Half Marathon - how soon?

Honestly, if this is a goal you really want to set for yourself, then there is plenty of time to be fully trained by March if you are just starting to run now. Having finished a few half marathons I must say it is quite a personal accomplishment to know that you can run for that long.
If you want to dedicate yourself I say more power to you! You can definitely do it by March. Good Luck with whatever you decide to do.
Cheers.

Yea really if you can run a 10k its not that big of a stretch to run a 1/2 marathon. Only takes a bit more training to get your endurance up.
The biggest problem I always ended up having was hitting the "runners wall" I found Jelly Belly sport beans and would pop a few every couple of miles and it really helped me overcome and get that extra energy I needed.

I worked out for a few months *no running* and then one day (6 weeks ago) my trainer talked me into signing up for a half. So I did and now I feel obligated. haha It is in 4 weeks and I know I am not ready. I know I will finish, but there will be plenty of walk/jog cycles.
If your goal is to finish, pick a date and sign up. Once you have the money on the table it becomes something you are actually training for and not just thinking about someday. Good luck!

Yes you have time to train providing you stay injury free!
Make sure you get fitted for good running shoes!

It is entirely doable.

I just ran my first HM last weekend. It was exactly 32 weeks to the day after I started C25K.

I went through a similar progression to what you are talking about. C25K - B210K - HM Training Plan

You say you are in week 5 of C25K, so if my math is correct, you have either 32 weeks or 33 weeks from the start of C25K to the Hastings Half marathon.

I had such a blast with running that I fell in love with it and was signing up for races almost immediately. I signed up for my first 5K by the time I was done week 3. I ran that race as part of week 7. Then before I finished up week 9 of C25K, I had signed up for two half marathons, another 5K and a 10K spread out through the rest of 2012.

My original goal race was the Walt Disney World half in January of 2013 - leaving me 50 weeks from start of running to half marathon. But running was going so well, I felt I wanted to move the challenge up. First by about 8 weeks to the Philadelphia Half in November 2012, and then a month or two later to the Bird I n Hand Half 10 weeks before that. Along the way, I also threw in another 5K, a 7 mile and a 10 mile race as part of my training. Also, I did have about 6 to 8 weeks of "just running" between the finish of B210K and the start of the HM training plan. I think this is a good idea because C25K and B210K progress SOOO quickly that it's good to just stay at that level for a while.

If you are enjoying running, feel that you are progressing well, and don't have any injuries, it is a totally achievable goal.

My recommendations would be...

1. Definitely sign up for some shorter races along the way. Don't make the HM your first race. Racing is a skill set of its own and it is important to have a feel for racing shorter distances before you go out and run something as long as a half marathon.

2. Listen to your body along the way. If you find yourself always feeling fatigued, you may be overtraining. Take a break and let your body recover.

3. Distance event training plans normally have the race as the last day of the plan (or a week or so BEFORE the end of the plan, if the plan has a prescribed recovery period in it)... so work backward from the race date and find the starting date of the HM training plan. There will likely be a gap between the end of B210K and the HM plan... use that time for a little more rest and recovery and to build your base of mileage. Just keep running at the level you achieved by the end of B210K or slightly more. If you do that, the HM plan should be all primed and will get you to the finish line on race day.

Good luck.

Having just gone through this sequence of events, I'm excited for your. It's great to have goals out there to motivate your training, and you can definitely achieve this one if you go about it smartly.

Ted

I have been wondering the same thing. Not so much with a half marathon, but on how much time to put between my first 5k - which was this past Sunday, the 9th, and trying to train for a 10k. I started my training with the C25k plan and the end of my week 9 was when the 5k race was. Now I am trying to think of what to do next and how to do it.

I have never been a distance runner so I know I need more 2-3 mile runs a few times a week in order to really get my body used to running 30+ minutes at a time.

Should I keep running 5k distances and races for a while and then sometime in the early 2013 year, choose a 10k race and start the 5k to 10k training so many weeks before?

Also, if there are any runners - whether beginner or advanced - that could help support me through this new journey of wanting/liking to run, I could use the motivation and support.

It's not completely outrageous. 3 weeks left in c25K takes you to October, 8 weeks for Bridge to 10 and you're in Early December, maintain for a month and start a 12 week half marathon plan. It's doable. That said.... Upping your distance that fast can leave you injury prone, you have the whole "winter" thing there in the middle of your schedule, and you don't have much wiggle room or recovery time available. I think the 2013 goal for a half is completely reasonable, but I'd personally feel a little better about a late summer or fall time frame half.

I'm not saying you can't do it (I just laid out a schedule that technically works), but you'd be tempting injury a bit and hitting the most intense part of your training in some of the worst weather of the year.