1st Half Marathon is Saturday

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LoosingMyLast15
LoosingMyLast15 Posts: 1,457 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Saturday is my first half marathon. I'm getting excited and nervous. Any tips? what to eat the next few days? over the next few days should i do any stretch exercises? i went out yesterday and ran 10 miles and i'm not planning on going out again, should i?

i already know what i'm wearing (same clothes i wore for my 10k back in april). my sneakers are not new! actually i'll probably need a new pair after the race (actually i'll be treating myself to a new pair for finishing a half). i've got my gatorade/water mixture ready to go.
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  • LoosingMyLast15
    LoosingMyLast15 Posts: 1,457 Member
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    bump :happy:
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
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    My first half-marathon is on 19 June, so I'm interested in responses.

    I've been following a training plan, which has a taper week immediately before the race. Maybe go out for a short run on Thursday?

    Carbs for about 24 hours before the race - pasta the night before, porridge for breakfast seems to be a common menu. More importantly, keep yourself well hydrated in the days leading up to the race.

    Good luck!
  • squirrell79
    squirrell79 Posts: 154 Member
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    Saturday is my first half marathon. I'm getting excited and nervous. Any tips? what to eat the next few days? over the next few days should i do any stretch exercises? i went out yesterday and ran 10 miles and i'm not planning on going out again, should i?

    Congratulations on tackling your first half! I did my first half-marathon on 5/19, and it was lots of fun. Just make sure to take it easy from here on out--maybe some light jogs, but nothing strenuous. Keep yourself hydrated. There's no need to do the old school "carbo load" thing, but I have to admit that I indulged in lots of carbs the week before my half just because I love pasta. :-)

    Above all, don't stress out. Just have fun and let us know how the race went! Good luck!
  • RunnerElizabeth
    RunnerElizabeth Posts: 1,091 Member
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    I would go for a short run tomorrow, up to 3 miles. My taper for the halfs I have done had me running low mileage the week of the race and stopping 2 days before. This keeps your muscles loose but not tired.

    As far as nutrition goes, I believe in keeping every thing the same as I do in training the night before and day of my long runs. I ddon't generally eat pasta the night before my long run so I don't do it the night before a half either.
  • davemunger
    davemunger Posts: 1,139 Member
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    You should be in taper mode now. You can still run, but run *easy*, just a few miles each day. That said, it's also a good idea to do a couple miles at the pace you are planning for the race once or twice this week. So maybe run 1 mile to warm up, then 1 mile at race pace, and a 1 mile cooldown.

    For a half-marathon you don't need to adjust your nutrition too much. Just make sure you are eating healthy foods, and get plenty of carbs for the two days before the race. You don't need to "carbo-load," just eat reasonable portions of healthy carbs like fruit and whole grains. But don't overload on the fruits and veggies if you don't normally eat a lot of fiber -- this could affect your need to take bathroom breaks on race day!

    On race day itself, your rule should be "nothing new" -- don't wear clothes, shoes, or other items you haven't used before. You should eat a couple hours before the race, but make sure you eat something that will settle well in your stomach. Some runners do a "race simulation" a few days before the race, where they get up the same time as they plan to on race day, eat what they are planning on eating, etc., just to make sure everything works for them. Then go for a short run starting at the exact time your race starts and see how you feel.
  • LoosingMyLast15
    LoosingMyLast15 Posts: 1,457 Member
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    thanks everyone for the suggestions. i am now planning on getting in a slow run tomorrow and will start to adjust what i eat as well so i don't end up with an upset tummy. i do not plan on eating a lot of fiber. i had to make 2 pee breaks during yesterday's run, the last thing i want is to have the fiber kick in during the middle of the race. :blushing:

    i like the idea of testing out what i should eat the morning of the race davemunger. i was thinking plain oatmeal made with water or a bagel with peanut butter. the tricky part will be what to eat the night before as i'll be away for the race so we'll be eating at a restaurant. this is going to be a challenge. was thinking chicken parm minus the cheese and sauce?
  • Catfish83
    Catfish83 Posts: 8
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    Congrats!! You're gonna feel great when you cross the finish line. Let us know how it goes. Out of control carb feedings are not necessary at this point. Just eat as usual maybe a LITTLE extra and drink a lot of water. No NEW foods on race days either and something that is easy on the stomach. A short run at race pace once this week would be good. I always walk a mile the day before any race 10k or longer. It does stretch the legs a bit and get the blood flowing but it is more of a mental preparation as I just think about my plan for the race.

