Half Marathon tips

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lorazaruba
lorazaruba Posts: 61 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I started doing 5k's last year and fell in love. I turned 50 this year, I am over weight but working on losing weight. I have signed up to do a half marathon in Oct. I am working on doing the couch to 5k. I would like to have suggestions, idea and input you can give me. I have not done more than 3.2 miles but do have a 7 mile walk in July and many 5k's that I am going to do and try to improve my time each race. Thank you for you help!

Replies

  • srk369
    srk369 Posts: 256 Member
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    I started doing 5k's last year and fell in love. I turned 50 this year, I am over weight but working on losing weight. I have signed up to do a half marathon in Oct. I am working on doing the couch to 5k. I would like to have suggestions, idea and input you can give me. I have not done more than 3.2 miles but do have a 7 mile walk in July and many 5k's that I am going to do and try to improve my time each race. Thank you for you help!

    I just ran my first half at 40 this year and my biggest help was not to run too much. To keep my cardio and endurance up I cross trained with Spin class 2-3 times a week and it really helped my running. Good luck!!
  • closenre
    closenre Posts: 225 Member
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    You have plenty of time to train for the half. Last year I ran 2.7 miles and decided I was going to do a full. I got the right training and stuck with it. Finished the full in 4:41. Since I have a PR at 3:49 and my half is 1:35. Look for a training plan and fit it into your schedule. Look at the one below or find your own. They are everywhere. Most say if you can run for 30 min non stop, you can follow a training plan and be successful! I run often and have a half this weekend and another in 3 weeks. Planning for a full in the fall and next spring. Add me if you want! Anyway, look at the training and stick to it no matter how mucu of a chore it seems to be. You will be successful!

    http://www.halhigdon.com/training/51131/Half-Marathon-Novice-1-Training-Program
  • ctpeace
    ctpeace Posts: 327 Member
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    Hal Higdon and Jeff Galloway are 2 who have written well-respected beginners plans. I like Galloway, as I found I could get my mileage up quickly with the walk breaks. The basics for both plans can be found for free on their websites, but they both have books too for more detail.
  • JeanDescole
    JeanDescole Posts: 152
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    On the day avoid anything acidic like citrus fruits or citrus juice, it has the tedency to give you cramps when exercising whilst trying to digest them, espicially when you have them only a few hours before or less. Good luck!
  • allinoelle007
    allinoelle007 Posts: 163 Member
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    You have plenty of time to train for the half. Last year I ran 2.7 miles and decided I was going to do a full. I got the right training and stuck with it. Finished the full in 4:41. Since I have a PR at 3:49 and my half is 1:35. Look for a training plan and fit it into your schedule. Look at the one below or find your own. They are everywhere. Most say if you can run for 30 min non stop, you can follow a training plan and be successful! I run often and have a half this weekend and another in 3 weeks. Planning for a full in the fall and next spring. Add me if you want! Anyway, look at the training and stick to it no matter how mucu of a chore it seems to be. You will be successful!

    http://www.halhigdon.com/training/51131/Half-Marathon-Novice-1-Training-Program

    Thank you for posting! I am getting back into running after a bit of a hiatus and this plan is awesome!
  • lorazaruba
    lorazaruba Posts: 61 Member
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    SRK, Congrats on running your half marathon! I wish I wouldn't have waited till I was 50 to start this journey! :)
    I jog/run Monday, Wednesday and Friday, crossfit Tuesday and Thursday. Thank you for you suggestions!
  • lorazaruba
    lorazaruba Posts: 61 Member
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    Closenre, Congrats on you weight lose! Keep up the great job! I will check into the website you marked. Thank you for your inforamtion.
  • lorazaruba
    lorazaruba Posts: 61 Member
    Options
    You have plenty of time to train for the half. Last year I ran 2.7 miles and decided I was going to do a full. I got the right training and stuck with it. Finished the full in 4:41. Since I have a PR at 3:49 and my half is 1:35. Look for a training plan and fit it into your schedule. Look at the one below or find your own. They are everywhere. Most say if you can run for 30 min non stop, you can follow a training plan and be successful! I run often and have a half this weekend and another in 3 weeks. Planning for a full in the fall and next spring. Add me if you want! Anyway, look at the training and stick to it no matter how mucu of a chore it seems to be. You will be successful!

    http://www.halhigdon.com/training/51131/Half-Marathon-Novice-1-Training-Program

    The longest I have run is for ten minutes! I am a former smoker so it is taking long to get my indurance up. Thank you again!
  • catneon
    catneon Posts: 911 Member
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    First of all way to go for signing up! My boyfriend runs half's (he's running his 4th in 2 weeks and another in September)
    He really likes to follow this program that was provided by a running store in our area. People meet 2 days a week to run together there are always groups following the same training.
    He followed it to the letter for his first marathon but since then he's been switching up some of the runs for cardio and allowing himself extra days off if he feels the need.
    Just be careful to run at your pace do warm ups and stretches afterwards and watch yourself for injuries.

    http://www.runningroom.com/hm/inside.php?id=3133
  • lorazaruba
    lorazaruba Posts: 61 Member
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    First of all way to go for signing up! My boyfriend runs half's (he's running his 4th in 2 weeks and another in September)
    He really likes to follow this program that was provided by a running store in our area. People meet 2 days a week to run together there are always groups following the same training.
    He followed it to the letter for his first marathon but since then he's been switching up some of the runs for cardio and allowing himself extra days off if he feels the need.
    Just be careful to run at your pace do warm ups and stretches afterwards and watch yourself for injuries.

    http://www.runningroom.com/hm/inside.php?id=3133
    That is my fear... hurting myself so I am going slow but don't want to go so slow that I am not ready! Still trying to find a happy medium! Thank you for your post. I would love to finish in 4 hours.
  • ctpeace
    ctpeace Posts: 327 Member
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    First of all way to go for signing up! My boyfriend runs half's (he's running his 4th in 2 weeks and another in September)
    He really likes to follow this program that was provided by a running store in our area. People meet 2 days a week to run together there are always groups following the same training.
    He followed it to the letter for his first marathon but since then he's been switching up some of the runs for cardio and allowing himself extra days off if he feels the need.
    Just be careful to run at your pace do warm ups and stretches afterwards and watch yourself for injuries.

    http://www.runningroom.com/hm/inside.php?id=3133
    That is my fear... hurting myself so I am going slow but don't want to go so slow that I am not ready! Still trying to find a happy medium! Thank you for your post. I would love to finish in 4 hours.

    You have enough time to be conservative. I did a 16 week plan from starting at 3 miles being my longest, and I definitely didn't stick to the plan as much as I could've! and I did 2:38 (my goal was breaking 3 hours). You likely won't have any trouble breaking 4 hours if you make sure you get your mileage in. Also, I can't say enough about walk breaks, I really credit them with staying injury free. I probably won't do them forever, and I do a lot fewer now, but they're soooo helpful in upping mileage relatively quickly. If your goal is 4 hours, walk breaks will fit in very well with your plan (Galloway and some other plans talk about this)
  • Shawshankcan
    Shawshankcan Posts: 900 Member
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    Read everything John the Penguin Bingham has written. It will help you with the mentality of it.

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