Finished my first half...and it hurt!
AsellusReborn
Posts: 1,112 Member
I have an official half on 1/12, but on 12/31 I did a Virtual Half marathon - the Resolution run - as my last long run before the Polar Dash on 1/12. I have done multiple 10 milers, 9 milers, 8 milers, etc...my first 10 mile run was on 11/3 so it's not like this came up out of nowhere, although I'd never gone higher than 10 before. For the most part the run went well - I exceeded my goal time by 10 minutes (just wanted to finish under 3...yes, I am slow.) I used GU chews, 2 every half hour with water when I ate up until the 2:30ish mark when I figured I didn't need anything else. The first 10 miles flew, honestly. Up to mile 11 I felt great. At 11.5, my legs began to hurt - hamstring tight, calves sore. It came up fast and that last 1.6 was pretty miserable.
The reason I post is I wonder if I did something wrong or if this is just what I can expect for any future halfs. Two days later my calves and quads are sore but nothing to write home about and the rest of me (notably the hamstrings) are fine - so what did I do wrong that that last 15 minutes was so hard? I'm hoping to run a marathon by fall so I'd really like to be able to .. well, go further, I guess. My cooldown walk afterwards was excruciating.
The reason I post is I wonder if I did something wrong or if this is just what I can expect for any future halfs. Two days later my calves and quads are sore but nothing to write home about and the rest of me (notably the hamstrings) are fine - so what did I do wrong that that last 15 minutes was so hard? I'm hoping to run a marathon by fall so I'd really like to be able to .. well, go further, I guess. My cooldown walk afterwards was excruciating.
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I'm nowhere near an expert but I don't think what you describe is unusual. The first time I ran a 13-miler I was fine until the 10.5 mile mark and then suddenly felt like I'd been hit by a bus. The rest of that run was like trudging through knee-deep mud and I felt like crying when I got to 12 miles and still had another to go! The half I did a few weeks later, I spent the first 10 miles anticipating a similar final few miles but (thankfully) it was nowhere near as bad, and as I've built up mu weekly mileage more and got used to the distance it's improved even more. The more experienced runners I know say the last couple of miles are always hard but as long as you're careful not to injure yourself you're ok.
Congrats on finishing, and for beating your goal time!0 -
Also not an expert.....but I will tell you my first half - the last two miles hurt. My second half - the last mile was torture. But each one since then, I have gotten stronger, and faster, and I am enjoying them more.0
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after my first half I laid on the floor and groaned for the rest of the day, hips hurt quads hurt hammies hurt...misery. So long as you don't have too much residual pain a couple of days later? I'd just chalk it up to long distance growing pains. Now that I've finished 6 halves and 2 marathons I find that I have almost no pain after finishing...well, after finishing a half anyway!0
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I agree with everyone else above. When I ran my first half marathon, my longest training run was 11 miles. During the race itself, once I hit the 11 mile mark, my body was just done. I hurt so bad until about the 12.5 mark - then the last .5 mile was fine - but I think probably pure adrenaline at that point
My second half marathon was much easier at the 11 mile mark. I think one your body gets used to the distance you will handle it better. But even seasoned runners will talk about hitting "the wall" and struggling the last few miles of any race. So I think its pretty normal.
I am just starting to train for my 3rd half marathon (haven't run one in two years) so I am essentially starting from scratch again and those last few miles are something I am definitely going to be looking at for this time around so that I am mentally prepared for that feeling!0 -
You didn't do anything wrong on that run. Your previous longest run with 10 miles. You went 13. That's a 23% increase from your previous run. I would expect it to hurt. Most beginner HM training programs have the longest run at 10 miles and then allow the race day excitement and adrenaline to carry you the rest of the way.
I don't think that it was a real good idea to do that long of a run that was that much of an increase that close to your race day. You are two weeks out from the race so you need to be in taper/recovery mode and you just put your body through a workout that you physically were ill prepared for. The next two weeks you are going to have to be really careful about how you recover or the real HM is going to hurt a whole lot worse than the practice on that you did.
As for your aspirations for a full marathon in the Fall, I say wait. Run this HM, then two more over the next 12 to 18 months and then you'll be in a better position to train for a full marathon. I always suggest that a runner have a base of 25 miles per week over a period of 12 to 18 months before starting a training program for the full marathon.0 -
Thank you all for the input!You didn't do anything wrong on that run. Your previous longest run with 10 miles. You went 13. That's a 23% increase from your previous run. I would expect it to hurt. Most beginner HM training programs have the longest run at 10 miles and then allow the race day excitement and adrenaline to carry you the rest of the way.
