Too soon to run half marathon?
Somebody_Loved
Posts: 498 Member
Question for the runners out there. I'm scheduled to run my 1st half marathon on March 5th. I've been using a training program and this past Saturday I got up to 10 miles for my long run. It was an exhausting run but I made it through.
My question is this: yesterday I was invited to run a very informal half marathon this coming Saturday. I'm wondering if it would be a bad idea to do this leading up to the half I'm scheduled for in March? Is 13.1 too far since I've only gotten up to 10 miles? I guess I'm just looking for insight on if this would be a good idea, of if I should just stick with my training plan.
Thanks!
My question is this: yesterday I was invited to run a very informal half marathon this coming Saturday. I'm wondering if it would be a bad idea to do this leading up to the half I'm scheduled for in March? Is 13.1 too far since I've only gotten up to 10 miles? I guess I'm just looking for insight on if this would be a good idea, of if I should just stick with my training plan.
Thanks!
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Replies
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Nope, not too soon. Actually I think it's a good idea for you to do it. It will give you a good idea of what to expect for the March 5th one, which will hopefully decrease some of the pre-race jitters.0
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Most beginner training plans only have you run 10 miles for your longest run.
My thoughts - you can probably do it. It isn't going to be fun if you were exhausted but you can probably do it.
And there is enough time for you to recover for your March half.
It's really up to you. I think you *can*. It might not be the best choice but I don't think it is a huge cause for concern either.0 -
If you treat it as a training run (don't go all out) you should be fine and injury free for your race in March. Think of the psychological benefits-you'll already know you can do the distance!0
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That's a good point about the mental benefits of running it this weekend. And I definitely like the idea of decreasing my anxiety for the March race. Thanks for the feedback!0
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I ran my first half with only ever making it up to 10 miles before. You should be fine. No one will care if you need to walk dUing this first half. If you feel like you need to walk, then walk. Have fun.0
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I agree, run it! I kind of hate that beginner programs will only pull you up to 10 miles. When I was training for mine (I didn't end up running it) I was planning to train up to 14 miles just to give myself the confidence on the number.0
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blues4miles wrote: »I agree, run it! I kind of hate that beginner programs will only pull you up to 10 miles. When I was training for mine (I didn't end up running it) I was planning to train up to 14 miles just to give myself the confidence on the number.
I'm the same way, I chose a plan that trains me up to 12 miles. I want to go into it knowing I can hit the number!0 -
Marathons are bad in general. Less is better.0
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take the time you hit your ten miles and slow down by 30 seconds- 1 minute a mile and you will find that 13 miles isn't so bad.0
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Don't do it. You are increasing your long run by almost a third. But it's not just about the distance races are hard on the body, your pace is usually faster than what you run while training. It's too close to your real race that you don't want to risk getting injured. I really think you should let this one pass by.0
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@Aed0416 - I hear what you're saying. I'm going to treat it as a training run and be sure to run a very comfortable pace. It's a really informal race - no bibs, no chips, and only 150 people, so I don't think I'll be tempted to run race pace. Thanks for the feedback!0
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Until you get up to full marathon distance, it's not a problem at all to train at more than the race miles. You've done 10, it's only a 5k more! There's no question you can do it, just have a big bowl of pasta the night before and a bagel with peanut butter and a big glass of OJ that morning and you'll destroy those 13.1 miles!0
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Somebody_Loved wrote: »@Aed0416 - I hear what you're saying. I'm going to treat it as a training run and be sure to run a very comfortable pace. It's a really informal race - no bibs, no chips, and only 150 people, so I don't think I'll be tempted to run race pace. Thanks for the feedback!
Heh. I find that I am Even More Competitive at the smaller races - I've got a better chance to place my age group.
Good luck with whatever you end up doing. Try not to hurt yourself.0 -
I am in a very similar situation to you... I ran my first 10 miler yesterday, and found it pretty tough... i would only advise that for me, I don't think I would be capable of another 5k on top of that run, not within such a short time frame... give me a month, and then I'll smash that half-marathon! It is also increasing your total distance by 33.3%, so you massively increase your risk of injury! Be careful....0
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In the beginning, you run. Then you finish. Then you work on your score.
