Half marathon runners?

Steen_bean
Steen_bean Posts: 33 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I am just curious who has done a half marthon? How long you did it in? Any very important information for me? What should I have for breakfast? How should I be training? Where can I find good information? etc etc

Anything. Im new to this whole kinda running stuff and in my city they had this 8 week course thing where you learnt all the vital information but I work that night and I am really quite guttered I couldnt go.

Replies

  • razors_girl23
    razors_girl23 Posts: 32 Member
    I am running my first half on Sunday. My training has been surprisingly easy. I use Jeff Galloway's run/walk method. I highly recommend visiting his site, even if you don't want to do run/walk as he has a training program up on there. I modified it slightly (I don't like to do a run longer than the race during training - makes the race less special), but it has worked fantastically for me.
  • sbedwards1077
    sbedwards1077 Posts: 32 Member
    I have ran 6 half marathons. My first half I ran in 2 hours 39 mins. My fastest time is 2 hours 3 mins. When I am training I run 3 days a week for about an hour and have one day for my longer runs. I weight train 2-3 days per week also. I track my miles per week on a running log app on my phone.

    The best thing I did was to find a training partner.

    Good Luck!!!
  • madmickie
    madmickie Posts: 221 Member
    Very important information: doing the training - You;ll find plenty of training programmes online. What you need will depend on yoru current level and what your targets are. You will be wanting to be able to run beyond 13 miles in your training.

    Times: I havent run a HM race yet but have ran the distance in 2:15 in training. Superfast people will be running a HM in 70 mins - Good club runners will be around 90-100 mins - a regular recreational runner just around 2 hours +/- 15 mins.

    Food: If you have done the required training then what you will know what you need to keep you going. Eat as normal and be well-rested.
  • seekingstrengthX2
    seekingstrengthX2 Posts: 771
    I just finished my first half in April.

    I only ran once a week (on the weekend). I did cross training 4 other days (elliptical, bike, strength training).

    My time was 2 hours and 15 minutes.

    My longest pre-race run was 11.5 miles.

    My breakfast was a banana, 1/2 cup of Bob's Red Mill granola, 1/2 cup of cheerios and a diet pepsi. :)

    If you have any specific questions, holler!
  • therealangd
    therealangd Posts: 1,861 Member
    I raced my first half in May. I followed the Runnersworld training program.

    I completed it in 2:45

    My breakfast was coffee, water, a couple of bananas.
  • cvance3
    cvance3 Posts: 64
    Yay! So many runners! I'm training for a full marathon, but I haven't crossed the half marathon bridge yet!

    I have a running buddy that I met up with every morning before work (she's also marathon training) We run 3 times a week, for anything between 30 - 60 minutes (I'm modifying the Galloway program) - I run my distance on the weekends with my fiance (also training!). She's a great source of encouragement for me and I'd highly recommend training with someone!

    Something that I'm starting to look into is the running gels - My buddy has used them before and she says that they are a real benefit. For a half-marathon, you'd probably want one about half way through and then another one or two on-hand just in case you need the boost.

    The night before my races, I usually have a dinner of protein and carbs so that I've got that energy to start with - Morning of, usually a banana and some water/gatorade.

    I'm interested in hearing how others do their routines - this is the furthest that I've ever run/trained for!
  • little_princess
    little_princess Posts: 48 Member
    Hi! I just ran my first half marathon on Saturday with a time of 1 hour 59 min!!

    I ate porridge(oatmeal) for breakfast 2.5 hours before, and I had 1.5 powerbars an hour before. I also ran with a water bottle, and I had 3 gels during my race.

    I *tried * to run 4-5 times a week, but I have a 1.5 year old and my hubby was deployed, so it was hard to fit it in! I usually managed at least 3 times per week. I started running the very last week of April.

    I increased my mileage for my long run every week, and the last two weeks before, I only ran three times, as I had/have a sore knee!

    Find a running buddy if you can! We ran the race together, and we both ran about 30 min faster than what our original goals were!! If you have any questions, give me a shout!! Good luck!!xx
  • little_princess
    little_princess Posts: 48 Member
    Also, make sure you show up in advace!! We were late, and I didn't get a proper warm up or stretch before lol. I just barely had time to attach my chip and number lol x
  • meganmorsey
    meganmorsey Posts: 75
    Hi there! I'm training for my first half marathon. It's a 12 week plan and I'm on week 3. The half is on September 2. I've done several 5k and one 8k since last October, so I've already been running shorter distances fairly regularly. I'm following Hal Higdon's Novice 1 training plan. You can find it by googling Hal Higdon.

    If you haven't been running regularly, the one I'm doing might not be there best since it assumes you can already do 3 miles. The best thing is to find a good training plan that suits you and just get out there!

    I am a slow runner. My typical pace for training runs is 12 min/mile. When I do shorter races, it's closer to 11 min/mile. My running goal is always to keep running and finish, not to go fast :). I'm hoping to finish the half in 2:30 to 2:45.

    I eat a banana and drink water before I go for my run right now, then eat more when I get home. However, I may need to eat a little more when I increase my mileage or eat something during my run.

    Get out there and have fun! I love running :)
  • katapple
    katapple Posts: 1,108 Member
    Good luck training for your first half! I love Hal Higdon training plans, he has several ranging from the novice to the advanced. I never followed his plans to a T, but they are a great starting point.

    I have run 3, first in 2:25; second in 2:19; and third 2:05. I have two more to complete in the fall!

    I like a half bagel with PB about an hour before. Test out different kinds of fuel in your training runs, and when it feels best to take them. For me it's around 6 miles. You don't want to wait too long or wait until you feel like you need it, because by then, it's too late.

    It's a lot of trial and error to find what works for YOU. What works for me, probably won't work for every one else.
  • Steen_bean
    Steen_bean Posts: 33 Member
    Thank you all for your messages. They are all very helpful and its awesome to see how many people have completed them.
    I have my first 10km this weekend so Im hoping to do alright at that and hopefully the weather is alright. These weather warnings scare me a little bit.
    Thank you

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