I don't think that it was a real good idea to do that long of a run that was that much of an increase that close to your race day. You are two weeks out from the race so you need to be in taper/recovery mode and you just put your body through a workout that you physically were ill prepared for. The next two weeks you are going to have to be really careful about how you recover or the real HM is going to hurt a whole lot worse than the practice on that you did.
As for your aspirations for a full marathon in the Fall, I say wait. Run this HM, then two more over the next 12 to 18 months and then you'll be in a better position to train for a full marathon. I always suggest that a runner have a base of 25 miles per week over a period of 12 to 18 months before starting a training program for the full marathon.
That particular run was longer, but I also made sure to adjust the rest of my mileage that week to lessen the load. This will be my first so obviously I am subject to making mistakes, but I figured a two week taper would be fine enough. And 3 days later, I feel totally fine although I'm resting anyway in a better safe than sorry mindset. If it was going to affect my run, would I be hurting now or will I not know until I get there?
As for it not being the smartest jump...in retrospect, yeah. I figured I'd trust the training plan that it had me ready to run it. I believe you, since it hurt, and no run has ever hurt before, but not going past 10 was based on the training plan. I did the full 13 because I wanted to know I could do it before I had to rather than get to the starting line and find I couldn't finish and I had been running 10 every couple weeks for months. For my next half I am definitely training differently, I would have extended my long runs sooner but 10 seemed to be "the number" I suppose.
I will keep your input in mind on the marathon, thank you. Maybe I'll think about next fall.0 -
Thank you all for the input!You didn't do anything wrong on that run. Your previous longest run with 10 miles. You went 13. That's a 23% increase from your previous run. I would expect it to hurt. Most beginner HM training programs have the longest run at 10 miles and then allow the race day excitement and adrenaline to carry you the rest of the way.
I don't think that it was a real good idea to do that long of a run that was that much of an increase that close to your race day. You are two weeks out from the race so you need to be in taper/recovery mode and you just put your body through a workout that you physically were ill prepared for. The next two weeks you are going to have to be really careful about how you recover or the real HM is going to hurt a whole lot worse than the practice on that you did.
As for your aspirations for a full marathon in the Fall, I say wait. Run this HM, then two more over the next 12 to 18 months and then you'll be in a better position to train for a full marathon. I always suggest that a runner have a base of 25 miles per week over a period of 12 to 18 months before starting a training program for the full marathon.
That particular run was longer, but I also made sure to adjust the rest of my mileage that week to lessen the load. This will be my first so obviously I am subject to making mistakes, but I figured a two week taper would be fine enough. And 3 days later, I feel totally fine although I'm resting anyway in a better safe than sorry mindset. If it was going to affect my run, would I be hurting now or will I not know until I get there?
As for it not being the smartest jump...in retrospect, yeah. I figured I'd trust the training plan that it had me ready to run it. I believe you, since it hurt, and no run has ever hurt before, but not going past 10 was based on the training plan. I did the full 13 because I wanted to know I could do it before I had to rather than get to the starting line and find I couldn't finish and I had been running 10 every couple weeks for months. For my next half I am definitely training differently, I would have extended my long runs sooner but 10 seemed to be "the number" I suppose.
I will keep your input in mind on the marathon, thank you. Maybe I'll think about next fall.
Cutting back on the rest of the weekly mileage might seem like a good idea, but that throws you into opposition with another running axiom that states that the long run shouldn't be more than 1/4 to a 1/3 of your total weekly mileage. Some beginner plans go even higher than that, which is risky. Also, just cutting back the weekly mileage doesn't totally prepare you for the 3 additional miles that you did. There are specific physiological adaptations that take place in a long run. Those adaptations have to be built up over time. Being more rested doesn't allow them to occur any faster or any easier. The bottom line is, there is no short cut to aerobic fitness.
That being said, please don't be hard on yourself. You have done a great job of preparing for this even in less than two weeks. You worked the plan and you proved to yourself that you can cover the distance. I'll leave you with three important pieces of advice for race day.
1. Don't go out too fast.
2. Don't go out too fast.
3. Don't go out too fast.
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Cutting back on the rest of the weekly mileage might seem like a good idea, but that throws you into opposition with another running axiom that states that the long run shouldn't be more than 1/4 to a 1/3 of your total weekly mileage. Some beginner plans go even higher than that, which is risky. Also, just cutting back the weekly mileage doesn't totally prepare you for the 3 additional miles that you did. There are specific physiological adaptations that take place in a long run. Those adaptations have to be built up over time. Being more rested doesn't allow them to occur any faster or any easier. The bottom line is, there is no short cut to aerobic fitness.
That being said, please don't be hard on yourself. You have done a great job of preparing for this even in less than two weeks. You worked the plan and you proved to yourself that you can cover the distance. I'll leave you with three important pieces of advice for race day.