Good for you, for going big !!!!0 -
Don't do it. You are increasing your long run by almost a third. But it's not just about the distance races are hard on the body, your pace is usually faster than what you run while training. It's too close to your real race that you don't want to risk getting injured. I really think you should let this one pass by.
The 10% "rule" applies to total volume not just a single run, by taking a few days to recover and keeping the pace slow the OP should be ok.
OP....if you decide to do it watch your pace and have fun, it will be good mental prep for the race in March.0 -
How many miles a week have you been running and for how long? If you can run 10 miles, you can likely finish a half marathon, but it might be slow and potentially painful depending on what kind of shape you are in and how old you are. So it just depends on what you are in it for. I personally hate racing unless I am actually well trained for the event, but if you just want to finish and have fun, go for it.
Are you following a basic Hal Higdon type of plan right now?0 -
BrianSharpe wrote: »Don't do it. You are increasing your long run by almost a third. But it's not just about the distance races are hard on the body, your pace is usually faster than what you run while training. It's too close to your real race that you don't want to risk getting injured. I really think you should let this one pass by.
The 10% "rule" applies to total volume not just a single run, by taking a few days to recover and keeping the pace slow the OP should be ok.
OP....if you decide to do it watch your pace and have fun, it will be good mental prep for the race in March.
Also that 10% rule applies less so when the person has already been running a bunch. Sure you don't want to jump from 10 to 20 miles, but just going to 13? That's fine.
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OP, care to check back after the weekend and let us know how it goes?
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Wow, thanks so much for all the feedback!
@MostlyWater - That's my plan - go at a comfortable pace, and finish regardless if it means walking or running through the finish line. I'll focus on my pace more for the 1/2 in March. Thank you!
@dreilingda - I've been running for 10 months and am currently running between 18-24 miles a week. I started out doing c25k, then b210k and am now following the Hal Higdon Novice 2 plan. My long run this Saturday was supposed to be 11 miles (before I decided to do the half).
@SarcasmIsMyLoveLanguage - I absolutely will!0 -
Then you are good to go. That mileage should get you across the finish line easily. After your March HM, if you want to continue running, I would suggest you focus on base building up to 30-40 miles a week and mix in some mild speed work. I would also recommend the book "Hansons Marathon Method". Even if you don't want to run a marathon, it has a lot of great information about training physiology and plans. Cheers and good luck!0
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It's a really good time to work on nutrition and liquids before your goal race. Try to eat and drink something every 30-45 minutes. Many people use the gels. Try drinking water or electrolyte drink and see what works for you. Some people use salt tablets that you can find at running stores.0
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@dreilingda - Thank you! There's actually a full marathon I'm (very loosely) considering on June 18th. I'm going to see how the half goes in March and then decide if a full is something I want to do (and if I think that will give me enough time to train for it). Thanks for the recommendation!
@rmdaly - I have gels and am definitely using Saturday to practice drinking and/or using nutrition so I won't have any surprises come March. I've tested the gels already to make sure they won't cause GI distress if I find I need to use them. Thanks for the tips.0 -
Somebody_Loved wrote: »@Aed0416 - I hear what you're saying. I'm going to treat it as a training run and be sure to run a very comfortable pace. It's a really informal race - no bibs, no chips, and only 150 people, so I don't think I'll be tempted to run race pace. Thanks for the feedback!
This is what I was going to suggest, although it's really hard not to run too fast in a race if it's your first time and you get caught up in the excitement.
Back in '14 I did my first half marathon in forever after only doing 10 miles -- I'd intended to do a full 13 or 14 in advance but my training got pushed back due to an injury -- and it was fine. I just took it slow and aimed to finish.0 -
Do you currently run alone? Running in a group is much easier. Get it right and they will carry you the extra mileage. The key is knowing your comfortable mins/mile and clicking in with people running the same pace. Check your watch carefully for the first mile and move up or back to fit in.
A half marathon is not an endurance event like the full marathon where the challenge usually comes after 17 miles when the body gets desperate. If you can do 10, you can do 13. Getting that into your head is important. Don't be afraid, just go out and do it! And enjoy it!0 -
I am going to go against the crowd here and say don't do it. Your plan probably has you doing less miles next week and then alternating to more the following week. This is typical and the best way for your body to adjust to the longer distances. Going longer when you should be running less is a good recipe for injury.
