Anyone has done a Half Marathon race before?
I have one coming up in October (Brookyln Rock n' Roll Half)
I have been doing 5 mile runs 4 times a week and will up it maybe in the 6-7th week training. The most I have ever done is a 5 mile race. Any suggestions? (eating, training, form, strategies, etc)
mattshaw78 wrote:Anyone has done a Half Marathon race before?
I have one coming up in October (Brookyln Rock n' Roll Half)
I have been doing 5 mile runs 4 times a week and will up it maybe in the 6-7th week training. The most I have ever done is a 5 mile race. Any suggestions? (eating, training, form, strategies, etc)
Stay on track with what you are doing but add a once a week long run 8-12 miles. You'll be fine.
Ive done 2 marathons and 7 half marathons and dozens of other shorter races. I started as a beginner runner and painfully slow, but by the end I was firmly at least in the middle of the pack of every race I was doing.
First off you only need to run 3, maybe 4 times per week. Don't over do it. Instead of doing the same run over and over, your mid week runs should be shorter, interval or tempo type runs. Challenge your heart rate a bit. Go 4 mins at a comfortable pace, 6 mins at a harder pace. Then when comfortable change that to a 3/7. Repeat that interval 3-4 times.
On the days you are not running I'd take a couple of days a week and work on your core. Start by holding planks - work your way up to at least 60 seconds and see if you can go any longer. Do some body weight squats and some lunges to strengthen your legs. Core is so important because a strong core means better form, less wasted motion and a more efficient run for a long run.
On saturday mornings every week do a long run. Start with your 5 miles and then add a 1/2 mile to a mile every week. 2-3 weeks before the race you should have reached 11-12 miles. You don't have to go longer than that. Its as much time on your feet as distance so another way to think about it is if you can run for 50 mins or so- try to add 10% more time the next week. Go 55 mins, than 61, 66, 73 etc. Gradually add more every week.
Make sure for the longer distance you start getting nutrition. Something like an energy gu or gel. You need to replace energy every 45-60 mins or so. To be mentally prepared enter a couple local 10K or 5 mi type of races before the big day. You need to understand running in a crowd, waiting in a corral. Just have to feel like you are ready for a race condition. If you've never raced you might freak out come race day because it can be overwhelming given you're probably putting some pressure on yourself to do well.
Some basic tips, but hopefully that helps. Everyone has the ability to run a half marathon. We all can push ourselves to that distance if we are strong enough mentally. The difference is you definitely want to feel like you did your best out there, so take the race seriously and put the work in and I'm sure you will have a blast and want to continue running. Its addicting.
