First half marathon!! AHHH!! :)

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  • _Terrapin_
    _Terrapin_ Posts: 4,301 Member
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    I carb load for a 5k(true story); seriously tapering is best for the distance, enjoy yourself. Listen to ThinkMcRunFast solid advice
  • butreally12
    butreally12 Posts: 67 Member
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    Thanks!! Any other opinions out there on the fueling (including water) thing? Also don't want to damage my body!
  • ehensarling17
    ehensarling17 Posts: 95 Member
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    In general, DON'T TRY ANYTHING NEW ON RACE DAY!
    Thanks!! Any other opinions out there on the fueling (including water) thing? Also don't want to damage my body!

    I'd definitely suggest you avail yourself of the water/Gatorade at the water stations; neither of those are likely to wreak havoc on your stomach. If you haven't used gels during your training runs, now is not the time to give those a test run. I've come to love gels; you should consider giving them a try once you resume training after the race!

    Word to the wise: Don't eat Mexican the night before. Seems incredibly obvious but that was one of those "Oh DUH" lessons I learned the hard way.
  • Runs4Wine
    Runs4Wine Posts: 416 Member
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    So how did the race go?
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
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    NOt useful for the OP, but thought I'd leave it here as I was reading up on carb loading quite a lot..
    For a half marathon you shouldn't really need to carb load.
    The idea of carb loading is to give you muscle Glycogen stores some extra, but generally for a half marathon (presuming you're doing it in under two and a half hours or so), your muscles should have enough as it is - presuming they aren't depleted from previous training/calorie deficit.

    As I was running for a fair bit longer than that on Saturday I did the single day carb loading thing - 2 1/2 minute run, followed by 30 second sprint, then something around 12g carbs/kg of lean body mass - avoiding too much fructose. Seemed to do the job.
  • aarar
    aarar Posts: 684 Member
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    Watch your pace especially at the beginning of the race. It's really easy to get caught up in the excitement and go out too fast.

    Edited to add: just realized your race is over! Hope it went well!
  • butreally12
    butreally12 Posts: 67 Member
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    Thanks for everyone's advice - it was AMAZING!! I had the best time in the world... I seriously was just so happy to be running with like 4,000 other amazing people that I don't think I stopped smiling once!!

    I ended up finishing with a time of 2:02 or so, and I have to say that I'm extremely happy with that! (I know that's pretty slow for a lot of people... but hey!) I'm sorry for the next few paragraphs because I know nobody cares but I'm still so excited!

    I started the race towards the back of the crowd, (five minutes from the gun time) and I crossed the halfway point at just under an hour. I was so nervous that I would start off too fast and then just tank, that I probably started off too slowly (my first mile was 10:15...) . To be fair, though, the race was on a pretty narrow path and it was hard to pass people (especially because a lot of people would just randomly stop and start walking, with no warning - kind of annoying!) I kept reminding myself to slow down, but I felt so amazing that now I think I could have stayed at a faster pace.

    I felt SO GOOD until about mile 8, when I got this terrible side stitch. I had to stop and walk for about five minutes, which made me sad, but I was so thankful that it went away. I've never really dealt with stitches during training, so I had no idea how to deal with it... any advice?

    I ended up not getting any water/gatorade/gu during the race at all... I just felt so good, and I was worried that I would upset my stomach. Maybe that caused the cramp? Or maybe it was because I was getting cocky and ran miles 6-7 closer to an 8:30 pace??

    Either way, I know that without the stitch, I could have ran it in under 2 hours, and now I want to do another one... like now! (Maybe not now, I'm still REALLY sore haha.)

    Thanks everyone!!
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
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    I'm so glad things went so well for you!

    As far as the side stitch, there are two different theories on what causes them. The first is that it's something about the pre-race meal. The second is that it has to do with your breathing pattern, specifically that exhaling when your right foot hits the ground puts force on your liver just as your diaphram is moving up. I've found that when I get one, changing which foot hits the ground as I exhale *always* fixes the problem, which, for me, negates the food theory. :)
  • lmroessler
    lmroessler Posts: 29 Member
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    Glad I found this. I'm doing my first half in 11 days (yes, that's right - I'm counting down!!). Lots of good advice from everyone. Thanks!!
  • mlt2908
    mlt2908 Posts: 123 Member
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    Don't try and eat anything you don't normally. Run at your own pace, not those around you. Stop at the last part of the water table not the beginning - then walk until you finish drinking. Bring an easy to consume while running snack - that you have already tested. don't overdress - you will get warm.

    Enjoy - that's what it for.

    Good Luck.

    I second all of those suggestions. I would eat more carbs in the days leading up to the race, and on the morning of the race, eat carbs that don't have tons of fiber (I often have yogurt and a very light cereal such as Special K). If you haven't tried them already, while you are training, you may want to consider some goos or gels to consume during the race. Do not try them for the first time though the day OF the race - they don't agree with everyone. I find they help give some extra energy during long races (I have run a bunch of 10 milers and did my first two half-marathons last year). Don't overdress ( I have made that mistake before and it sucks), and don't experiment with new socks or shoes the day of the race. I also find it a little easier to carry water with me also (I wear one of those belts) and you can then avoid the big crowd by the tables and I sometimes have a hard time trying to drink out of the cups - I'm sloppy! Good Luck and have fun!
  • kota4bye
    kota4bye Posts: 809 Member
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    Nice job, OP! I ran mine today. When I started training, I wanted to run under 2 hours. A few weeks ago, I started thinking 1:50 might be a better target.......I hit 1:50:44, pretty darn good, we had a slow 1st mile working through the crowd, and I stubbed my foot and tripped on a road reflector about mile 8 that didm;t know me down, but came pretty close and everyone around me oohed and ached and scattered. lol. Mine was a bridge run, out and back over two bridges, and the second kicked my butt, slowed my pace considerably for a couple miles....I'll add more hills to the training plan!
  • CarsonRuns
    CarsonRuns Posts: 3,039 Member
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    Yes, taper. You want to get to the race rested. Don't stop running all together, but you also shouldn't be running high mileage.

    For a half, no real special carb loads are needed, though if you want to up your carbs a little, do so the 2-3 days before, then eat normally the day before (nothing too high in fiber, greasy/fatty, or spicy). You just want to top off your glycogen stores, not be weighed down.

    The morning of, eat what you normally eat before a training run. Nothing new, no surprises.

    Get plenty of rest 2 nights before (the night before is always somewhat restless).

    Go out slow, try not to get caught up in the adrenaline of race day.

    In general, DON'T TRY ANYTHING NEW ON RACE DAY!

    Good luck!

    This covers it.

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