I speak from experience unfortunately.0 -
@lemurcat12 - That's good to hear. I'll really focus on taking it slow. The running directions are confusing and the route isn't marked well so I'm thinking I'll need to stop every once in a while and make sure I'm going the right way, anyway.
@brainsys - Yep, I run alone. That's part of the reason I was tempted to do the half this weekend, just so I could be around people. I keep telling myself that I can do it - still working on the mental aspect of it.
@dewd2 - My plan has me doing 22 miles this week and 23 miles next week. Doing the half is only adding 2 extra miles to my weekly mileage so I don't think it's that big of a concern?0 -
My two cents worth:
1. The mental aspect is huge. I really, really wanted to run 13 miles in training before my first half. Got that done, the training run went well, and the last 4 miles of that first half were still a mental challenge. But at least I knew I could go the distance, even though it's different running in a crowd that gets you to run faster than easy.
2. The physical aspect isn't as big a deal. 10 miles is probably enough to prepare you physically. I say "probably," because you said the 10 miles was hard. If the 10 miles was no big deal, I'd say 13.1 is possible. If 10 was hard, 13.1 might be a bit too hard.
3. After my first half, I got a stress fracture. I came back, and only built up to 10 miles the week before my second half. I wouldn't have done a half that soon, except I was salvaging what I could out of a marathon entry fee. I ran that half, didn't run it hard, slowed down at mile 9 for the recovering foot, and it was still a mental challenge for the last 4 miles. Take that example for what you will; it may or may not have anything you can use.
4. One of my running buddies has been doing iron man tris for years. He tells me that taking gels on training runs is important because you're training your body to digest food on the run. The natural impulse of the digestive system, absent such training, is to shut down so more energy can be devoted to running. That only gets you so far, but "so far" might be enough for something as short as a half marathon.
5. The 10% addition rule is a very rough guideline. You need to pay attention to how your body feels to see what works for you. Canned plans can be helpful because they give you a pattern that has been good enough for many runners; but if you happen to need more recovery than the plan calls for, take the recovery. Couch time is No Fun At All.
6. Running easy in a race is a great plan. I've never been able to totally follow that plan. I had planned to run easy for my 2nd half, but ended up running most of it at what I now regard as marathon pace. After a sprained ankle, I planned to run a 10 mile race easy; I ended up accelerating close to marathon pace after mile 7 and finishing with a cosmetic sprint. It's harder than you might think to get yourself to run easy when there are other runners around you.
7. Those last 4 miles weren't a mental challenge for my 3rd and subsequent half marathons. I attribute this to having trained up to 16 miles or more on long training runs by the time I entered my 3rd half marathon. (I trained up to a 22 mile long run before my first marathon, and the last 4 miles of the race were a mental as well as physical challenge; but I don't think I'll go for any 30 mile runs before my 2nd marathon. There are physical limits.)0 -
@SarcasmIsMyLoveLanguage - Update!
Thanks so much to everyone for the words of encouragement and advice leading up to this past weekend! Here's a quick update for anyone who might be interested.
The day was perfect running weather - overcast and a little cool. I was incredibly nervous before the start of the race which led to several anxiety bathroom trips, but once I started running, those urges went away.
The first 9 miles were great. My legs felt good and I was enjoying running in an area I haven't run before. At mile 10, though, I started to feel it and by mile 11, I hit a major wall. I had a gel at mile 10 which didn't help matters - my stomach started acting up really bad even though I had tested the gel before time.
There were strong winds coming off the water and although I knew I could do it physically, the mental challenge of the last two miles were excruciating. I knew I was moving but it felt like I wasn't going anywhere. A little kid was holding a sign right before mile 12 that said, "you're doing great!" and I almost broke down crying.
I can't tell if the last two miles were tough because I was had stomach pain and was physically exhausted from not pacing properly, or if I was mentally exhausted from not going that far before. Maybe a little bit of both.
All that to say, I crossed the finish line to people cheering and clapping and that feeling was absolutely incredible. I finished with a time of 2:09:18 and am so looking forward to my next half in March.
I keep thinking where I want to go from here in terms of training. There is a marathon on June 18th that I'd really love to do, but I'm not sure if that's too soon... maybe I'm feeling impulsive from my half marathon high. Any thoughts?
Thanks again to everyone who gave me feedback last week - it helped tremendously!0 -
I would run it, slow and steady0
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