Registered for a half marathon, help!

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ThinningKB2014
ThinningKB2014 Posts: 30
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi all, so I've been an "adrenaline junkie" with my workouts for years. I do a lot of HIIT and regularly find myself in the anaerobic heart zone area. This will be a new challenge trying to stay aerobic and increase my endurance to go from 4 miles to about 13 miles in a couple months. Any tips would greatly be appreciated!

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  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
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    What is your current running base (how often are you running four miles, how many other runs are you doing)? When is the half? What are you goals?
  • ThinningKB2014
    ThinningKB2014 Posts: 30
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    I usually run about 4-5 miles on average 4 times a week with strengthen training and pilates mixed in. The race is September 7th. My goal is to try to run the entire thing, but I expect that to be at a very slow pace which I'm fine with. I know a lot of people say "I just want to finish" which is obviously a goal as well, but I've definitely walked 11-12 miles at one time on several occasions this summer so I'm confident I can do 13 miles... the goal is to do that jogging and not walking.
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
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    8 weeks is a bit short notice but doable. Find a training plan you can fit into your schedule. Hal Higdon, Runners World, some apps have them ... just find one and get to work. The problem is that on most beginner programs you're already behind the power curve. For example, my last half marathon program would have had you do a 5, 6, and 7 mile run already so you'll have to modify any plan you find to meet your shortened timeline.

    Have you looked at the terrain profile of the half you signed up for? Preparing for 13.1 miles of relatively flat is easy compared to getting ready for a hill run.
  • Runningmischka
    Runningmischka Posts: 386 Member
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    Here is a beginners guide to training for half-marathon ( it's from 2013, not that it really matters)
    http://www.runnersworld.com/getting-started/half-marathon-training-for-beginners

    I was actually just going through some old runners world magazines as I came across your post. There is something about getting a magazine in your mailbox every month :happy:
  • ThinningKB2014
    ThinningKB2014 Posts: 30
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    Thank you for all the suggestions! I'm running the race in Chicago, which is fortunately very flat! I appreciate the support!
  • Play_outside
    Play_outside Posts: 528 Member
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    Good luck! :) I just ran my first half and only my second race ever and it was pretty fun although VERY hilly which was challenging because I am used to running on the flat (on beaches!). I don't really have any advice to offer as I did not follow any training plan and really I only run twice a week which dropped to once a week for the month preceding my half (not intentionally just busy and lazy I guess!). I'd say it sounds like you have a good running base so 8 weeks should be enough time to prep! :) Enjoy!!
  • dnish53
    dnish53 Posts: 162 Member
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    I just took up running less than 2 years ago. Last October I ran my first half and ran a second one in May. I would look at a training program and sort of pick where you think you are at already and start there. You should start doing one long run each week. What I discovered is I needed a different pair of shoes once I went over 7 miles. I was told that was not unusual and it was good to find out before I did a half.

    Set a goal for yourself and go for it. Most of all enjoy it. Even if you miss your goal time you still did a half marathon which is fantastic.
  • ThinningKB2014
    ThinningKB2014 Posts: 30
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    Thank you guys!! It's so encouraging to hear about other people doing this race without years and years of running experience!
  • hermann341
    hermann341 Posts: 443 Member
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    Sounds like your base is about 16 to 20 miles per week, which is great! All you really need to do is keep your weekday runs in the 4 to 5 range and make your weekend run your long run. You'll want to increase it to 10 or 12 miles two weekends before your event. Your next 8 long runs will look something like this for the next 8 weeks: 6, 7, 8, 5, 10, 6, 12, 6, 13.1. Your long run pace should be 30 to 60 seconds per mile slower than your weekday runs. Have fun!! I'm from the Chicago area, and would love to do that marathon some time.
  • kelsully
    kelsully Posts: 1,008 Member
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    If you are running 4-5 miles regularly you will be fine. Look up Hal Higdon beginner half marathon plans. They are free and get a lot of people through a lot of races. You will likely only run up to 10 miles before the race knowing that race adrenaline will get you through the rest.
  • _Josee_
    _Josee_ Posts: 625 Member
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    Sounds like your base is about 16 to 20 miles per week, which is great! All you really need to do is keep your weekday runs in the 4 to 5 range and make your weekend run your long run. You'll want to increase it to 10 or 12 miles two weekends before your event. Your next 8 long runs will look something like this for the next 8 weeks: 6, 7, 8, 5, 10, 6, 12, 6, 13.1. Your long run pace should be 30 to 60 seconds per mile slower than your weekday runs. Have fun!! I'm from the Chicago area, and would love to do that marathon some time.

    Exactly this. A first half is very exciting!! :) Good luck!!
  • GillianMcK
    GillianMcK Posts: 401 Member
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    I've got a half marathon that day as well, I started my training plan 3 weeks ago, I run 3 times a week (the plan does have 4 runs a week but one of them is a short run of 2 miles through the week, which I have changed for an hours yoga), my long run goes as far as 10 miles the week before the half marathon.
    I'm quite relaxed about this, but I done mines the wrong way round and done a marathon first, so have a half marathon split to work to, also got ridiculously excited that the training topped out at 10 miles and not 20 miles (it's the little things)!!

    If you're already running 4-5 miles (16 - 20 miles over the week), you'll be fine if you just look to increase the long run over the next 8 weeks (my long run is 5 miles again this weekend, followed by 6miles, 3.1miles fast run, 7 miles, 8 miles, 6.2 miles race pace, 9 miles, 10 miles, race day).

    Do you know what you're aiming for as a finishing time, do you need to look at practicing with gels (if they're handning out gels on the course, find out what they're handing out and practice with them on your long run, just so you know your stomach will be ok with them, don't want a Paula Radcliffe moment), will you be able to finish without fuel, I can do 13.1 miles without fuelling on the course but I wouldn't unless it was the only option, I always feel worse the day after if I haven't fuelled enough on the run!!

    Good luck, have fun, run your own race at your own pace (or a better one is 'The only race pace is suicide pace, and today seems like a good day to die')!!!
  • thavoice
    thavoice Posts: 1,326 Member
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    You have a good foundation so all you really need to do is some backwards planning. 2 weeks prior to the race make that your longest training run. Then the next week you taper it down to 8-9 miles a week out from the race.

    Each week increase your mileage by a mile on your long run using the backwards planning since you may be on a time crunch.
  • ThinningKB2014
    ThinningKB2014 Posts: 30
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    Thank you all for the helpful advice and friend requests!! :)
  • dwh77tx
    dwh77tx Posts: 513 Member
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    I did one in March and trained for about 9 months. I didn't run more than once a week. My time was 2.13. My advice is to keep up the running, but do other exercise as well!

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