Half marathon - Support and Motivation!

Chris - congrats all you've achieved!! I'm not sure why but most people don't lose weight while training for distance races. 7 months is more than enough time. I didn't run my first 10k until July 4th. My 1/2 marathon is Oct 17th. I feel that I'll be more than ready. I run slow but at least I'm out doing it. I'd make your focus to finish. I'm afraid you may get burnt out if start intensly trainging now. You may want to look into Fartlek training for ways to increase speed. Welcome to our group and keep us posted on your progress.

Marcie - 90 degrees - eeeekkkk. Great job getting the run in.

Go Kristina Go!!! I'm so proud of you for getting that 10 miler in!!!

Chris, I'm with Victoria, you might try some other running goals before focusing on the half marathon if it's not until next summer. Maybe 4 months out start. As long as your able to do 3 or 4 miles at a time that should be plenty of time. Great job so far though, wow! I wish my mother could get motivated to do something. She has been overweight her whole life and not I think she is at her heaviest and doesn't feel like doing anything. It is hard to motivate someone from 9 hours away as well.

Anyway, I had a busy day, but did get my 4.5 in on the treadmill, ugh! I did put my wii fit on the free run on my television in front of me, so it looked like i was going somewhere, ha! Something different. Anyway, had to take my husband to the airport to be deployed to afghanistan, another reason i just didn't feel like doing anything today. So it is just me and the kids for awhile. Hopefully I will stay motivated.

Hi everyone! I have internet at home today, so I'm hoping the problems are resolved and i can be back to posting and logging.

Yesterday, I ran 5.15 at 10:40 pace. today is speedwork, and hopefully, I'll be back to log about it.

Chris, welcome! Congrats on your successes so far. Most half marathon plans are 12 weeks long, so if you have a race in mind, I'd count back 12 weeks from that and that would be the start of your training. In the meantime, I'd "base build"--run a couple of times a week and just get your body used to running some miles (at different tempos and distances) so that when you start training, you're not starting from scratch.

Curlytop, sorry to hear that dh was deployed. I thank him for his service and will keep you and your family in my thoughts for his safe return.

Kristina--nice job on the 10 miler!

Justine, if you're talking about the pink watch, that's my heart rate monitor. I also use an (older model) Garmin to track my distances and speed. mapmyrun is a good website to use if you don't have a Garmin, but if you check with Amazon, every once in a while, they have GREAT deals on Garmins, especially on the older models when a new model is released.

See you all later!
Lisa

Keeping on schedule with my runs. Did a 10-miler on Sunday (very slow, but still competed). Hoping to bump up to 11 this weekend.

Did 5.4 yesterday at just under a 12min/mile pace, which is speedy for me. Plan to hit the stationary bike this week and will do another 5 miler either tomorrow or Friday with my two coworkers who are probably running the half, though they are both much faster runners than me, so I don't know if I'd be able to cut it. It's crazy how quickly the half is approaching. I signed up for a 10K run for next weekend in town.

Hi Group - I am fairly new to MFP and to these boards. I have been on Biggest Loser Club website since Jan. 1, but am ending that, now that I have found such a great free site here. I just began running this year. I ran my first 5K in May, and am running a 10K at the Twin Cities Marathon in St. Paul, MN next weekend. Ten ladies who met on BLC are all meeting and doing it together!! I can't wait!! It has been such an awesome journey. My next goal after that is to run the Carlsbad Half Marathon here in San Diego, CA in January 2011. Since I have been training for the 10K, I am half way there and will begin to bump up my distance in mid October after the 10K. I am so glad to have found a running group on MFP...can't wait to get to know everyone.
Speedy Feet to All,
Tammy

Great job on the runs everyone.

It was chilly and rainy this morning so I ran my 8 miles on the treadmill at slow 15 min pace. I had to start soooo early at 6:30 that I was still so asleep.

keep up the great work everyone!!!
i finished my first ever half marathon this morning in 2 hours and 11 minutes!!!!!!!! i am not the worlds fastest runner but i did it and i am feeling soooo accomplished if i can do it you all are golden!!! i am already itching to sign up for another one

Welcome to all the new people!!!

I actually ran 20 miles this week. 2 on Tues, 8 on Thurs and 10 yesterday. The 1/2 marathon is now 3 weeks away - eeeekkkk... I really am excited. Time for yesterday's run 2 hrs 24 min for pace of 14:25. I bump up to 11 miles next weekend.

Congrats on completing your race a1schwei!!! That's a fantastic time.

Kristina - good luck on the long run today. Nice time on the the short 5 miler (he-he who would've dreamed a year ago we'd say 5 miles was a short run - I feel like we just completed C25K!!!)

Lisa - wonderful job on the 11 miles and at such a good pace.

Hey Folks!

I need some advice! Is it crazy to register for a half marathon in early Nov (13th) if I am only at 6-7 mile long runs right now?

This is my first 1/2 so I'm not sure. If you've been running at that level several times a week for a month or more, you would probably be okay. If you've only run that long once or twice, I'd get concerned about injury. You have about 7 weeks to train and the recommended is 12. Look up the novice training by Hal Higdon http://www.halhigdon.com/halfmarathon/index.htm or the runners world training free schedule and see if it looks realistic. Good luck and let us know what you do.

Hey! I have been training for a bit now and am now up to six miles this weekend. My half marathon is on Nov. 13th so I think you will be good to go. I am following Hal Higdon's plan. You can google his name and half marathon for the plan. It's a great plan and I'm enjoying it so far.

I want to join this group to post my runs as well!! Finished six miles today and ran at a 9:30 pace so I'm pretty happy with that. Does anyone else wish that their neighborhood wasn't so hilly???