Just starting out
addean1
Posts: 119 Member
I just joined the group. my Oldest ds and I are registered for Yellowstone half marathon in June. He runs cross country with the high school, and somehow convinced me to sign up with him. Im planning on using galloway - run walk run, and ran the farthest I've ever run on sat-- don't laugh-- 4 miles. Since I have plenty of time to train, I'm upping miles slowly- 1 mile every other week, and every other week cutting back to all short runs. Does that sound about right? Last week I did runs of 3,3, and 4 miles, this week, all 3 mile runs, and next week I'll do 3,3,5. So what's the best advice you have for beginners
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That will probably work, but you might want to consider looking for a more structured plan. Start with a couch-to-10k or 5k-to-10k plan (since you can already run 3 miles), then run a 10k about 3-4 months out, and then follow a 14-week half-marathon plan.0
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Thanks! That's a good idea! I'll look into 10 k plans. Most of the ones I've looked at start lower than at I'm already doing, but maybe if I started where I'm at, it would work.0
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I am 54, just started running (used to run many years ago, but under 5 miles at a time) at the beginning of the year, did a 5k in April and then just kept increasing and running pretty regularly. I did my first half a few days ago at 2:08:25. So it is definitely doable. Also lost over 50 pounds; if you are already in decent shape it should be easier to train in that amount of time.0
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Hey my long run last week was 3 miles! (Coming off injury sucks BIIIIIG time!!). Everyone starts small, not even Deena Kastor ran 26.2 her first run!
I second a plan. Hal Higdon has some great novice ones and they are free. I know you mentioned Galloway. you can always start at a week where you are at and repeat some until you finish. I smooshed together a 10k plan and the latter half of a half plan to get my winter training on track.
My best advice: SHOES. Get good ones. Go find a running store (not crap locker) and get fitted. Find a store with a wear And return policy. My first fitted shoes felt good for a week then killed me. Returned, refitted, still using the same model 7 years down the road.
Next, leave pace worries behind. All your runs should be pretty slow, like turtles in peanut butter slow. Speed comes later.
Stretch after done. Injury sucks. Tight calves,hamstrings, it bands-not good. My Achilles hates me, and for such a tiny body part, it can be very obnoxiously loud and attention demanding. Prevention is better than intervention!
Good luck and have fun! Some of my favorite mommy-son moments are during my runs with my sons. I hope one day they do it with their kids-what an awesome legacy!0 -
I second the shoe advice; should have mentioned that. I went to a store where they measure each foot independently twice (sitting and standing so they can see how much the arch falls), take you outside and watch you run, suggest specific shoes and have you run while they watch in different ones. I spent more than I ever have for shoes before, knowing I could have taken the info and ordered them online for less but I figured they earned it. The next pair I will order online though. They are more comfortable than what I ran in before and my previous occasional trouble with shin splints has never reoccurred since I got the shoes.0
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Thanks for the tips especially on shoes and stretching. The running store is on my list of places to go- to get me some new shoes, as soon as I can find some extra $ in the budget. Dh's hours were cut at work.:(
What I've done is taken galloways plans, and added extra weeks in between just repeating the previous 2 weeks. And it looks doable, and I hope it'll help me be ready.0 -
Even if you don't have shoe $ in the budget right now, I would advise shopping at a running store. You will come away knowing how much you need to budget and a bit more educated about shoes. Ask lots of questions about why they are recommending specific shoes if they don't tell you without having to ask. If I were to go to a discount shoe store now, I would be a more discerning shopper, knowing things to look for in shoes that I didn't before. I am glad I justified my shoes. My wife was concerned that I would give up on it and waste money. I got them in March and now have about 500 miles on them...0
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Another thought I had - what if I did 17 week training plan, then backed it up, and started it over again? That would put me just right at race day.
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Welcome to the group. It is a great resource. Good information here so far on starting with a 5k plan, then a 10k plan, and then onto the half. Let me also recommend shoes too. I have just burned through a pair and can so tell the difference and I am off this weekend to fix that. I have not had my running analyzed by someone at the store and am excited to see what comes of it.
The hardest part of running for me has been securing my running time whether it be for an inside run or an outside run. With school having started, I am back to bringing my kids into school and have had to adjust my running times. So give that planning some thought as it will require at least a 4 day a week commitment. I am also planning on running my first half marathon in the Spring. The best advice I was ever given was to run slower. If it says slow run, make it a slow run. Good luck. The speed will come after building up the base.
For lots of people, running outside is very different than running inside. So give some thought to that as you plan your running.0
