Working towards 1/2 Marathon

Walking is totally ok. I actually follow the run/walk method which means that I actually put walk breaks in my runs everytime I run, unless I am doing speed work or other such workouts. I usually do 3 minutes running and 1 minute walking. I really like it because it gives me a short rest period and makes me feel like I can go even farther than I would if I didn;t have walk breaks. There will be people who say that you aren't a "runner" if you walk, but they are just dumb. Keep at it. My only advice would be start at the back of the pack so that people who run full speed right from the beginning don;t have to dodge you. Other than that, have an awesome race!

I'm a chubby asthmatic who had big goals in April of 2013 when I registered for a 1/2 marathon for April of this year. :drinker:

I'm six weeks out. I'm feeling good, losing inches, losing pounds, but I'm still slow and chubby and asthmatic. I average a 16:00-30mile. I did 6.5 miles on Sunday, I'm going for 2 tonight, 4 on Friday and 8 for Sunday.

There is a 4 hour time limit and...well...I may walk a good chunk. Do folks do that? Would I look like a goober walking a good portion of this thing? I figure it's safer than being scraped up off the pavement... Someone make me feel better. :laugh: I've got big goals, but I'm just not there yet and it's too late to turn back now!

Good for you! I am not as ambitious--doing a 5 miler at the end of April, a 10 miler in October, and considering a 1/2 marathon in November.

Sounds like you can meet the time deadline, especially if you walk/run.

You will do great!

So i normally run half marathons at a 9:30 to 10 min pace. I had a HM last Sunday. I assumed I was going to put out my normal performance, but I've been sick for weeks with a sinus infection and ear infection and just went on dehydrating antibiotics 3 days before the race. I didn't feel great, but it didn't occur to me until I started that i wouldn't be able to run the whole way. I started at a 9+ min pace in the 1st mile, and rapidly decreased my pace. After passing the mile 6 sign, I started walking. I tried to bring it up to a run at mile 7, but i was cramping everywhere so it just wasn't possible. So i kept walking. I was passed by a lot of people, but every time I checked there were still people behind me. My race had 3:30 as the posted cut off, but i checked the results and there were finishers with both their gun time and net time over the 4 hour mark. So check last year's results because you may have more time than you think.

I kind of liked the experience of being at the back of the pack too. I feel like there may be some decent photos for me not being blocked by other runners and i crossed the finish line all by myself. And everyone cheered. My time was still under 3 hours, but i was in the last 100 to come in. And this was such a well organized race that there was still plenty of beer and soup at the party when i arrived.

Do it! Coming up with a specific run walk strategy might be a good idea rather than what I had to do, run half then walk half. Just have fun!

Also, I'm determined to do the same coarse either this year or next year now that my pinched nerves are under control.

Make sure they allow walking. If you think you can finish in the allowed time, go for it.

Good for you. Doesn't matter if you "finish" or not...it does if you start.

And another tip - get as far to the front of your corral as possible. The time limit starts when the last person crosses the starting line (at least at the races I've been at where they sweep). So if your corral is further up, you will have extra time to work with - meaning if you went over 4 hours you should be ok.

Just to clarify this: If your race seeds people into corrals based on a qualifying time, it is fine to go to the front of your corral. But please do not go all the way to the front of the entire pack and line up on the starting line. It will be no fun for you and the thousands of people who will be trying to pass you without tripping or bumping in to you. If everyone is starting as a single group, you should be near the back of the pack. Unless the race has tens of thousands of runners (in which case they will be in corrals), it will probably take no more than 5 minutes for everyone to cross the start, so that should not be an issue.

If your race has a 4 hour time limit they almost certainly expect a lot of people to be walking; you could actually walk the entire race at that speed if you kept up a decent clip. I would suggest run / walking it -- you will definitely finish quicker! Look up the Galloway method for more tips!

Good luck in your race! It's a huge accomplishment to complete a half-marathon, no matter how long it takes you!

Absolutely don't put yourself too far ahead that you could injure yourself or others by being in the way. Many of the half's I've been in the corrals are sectioned by times with rope or something between the corrals - so I'm simply implying get to the front of the assigned corral.

I do realize this is a bit trickier in non-corralled races, however IME those are races that don't have strict cut-off times.