1. Don't go out too fast.
2. Don't go out too fast.
3. Don't go out too fast.
I actually hadn't heard that...I am going to have to go look at my normal schedule and figure out where I've been falling relative to that. -makes mental note-
Thank you
I will definitely do my best not to - though I am very excited! 0 -
Thanks for posting this! Great advice, everyone!
I am in the same boat, doing the same race on the 12th. I let my stubborn streak get the best of me and did another practice run yesterday. The first time I tried that distance for the first time, the last two miles I just kept thinking, "I've NEVER run this far before!". I got a stitch in my side and was about a minute and a half slower those last two. I was not in any pain afterwards, but it really took a lot out of me.
Yesterday I had a similar experience. I was doing well, but that last mile just seemed to take forever and my calf started to cramp. That had never happened to me before. I'm not sure if it was the best idea, but i just had to prove to myself that I can do the mileage.
I'm resting a lot between now and race day. My next one is in March and I'm going to listen to the experts next time!0 -
I have an official half on 1/12, but on 12/31 I did a Virtual Half marathon - the Resolution run - as my last long run before the Polar Dash on 1/12. I have done multiple 10 milers, 9 milers, 8 milers, etc...my first 10 mile run was on 11/3 so it's not like this came up out of nowhere, although I'd never gone higher than 10 before. For the most part the run went well - I exceeded my goal time by 10 minutes (just wanted to finish under 3...yes, I am slow.) I used GU chews, 2 every half hour with water when I ate up until the 2:30ish mark when I figured I didn't need anything else. The first 10 miles flew, honestly. Up to mile 11 I felt great. At 11.5, my legs began to hurt - hamstring tight, calves sore. It came up fast and that last 1.6 was pretty miserable.
The reason I post is I wonder if I did something wrong or if this is just what I can expect for any future halfs. Two days later my calves and quads are sore but nothing to write home about and the rest of me (notably the hamstrings) are fine - so what did I do wrong that that last 15 minutes was so hard? I'm hoping to run a marathon by fall so I'd really like to be able to .. well, go further, I guess. My cooldown walk afterwards was excruciating.
I would recommend to do easy short runs and rest 3 days prior to race day starting from today and as Carson said 23% increase is a lot, for your next half training you should increase your weekly milage by no more than 10%, try to build up to 16 miles for your longest run you will see significant improvement then, good luck with your race and don't start fast.0 -
Rest up/taper leading up to your big day! Just remember to enjoy the whole race/event you will do fine. Congratulations on what you are about to accomplish!0
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It looks like I'm in the minority but I did my first half in October and it didn't hurt at all. The furthest I had ran was 11 miles and it was 1 time 3 weeks before the race. What I did was took the pace from that run 10:45 and said if I ran a 10:45 for the half I would run about a 2:20 marathon. So I pulled a wristband for the 2:25 pace group. The beginning was slow, like molasses slow but I resisted the urge to leave my pace group. Then, when we got to mile 10 our pacer said, if you blow it out for the 5k you have left you will get a 2:22. I finished in 2:22:22 and felt amazing. Not sore at all.
My advice would be to concentrate on running a good race in a realistic time so that you finish strong even if that means you start slow and walk the hills and water stations. I walked all of the water stations.0 -
My first half didn't hurt. In fact, it went much better than I expected.
Now, i need to mention the "rest of the story". I was training for a full marathon and had a peak run of 14 miles whie i was deployed to the Middle East. I was under-prepared for the full and was able to swap to the half. Based on the paces I was running in the desert, I figured I wanted to stay in the 12:00-15:00/mile pace range for the race. I had no time goal. My first mile was near 12:00, so I pulled back on the effort. My second mile was nearly the same. At that point, I figured that was where my body could run on that day and I was right.
Let me reiterate what Carson said. Start slow. If you don't feel like you are going too slow at the start, you are going to fast. In my half marathon PR race, I started at the very back of the pack. Right in front of the sweep vehicles. I held back for the first several miles and the plan worked well. Finally, in my marathon last September, I ran the slowest first half I had ever ran in a full and, while I did not have negative splits, I got an unexpected PR out of it.
Good luck!0 -
love this topic as i'm about to do my first half marathon in Feb. my longest training run will be this Sunday (12 miles) I'm increasing from 10 miles.0
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The last few miles get easier every time you do a half marathon. This year I did 3 half marathons and while the last one in December was hard because I was going for a PR it was nowhere near as hard as the first half of this year in May.
Regarding pace I have to disagree with the slow & steady pace. My personal preference is to start out fast for the first 5k then settle into my goal pace and then finish at the fast 5k pace. Each half I've done this year I've improved my times by 8 minutes or more using this method. I suppose to each their owe.
