First Half Marathon Tips

I have so many lovely new running friends that are running their first half marathons this spring. There is nothing that gets me more excited than chatting with a new runner set to embark on training for a new challenge. I don't know how many yoga classes after group runs were started a minute or two late this spring because I got caught up talking to someone about their training.

When I say that I love it, I'm not even joking.

Here is some advice that I've given my new running friends:

Have fun. Both in training and on race day. That's why we do this right? There are a million races in the future that can be serious and focused and insanely hard training and effort, but you only get one stab at your first half, and to me it's more important to have fun putting in the training and completing the distance than getting wrapped up in a goal time.

Treat your long runs as practice for race day. Practice what you eat for breakfast, practice what you eat the night before your long run, experiment with clothing options to see what rubs and chafes and what will cause you to overheat, experiment with different fueling options. Most people have at least 12 weekends of long runs, so use those long runs not only to increase your distance to get you closer to 13.1 but also practicing your fueling to make those miles as enjoyable as possible.

Find some buddies to train with. I have never been someone to enjoy running with other people. Until this last year, and I seriously didn't understand what I was missing out on! Find someone faster to tag along with on your speedier days, find someone who's just starting to work toward a 5k or 10k for your easy days, and find an array of folks to join you for your long runs. Even having an extra body run with you for half of a long run makes all the difference.

















Pinch the cup when you drink it. One of the best pieces of advice I ever got when I first started running. It helps you to drink without swallowing a bunch of air. Seriously. Genius.

What else am I missing?

What is something you learned the hard way that you wish someone had told you??

Advice for New Runners

I have ran a lot of races. Tons of track races in junior high and high school, loads of road races over the past twelve years including seven marathons and thirty half marathons. I am far from being the fastest, and I'm not the slowest, but I have learned a lot over the years. I love being a student, so I've learned a lot through experience and even more through countless books that I've read. I love connecting with new runners and being a resource for them to answer questions that they have. I have compiled a list of common questions and their answers in this post!

Q: What do I wear?
A: A good pair of running shoes. This is truly the only thing you *need*. I spent years running, racing, and training in cotton shirts and I lived to tell about it. I only trained in giant basketball shorts in high school. And the only way I tracked time and data was to check the clock before I left and when I came home, and driving a route to see how far it was. There is so much other stuff that is fun to have. But nothing else that you truly NEED.

Q: How can I expect to get faster if I don't run every run "fast"?
A: Just by running, you get faster. If you run every run *fast* your body will be so fatigued and run down that you'll actually slow down your progress and speed in the long run. My first three half marathons (and countless 5ks) I did the method of running every run as fast as I could and then couldn't understand why my race times sucked so bad. Now I know! I like the hard-easy-hard-easy plan where every run toggles back and forth from easy to hard. Long run=hard, speedier run=hard, sandwiching easy 2-4 mile runs in between those hard runs help you recover while still building up your mileage.

Q: What do I do on race day?
A: Exactly what you do on long run day. I see long runs as dress rehearsal for race day. Finding out what I can wear without chafing. Finding out what I can eat without an upset stomach. Finding out what I can eat the night before that sits well in my stomach. Finding out my morning bathroom routine. Finding out what fuel I can take on the run that will give me energy without giving me the poops. :)
During every training cycle, I try to have one long run that's as close to a race day dress rehearsal as I can. If I'm doing a half marathon race, I'll do it on a day that I have 13 miles on the training program (or maybe the longest long run in a cycle if you're peaking at 10 or 12 miles). I plan to start my run at the time the race starts. I do everything just like I would for race day. Outfit, breakfast, wake up time, fueling strategy. This gives me another chance to tweak anything before race day.