    Good luck!
  • KyleB65
    KyleB65 Posts: 1,196 Member
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    Did my first half this past Feb in the cold.
    If you have been training regularly? Your body is likely in shape for the run. With the race being on Saturday, I would say you are okay to get in a small run as late as Thursday (5k +/-). I ran a 10k 2 days before my half and had no issues on race day. Not a fast run, just to get out and get some fresh air.
    As for eating? This still puzzles me as well. I would say a little more in the way of carbs the 24 - 36 hrs before your race. Aside from that, avoid milk products the morning of the race and do not eat anything new from now until after the race.
    While you run the race, focus on pace. Not miles or time. These will take care of themselves. I have a GPS watch that I set to show me my pace. This was the tool I used the most.
    If the event is well organized, there will be water stations. Drink before you start and try to get 2 drinks during the run. I am one of those who grabs the cup, throw back what I can get and keeps on moving. I hate stopping during a race as it messes with my pace and ability to keep moving.
    I hope you enjoy the experience! For me it was very emotional crossing the finish line!
  • swordsmith
    swordsmith Posts: 599 Member
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    Water- water -water... start hydrating now! and drink at every station!.

    I did a half a few months ago (as well as doing mudders and spartans now). If you have pockets or carry a small runners pack I highly suggest something like Gu packets and/or chewables. For the sticky Gu packets I tended to suck one down quickly at water stations and then use the water to help wash it down. When between water station I had a packet of the gum drop like chewables to pop in my mouth. I am also diabetic so sugar crashes were a concern for me but I saw a lot of people with these types of packets.

    Also if you blister in certain areas a little mole skin wont kill you and/or get the anti-blister socks which I now use.

    Other then that just keep your pace - I tend to do about 10:30's for 5 and 10K's but the half I tried to maintain 12:00 since it more tortoise then hare. In the end my average was 12:37 pace (the last two miles were killer- basically a continuous uphill run)

    If they have sports massage therapists at the finish TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THEM! I almost did not until my friend forced me too- best. decision.ever.
  • LoosingMyLast15
    LoosingMyLast15 Posts: 1,457 Member
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    this is great advice everyone. THANK YOU! i have yet to try Gu and just started (about a month ago) drinking poweraide. it definitely helps but ugh the taste i water it down. i have yet to have any problems with blistering knock on wood. right now my pace for my long runs is around 12:00-12:20 and shorter runs i average 10:45-11:00 so i'm not a fast runner but i am able to maintain a decent steady pace. i decided to read a description of the course and it read that after mile 5 it starts to go downhill UGH!!!!!!! but i'm still extremely pumped! slow and steady finishes the race. i did learn the hard way with milk and i'm still on the fence about having my coffee in the am for obvious reasons.

    i do plan on stopping at every water station. there's also a wine station i SO WANT TO STOP but idk about that one. last race i did was a 10k (last long race i guess because i did a 5k a few weeks ago and a mud run right after the 10k) i attempted to drink the water while running and i guess i'm not coordinated enough for that because i wore almost all of it.

    i think i'm in decent shape. i've been training for a long time (since february). i have not done the full 13 miles but since yesterday's 10 mile run i'm no longer concerned about that. i hope they'll have massage therapists at the finish. if they do i will be RIGHT THERE!
  • davemunger
    davemunger Posts: 1,139 Member
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    i like the idea of testing out what i should eat the morning of the race davemunger. i was thinking plain oatmeal made with water or a bagel with peanut butter. the tricky part will be what to eat the night before as i'll be away for the race so we'll be eating at a restaurant. this is going to be a challenge. was thinking chicken parm minus the cheese and sauce?

    A bagel with PB usually works well on race days since you don't need to have cooking facilities. Oatmeal can work if your motel has a microwave or coffee pot that you can run water through to heat up. I usually try for something that doesn't require any cooking, like fruit and a Clif bar.

    Chicken parm sounds like a bad idea to me -- fried food is not great. That's why so many folks tend to go for the basic pasta with marinara. A sandwich can also work (I'm thinking Subway, not McDonald's). I wouldn't be afraid of a small salad either -- it's certainly not going to hurt and can be refreshing.
  • kdub2051
    kdub2051 Posts: 20 Member
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    Congrats, I remember my first half a few years ago; it felt fantastic to cross the finish line after all those months of training. I was so excited I forgot to stop my gps running watch so I recorded an additional two hours of my walking around at the after race festivities, kind of affected my average pace a little. My only advice, don’t go out too fast at the start, since this is your first race I guarantee between the nerves and adrenaline you are going to want to sprint the first mile or two, just remember your training and pace yourself. I agree with the other comments about doing a short run tomorrow, no more than 3 miles, you can use that run to practice your starting pace. Good luck and just have fun. Which race and where???
  • hdawg412
    hdawg412 Posts: 10 Member
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    Congrats! I finished my first half three weeks ago. Respect the taper, they suggest cutting back mileage 40-60% of peak, with at least 2 rest days prior to the race. Walk, stretch, limber up, sleep, hydrate and generally pamper yourself. Increase complex carbs during the taper week too.

