
    Meloonie Posts: 144 Member
    Thanks everyone for all your replies. They have been very helpful and motivational. I think after looking at the links I will start by looking at a couch to 5k and up my training from there. I will keep you posted!

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