Also the more you race the less sore you'll be because your body gets used to it. And if you notice certain parts of your body are getting fatigued at mile 10 you should make strength training a part of your weekly routine. I.e. If your calfs are cramping up you probably have weak calf muscles so add in some calf raises. If its your quads add in some squats or single leg lunges.
Sorry to ramble and hope this helps.0 -
Did my Polar Dash (hahahaha - it was 50 degrees in Chicago in the middle of January, LOL! Not so polar..but I will SO take it!) HM today and not only did it not hurt at all today, but I blew my previous time out of the water to do a 2:45:35 race. Yes, I'm still a slow poke, but I'm a slow poke who is getting faster!0
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Did my Polar Dash (hahahaha - it was 50 degrees in Chicago in the middle of January, LOL! Not so polar..but I will SO take it!) HM today and not only did it not hurt at all today, but I blew my previous time out of the water to do a 2:45:35 race. Yes, I'm still a slow poke, but I'm a slow poke who is getting faster!
Yay and congratulations! My first half was in September and it was painful too!! I am sure I will have a much better one in April.0 -
I'm running my first half the end of March. Yesterday I ran 9.5 miles in 97 minutes, and today I feel ok. I plan on upping my weekly runs by .5 miles until I get to 14, I'm thinking that will be attainable for me. I run with my husband, and I have to say, it's much more enjoyable for me to have a partner to pace off of. Plus, I feel safer 0
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Good luck with your first half! I think that's a smarter plan than I had
And yeah. I am careful with the timing of my runs, there are so many stories about bad things happening to female runners...I feel very safe when my husband runs with me but realistically, he can't. So, I don't run in the dark by myself at all.0 -
Good luck with your first half! I think that's a smarter plan than I had
And yeah. I am careful with the timing of my runs, there are so many stories about bad things happening to female runners...I feel very safe when my husband runs with me but realistically, he can't. So, I don't run in the dark by myself at all.
Thanks! I plan my long runs around the days we are off together, my shorter runs are either with my dogs, in a neighborhood I feel safe in or on the treadmill. I sometimes run at night, and if I do, I always take a dog (usually the mean looking one!).0 -
I wish I had a dog, I'd feel much safer with one. My husband and I have been discussing it...we already have 3 cats and a toddler so he's wary of adding a dog too.0
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I ran my first half last August and plan to run the same race this year. No expert either! I actually felt great throughout even at the finish. I agree with what others have mentioned above. Being my first half, I was unsure where I would finish but I signed myself up several months prior as a 2:30 finish time. After I got into the training, I followed the Hal Higdon Intermediate training guide pretty much to a tee, I realized I could probably finish in 2:10 or less. I finished in 2:03! :happy: You only run up to 12 miles the week before, then a couple of short runs the beginning of that final week before. I agree with the poster who said if you feel you are starting out too slow that is good. I remember being frustrated being placed further back than I could have been and unable to get around people for the first couple of miles. But I think it kept me from going too fast! Also, water does NOTHING for me. I figured out pretty quickly once training runs got longer that I need more! I drank the gatorade during training and during the race. I also use jelly beans which I took handfuls of twice during the race. I think at 8 or 9 miles and 11 miles. Of course each person is different! I also wore compression socks once my runs got above 10 miles and on race day only because I have heard they help with calf pain. Honestly, I never tried going without so I can't compare if they really helped or not, but I didn't have calf pain during the race and only briefly that night. Good luck!0
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I have an official half on 1/12, but on 12/31 I did a Virtual Half marathon - the Resolution run - as my last long run before the Polar Dash on 1/12. I have done multiple 10 milers, 9 milers, 8 milers, etc...my first 10 mile run was on 11/3 so it's not like this came up out of nowhere, although I'd never gone higher than 10 before. For the most part the run went well - I exceeded my goal time by 10 minutes (just wanted to finish under 3...yes, I am slow.) I used GU chews, 2 every half hour with water when I ate up until the 2:30ish mark when I figured I didn't need anything else. The first 10 miles flew, honestly. Up to mile 11 I felt great. At 11.5, my legs began to hurt - hamstring tight, calves sore. It came up fast and that last 1.6 was pretty miserable.
The reason I post is I wonder if I did something wrong or if this is just what I can expect for any future halfs. Two days later my calves and quads are sore but nothing to write home about and the rest of me (notably the hamstrings) are fine - so what did I do wrong that that last 15 minutes was so hard? I'm hoping to run a marathon by fall so I'd really like to be able to .. well, go further, I guess. My cooldown walk afterwards was excruciating.
Hell yeah they hurt! Good job!0 -
Congrats on your first half and a PR! Are you addicted yet? 0
