Training for a half marathon in October- help / advice / tip

Hiya,

I ran the bristol half marathon in Sept 2011 and only did one 10k training run and a 6k run. I managed to do 10 miles straight without stopping. I amazed myself. I did it in 2hr 23 mins


Since doing that I have now qualified as a personal trainer and my advice is practice running distances. Are you doing it on a treadmill? if so set it to a distance instead of a time if you have that setting. Or say to yourself.. today I am going to run 6k and just run it and see how long it takes you. I would get your distance practice up before your speed. Once you are able to run 8 miles, then I would start looking at speed and say 'today I aim to run 6k in so many minutes. (i've put everything in K's because the equipement at most gyms is in K's)

I'm training for the bristol half again this year. I'm actually going to train this time. I'm currently doing 3k in 20 mins, which is about 2.2 miles. so i'm just under a 10 min mile. I want to finish it in 2 hours this year, so lots of hard work to do.

Good luck and feel free to add me

I would also get map my run app on your phone. it follows you on gps and tells you how far you ran and everything. i love it.

Also, as soon as it's a nice day, get out there and road run, indoor running is completely different and road running is more strenuous and you use different muscles. you ache in strange places. In the 3 month running up to a 13 mile race, do a lot of road running. except for the week before the race, only do 1 run.

I'm contemplating the great north as well. but it's 2 weeks before the bristol so it may be a bit much.

I'm doing the bristol 10k in may
the cancer research 10k race for life in july
1/2 marathon sept.

Have a look at this page - follow the links (at the bottom of the article) to the training programs. You have plenty of time so I suggest you try for a 10 K race in June/July then judge if you want to do the beginner or the intermediate program.

http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_4/144.shtml

I started from running 5Ks in January last year and ran my quickest half in 1h40mins in Nov/Dec.. 1 week later I did another half, a couple of minutes slower but in much tougher conditions. You'll be amazed what your body is capable of!

Oh yes, tips:

1) Join a club, running with other people is fun
2) Run outside - even in the cold and wet its nicer (But I don't like running in the dark so its tread mills for me some of the time too)
3) Cross train - The best runners I know are all cyclists too... They will do a long run on Saturday and a long bike ride on Sunday. This allows your muscles to recover whilst still building your endurance stamina.
4) Sign up to several milestone events in the year. They're fun and they give you focus

have a look at parkrun.org.uk

"parkrun organise free, weekly, 5km timed runs around the world. They are open to everyone, free, and are safe and easy to take part in."

it doesnt matter how fast you are as there is always a volunteer back runner so you will never be last!

it's free, friendly, gets you out of bed on a saturday and gives you race practice.

I wish i had gone when i started running rather than waiting till i was sure that i could comfortably do it.

I've gone from 118 to 78 kg in 18 months by running.

happy running

www.runnersworld.com has a free program called Smart Coach. All you have to do is register on the website (it's free), and then you can customize a plan depending on

a) how long a training time frame you have/want
b) your goal time
c) how hard and frequently you want to train

It also suggests days to cross train/rest, and each week you'll do a variety of easy runs, tempo or speedwork, and a long run.

I've used this program for all of my half marathons and love it! It estimates your finish time quite accurately too.

Congrats on taking the step to accomplishing a half - you'll love it!

Fantastic tips, thanks so much! I am hoping to do a couple of 10K's and contemplating a half marathon this year..... Thinking about towards the end of the year, it's my birthday in September, I thought I'd be a nice treat :happy:

Edited to add: Sent a few friend requests, feel free to add me too

there are many programs out there for runners of all types to get them trained for a half marathon. find one that fits into your schedule and do it. don't be afraid to modify it a little, because remember, the plans are generic and made to be adjusted for real life.

pay attention to the plans limitations on milage and distance. don't go over them just because you are "in the zone" or something. this is a great way to over exert yourself and limit your progress. most endurance athletes that are training for something like this only increase their distance something like 10% a week.

i recommend that you do go outside to train as much as possible, but if the weather is keeping you inside for the moment, that is ok too. crosstrain by swimming or cycling once every seven to ten days, and don't neglect strength. you should try and do two full body strength work outs a week, doing a combination of legs, chest and arms, and core. deadlifts and squats will help your strong leg muscles push you further and longer, and your arms and chest help with the forward motion needed for running, and core well, helps keep you balanced. there is a saying in track: "you can only run as fast as you can pump your arms."

You have gotten a lot of great information from others. The only thing I would add if it hasn't already been said, is proper nutrition and hydration on longer runs. Taking something to eat 60-90 minutes into your longer runs will help sustain you until the end. There are many options out there. I choose sport gels and in particular Hammer products. But try different things on your training runs to find what works best with your digestive system.

It sounds like you have already developed a solid running base...just find a plan (lots of websites noted in other posts) and train!

ENJOY!

I like Hal Higdon's plans, and you're definitely running long enough to jump into one of the novice ones, if not now then by spring. Or start now and repeat the middle bit to get really comfy:
http://www.halhigdon.com/training/51130/Half-Marathon-Training-Guide

You might want to consider a run/walk technique, such as run four minutes, walk one and repeat. Runners of all abilities can actually go faster this way than trying to run all the way! Here are Jell Galloway's tips and recommended ratios. Despite being slower, 4/1 works for me.
http://www.jeffgalloway.com/training/walk_breaks.html

If you don't have fancy GPS tech, use a phone app like Cardiotrainer or Runkeeper to measure your distance. Plan your route ahead of time using MapMyRun, but ideally run in a series of different loops so you're never super far from home if it all goes horribly wrong.

Just one word or warning, I heard bad things about the organisation of Run To The Beat last year. Check online reviews, including in Runner's World, and maybe adjust your plans for getting there and nutrition (carrying gels etc.) accordingly. I've also heard it's hilly, so make sure you incorporate some hills in your training. Good luck, and add me as a friend if you like!

Fantastic advice from everyone - Ive signed up for my first half marathon in May so Im finding this really useful too. FR sent in case you want to swap tips/advice xx

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