    They suggest the heavy carb meal two nights before, not the night before so you don't get sluggish digestion. Eat what you ate in your training.

    Remember, you trained for this, you have run 10, it's just another long run, but more fun! Enjoy!
  • davemunger
    davemunger Posts: 1,139 Member
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    One other point: There is no need to go overboard with water. People think they need to drink water until their pee is clear, but that's overdoing it and can actually cause you to lose electrolytes you'd prefer to have with you in the race (not to mention exceptionally long lines at the porta-johns). My strategy is to drink about 20 ounces on race morning, stopping about 2 hours to 90 minutes before the race. Then I carry a small disposable water bottle to the start line and drink about 8 ounces just before the race starts. During the race, just drink when you are thirsty (unless it is hot -- then you will want to drink a little extra).
  • LoosingMyLast15
    LoosingMyLast15 Posts: 1,457 Member
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    a Clif bar.

    Chicken parm sounds like a bad idea to me -- fried food is not great. That's why so many folks tend to go for the basic pasta with marinara. A sandwich can also work (I'm thinking Subway, not McDonald's). I wouldn't be afraid of a small salad either -- it's certainly not going to hurt and can be refreshing.

    i forgot chicken parm chicken is fried. it's been so long since i've had something like that. i wouldn't dream of having mcdonalds the night before that would certainly make me run to the toilet. lol

    clif bar is a good idea and i enjoy them and don't have any side affects from it (heartburn likes to sneak up on me sometimes)
  • LoosingMyLast15
    LoosingMyLast15 Posts: 1,457 Member
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    Congrats, I remember my first half a few years ago; it felt fantastic to cross the finish line after all those months of training. I was so excited I forgot to stop my gps running watch so I recorded an additional two hours of my walking around at the after race festivities, kind of affected my average pace a little. My only advice, don’t go out too fast at the start, since this is your first race I guarantee between the nerves and adrenaline you are going to want to sprint the first mile or two, just remember your training and pace yourself. I agree with the other comments about doing a short run tomorrow, no more than 3 miles, you can use that run to practice your starting pace. Good luck and just have fun. Which race and where???

    Virginia Wine Country Half Marathon just outside DC this saturday morning. oh and it's supposed to be 90 race day but i've been smart about training during the afternoons and early evening when it's still warm out so i'm less concerned about the temp. i can't wait to cross the finish line and get my medal!!!!!!
  • LoosingMyLast15
    LoosingMyLast15 Posts: 1,457 Member
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    One other point: There is no need to go overboard with water. People think they need to drink water until their pee is clear, but that's overdoing it and can actually cause you to lose electrolytes you'd prefer to have with you in the race (not to mention exceptionally long lines at the porta-johns). My strategy is to drink about 20 ounces on race morning, stopping about 2 hours to 90 minutes before the race. Then I carry a small disposable water bottle to the start line and drink about 8 ounces just before the race starts. During the race, just drink when you are thirsty (unless it is hot -- then you will want to drink a little extra).

    it's supposed to hit 90 race day. i have a tendency to drink a lot of water good to know that it's not good. i usually add some poweraide to it and have that during long runs.
  • flexdirectcpr
    flexdirectcpr Posts: 103 Member
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    Bump
  • JenRunTriHappyGirl
    JenRunTriHappyGirl Posts: 521 Member
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    i do plan on stopping at every water station. there's also a wine station i SO WANT TO STOP but idk about that one. last race i did was a 10k (last long race i guess because i did a 5k a few weeks ago and a mud run right after the 10k) i attempted to drink the water while running and i guess i'm not coordinated enough for that because i wore almost all of it.

    One hint about the water: squeeze the sides of the cup together... then you can just pour it right in your mouth! A wine station sounds fun, but for me it would depend on how hot it is whether or not I would want to drink wine.

    I am so happy for you! Good luck and congrats!
  • davemunger
    davemunger Posts: 1,139 Member
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    it's supposed to hit 90 race day. i have a tendency to drink a lot of water good to know that it's not good. i usually add some poweraide to it and have that during long runs.

    Well, if it's hot, you'll definitely want to drink more. Also, try getting two cups at each aid station and pouring some over your head -- very refreshing on a hot day! I'd strongly suggest avoiding the wine until after you're finished :)

    One more tip for race day -- get the hourly temps for the times you'll actually be running. I just looked up your race and as of now (admittedly a little far off) it's slated to be 70 at the start and 80 after 2 hours, so unless you are walking the whole course it shouldn't get up to 90! I've found the best site for pre-race weather forecasts is weather.gov (NOT .com), because you can get very detailed hourly forecasts.

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