1st half marathon in Nov - should I?
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jocamaria
Posts: 25 Member
I'm trying to decide if I should run my first half in November. I'm up to 5 miles and have been running since March. I've run in two 5Ks and I'm scheduled to run a 10K in October. It looks like I'd have 15 weeks to train. I'm wondering how long other people had been running for before doing their first half.
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Replies
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Yes go for it. If you comfortable with the 10k you are ready. Just a finish even if you walk some it is an accomplishment. November is a nice time to run. I say do it. Enjoy.
Succefully
Patsy
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I started running last year.
did my first fun run this year and it was 5.2km. In (end) May I did 11.5km, and 15th July I did my 1st half marathon.
I had been increasing my distance from 5km to 10km to half marathon obviously slowly. You'll be able to go from 10km to 21.1 in 15 weeks no worries. Just include speedwork, tempo runs and you'll be right.
I use the runnersworld app to workout my program, I totally love it.0 -
My standard answer for everything is, "Go for it!" You can't do it if you don't try.
There are "Obviously..." comments that need to be made:
** You gotta keep getting those runs longer through the summer. 5mile long runs won't cut it come race day. You should be able to get in at least a couple 10milers before race day.
** Don't be afraid of setbacks as you train. They're not telling you you're failing. They're telling you you've got a great chance for improving in another day or two. Although setbacks may feel like failures, they're actually opportunities for improvement. Capitalize on them.
** Stay off the injured list. No dumb stuff. Only smart training.
** At some point in time, you're going to have to include nutrition and hydration in your training rituals. Work them out as soon as possible, so you can train with them.
** A local dedicated running store is jam packed with the best friends you'll ever have (till race day, anyway). Visit it often. Get to know the staff. Pepper them with questions.
** Enjoy the process. If you don't enjoy yourself, you won't do it. Or, at least, you won't do it well. Make sure it stays fun, and you will succeed beyond your imagination.
I hope this helps.0 -
Thanks everyone. I'm going to sign up for the race. I figure if I don't do it, I'll always wonder if I should have. It will force me to begin doing longer runs. It's crazy, if you had asked me in March if I would ever run a half I would have laughed and said "Never". Now I love seeing how far I can actually go.0
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Good for you!!!! Definitely go for it. It actually took me three years to work up from 5k to half marathon; I just didn't have the confidence in myself. You've got plenty of time to train, and anytime you think about something more than once, it's probably a sign that you should do it. You don't want to be thinking "what if..." later on.0
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I am!0
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Absolutely, it is totaly feasable. I was there about 2 years ago. only could run 5 miles. Then i dedicated myself to a half marathon and trained in 2 months. You got this! Happy running!0
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you can do it! I was around your level and trained for my first half in 8 weeks (wished I had 10-12 though), and made it! I was very committed to my training plan though.0
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Thanks everyone. I've signed up for the run, so now I just have to train.0
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Definitely - you have plenty of time to train! Just make sure you stick to your program and don't ever skip your long runs as they are the most important part of training. I trained for a half marathon in 3 months and did fine! You'll do great
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I think you can do it! 5mi is a great base. I am similar, I can do up to 6mi. I just started training for a half 3 months away. I plan to follow this program:
http://www.halhigdon.com/training/51131/Half-Marathon-Novice-1-Training-Program0 -
It's all about having the right mindset and wanting it, to be honest. It took me 6 months to get started with running and finally run a 5K.... Once I had that down, my confidence boosted and within about 16 weeks I was up to 10 miles.
It's easy to stick to the same old training runs, the same distances, and not make much progress. Pushing yourself a little bit more each time (smart training - nothing that will result in injury of course) and really dedicating yourself to increasing your endurance and mileage will yield awesome results faster than you anticipate.
If you're comfortable running 10K, 12-16 weeks should be more than enough time to prep for a 1/2 Marathon. Will you win it? No. But if you goal is to finish it and make the most of the experience, I'd say what have you got to lose?0 -
Do it... Do it... Do it!!!
That's plenty of time!!0 -
I agree with the previous post about Hal Higdon's training plan. I loosely followed his and have now completed 4 half marathons, I full, and am now training for my second full. The half marathons are a lot of fun and the feeling you get crossing the finish line is awesome. Higdon's training plans work and they don't require a ridiculous amount of training.0
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DITTO the advice quoted below
Also training plans are readily available online or from the Library. 15 weeks is plenty of time! Add a mile a week until you get to 10, then alternate 10-7-11-7-12-7-Race Day!My standard answer for everything is, "Go for it!" You can't do it if you don't try.
There are "Obviously..." comments that need to be made:
** You gotta keep getting those runs longer through the summer. 5mile long runs won't cut it come race day. You should be able to get in at least a couple 10milers before race day.
** Don't be afraid of setbacks as you train. They're not telling you you're failing. They're telling you you've got a great chance for improving in another day or two. Although setbacks may feel like failures, they're actually opportunities for improvement. Capitalize on them.
** Stay off the injured list. No dumb stuff. Only smart training.
** At some point in time, you're going to have to include nutrition and hydration in your training rituals. Work them out as soon as possible, so you can train with them.
** A local dedicated running store is jam packed with the best friends you'll ever have (till race day, anyway). Visit it often. Get to know the staff. Pepper them with questions.
** Enjoy the process. If you don't enjoy yourself, you won't do it. Or, at least, you won't do it well. Make sure it stays fun, and you will succeed beyond your imagination.
I hope this helps.0
