My first half marathon

Me too ... check out my ticker. You prepare by starting the "long run" once a week and progressively increasing your distances. Check out Jeffgalloway.com for a great training plan! Add me... Im training for my fourth one this summer!

I ran my first half in April - it was a gruelling cross country - very hilly - but I loved it.

Postive attitude works well - you can do it, the distance is just a number etc. you have to beleive its true, failure is not an option.

I increased my distance in stages - so ran comfortably at around 6 miles and increased it to 8 then 10 and then 12 miles leaving 13 miles until the actual day of the race. It is suggested to prevent injury you increase distance at a rate of 10% more a week - with the time you have this is definately doable.

I will be running 14 miles in July again on a cross country race and am really looking forward to it. I hope to get lucky next year with the London Marathon ballot - since thats my optimum goal to run a full marathon in 2012.

I'm training for my first half as well in October. I'm using the smartcoach training on runnersworld.com

The best thing you can do is find a training plan that works for you... and then TRAIN!!! Haha. I've done 5 and only seriously trained for 2 of them, and I can tell you that those two were significantly less painful than the other 3.

Make sure you get GOOD running shoes at a running shoe store, and have the people there fit you for them.

During your training, try out different foods before and after your long runs, as well as experimenting with what you are taking in DURING the run (gels, chews, etc. in addition to water/gatorade). That way, when it gets to be race day, you will know what works for you.

Also - don't do anything new on race day! Don't wear new clothes, don't eat new things before/during the race - just do what you have been doing the whole time in training, your body will appreciate it.

Lastly, feel free to add me if you like! I love having other runners as friends!

All excellent advice. I use the programs from runnersworld.com and they are free!!

The most important thing you can do is run as many miles as your body can absorb. By absorb I mean recover from and improve.

Jeff Galloway is fantastic, as the above posters mentioned, but I use Hal Higdon's novice half marathon training program. They are 12-18 weeks depending on if you do a half or a full. They start off gently and build up mileage week by week. What helps is strength training 2x a week, like the calender suggests. Some programs don't require this, but it is so important because it prevents injury - ESPECIALLY around the knees. Work on those leg extensions, hamstring curls and squats to build up the muscle surrounding the knees and it should really help. I suffered with knee injuries the first 2 weeks of training and had to take a break, but once I focused on weight training I haven't had a knee problem since and keep trucking through!

Novice half marathon program:
http://www.halhigdon.com/halfmarathon/novice.htm

Novice full marathon program:
http://www.halhigdon.com/marathon/Mar00novice.htm

I've been training three times a week up to now. Do you experienced distance athletes think I'd be better doing a very steady 4-day a week training programme (I have one in mind)? I'm worried about the two days in a row. I never feel ready to do the next one.

You can get a large fitness boost by adding a fourth day. When training multiple days in a row you will have some fatigue left over from the previous day. Training with this fatigue is part of the benefit as your body is forced to recruit additional muscle fibers to keep running. After a few weeks you get used to it and no longer notice the additional tiredness. I recommend you try it and as long as you don't have any injury pain creeping up it will pay off greatly.

Adding a fifth training day also is very beneficial if you have the time and desire. Adding a sixth and seventh day are marginally beneficial and greatly increase the risk of injury.

Scott,
Thats interesting advice because that is contrary to what I have always been told (and what Jeff Galloway says) I have been told that you actually want to run no more than 3 days per week ... just wondering why you felt that was beneficial?

I got that information from a book I read a few years ago. "Lore of Running" by Dr. Timothy Noakes http://www.amazon.com/Lore-Running-Timothy-D-Noakes/dp/088011438X

There was a chart in that book that showed fitness improvements by number of days per week run. Three times a week was the minimum to stimulate continual improvement. Adding a fourth day added another big boost. Adding a fifth day added a smaller boost. Adding a sixth and seventh day added only marginal boosts.

How much running one can do is highly dependant on their past running history and current fitness level. One who has run a lot in the past and who is currently highly fit can recover quickly from an individual run and run multiple days in a row without harm. Also, as one runs longer and becomes more fit it takes increasing amounts of volume and intensity to continue stimulating the body's adaptations needed for greater performance.

Three times a week running is sufficient to reach a moderaltely high level of fitness and performance. After about six months to a year (dependant on the individual) fitness and performance will plateau and will only increase further by increasing the volume and intensity of the training program. Theoretically this could be done by simply continually increasing the time spent running on those three days. That would eventually lead to each workout being three to four hours long. It's easier on the body and mind to spread that workload over five to seven days.

Jeff Galloway's program recognizes this fact and is why towards the end of his marathon training program he has five hour (+) long workouts scheduled. I am participating in his program now with my daughter.

Caveat: None of this is to say that someone should immedialtely jump to training five to seven days a week. Unless one has a running base that prepares the body for this workoad it would be counterproductive and lead to injury and overtraining instead of improvement.