To ask you to talk to me about all things half marathon training?

[letsdothisshit]

Signed up to run the Bath Half next year when I can currently only do a 46 minute 5k 🤣

I start a runna training block tomorrow which takes me up to a holiday I have booked in November, and then the day after I get home from that trip I enter a dedicated Bath Half training block.

Now I’m doing it I feel very out of my depth. All I see on social media is people taking gels and sweets and all the rest and I have no idea what I’m meant to do 🤣 any help welcome!

First of all, congratulations!
I went from couch to marathon a few years ago. First bit of advice would be once you've completed your half, is to keep up with smaller runs. I stopped completely and really regret it. I'd done all the hard work, and it just went to waste.
Secondly, is to consider something called Jeffing. This made such a difference to me. It's a run walk plan. I completed London Marathon by alternating between running for 30 seconds, then walking for 30 seconds. Rinse and repeat! You may find a different ratio works for you, but it gets you round while hopefully limiting injury. Good luck!

Sorry, one last thing! Finish lines, not finish times. It's your first major run, so you'll be getting a PB no matter what. Try not to fall into the trap of wanting to finish within a certain time.

Oh the run walk WILL be coming out 🤣 I can’t imagine not walking!

If you can, join a running club. There will be lots of people there who can advise you, many of whom will have started out in the same way. Also it makes the long runs much easier and helps build routine. Good luck!

I definitely think that when my confidence is up a little, I’ll join one! Probably for the winter when I need the motivation

Does anyone have any tips? Heading on my first run tonight

Good luck!! Will be watching with interest as I am booked for the great north run in September! Which would have been ok except I haven’t done hardly anything since Christmas and I’m doubting if I can do it…

well done for signing up for a half marathon. When I first did one I was worried as my plan only took me to about 10 miles and I was so worried about the extra 3! But the adrenaline will carry you through.
My top tip would be to make sure you practice your fuelling on training ones and my favourite mantra 'nothing new on race day!'

Just take it steady, if I were starting again i'd be telling myself not to worry about pace or distance. its about getting used to time on your feet.

Build your distance up slowly, as has already been said get used to time on your feet and don’t worry about pace for now. A good way to increase your distance is running to time not distance, so aim to do 10 minutes longer on your long run every week but don’t worry how far you’re going. Once you get to around 10k or more you need to start thinking about taking a drink or some fuel out with you, gels are ok but something like Kendal mint cake can work well as well, it’s a bit trial and error.

Runna is really good but just watch the mileage doesn’t ramp up too quickly, there are some settings that control how aggressively it progresses and the top one can go big! I’ve used Runna for the last 6 months and really rate it.

Fuelling is something I really don’t understand! When and how do you start?

When you start to feel like you need it on longer runs. For me that is about 8k+ or about 45 minutes into a long run.

I use gels (the kendal mint company ones are marginally less horrible than many) but you might find real food works better for you, or a sports drink. Fuelling just means food/energy to keep going.

Don't worry about it for now, just build your fitness up slowly with run / walk and drink water.

When you are doing longer times and distances then start to think about getting fuel in!

Also it's quite personal based on what you can stomach and what you feel you need.
I tend to start taking gels at about 45 mins then every 30 mins thereafter. But if you feel sick might want fewer or tired/shaky more.

I do it by feel and what works for me rather than anything too hard and fast.

Definitely join a running club. Mine is very inclusive of all types of runners. Try to find one like that - there are lots with slower paces, or that run things like couch to 5k programmes

Another one here that went from couch to marathon in 6 months (also signed up to Bath Half next year, it’s a really good race with lots of support!).

Basics first: Properly fitted (in a specialist shop!) running shoes. So important for not getting injured!

Properly fitted sports bra will also make it much more enjoyable.

Then don’t build up too fast- a few weeks out injured will set you back a lot more than building up slowly- general rule is 10-20% increase per week max!

I like the Runna plans but they can be quite ambitious- if it feels a lot, go into the settings and bring down the mileage/difficulty/intensity. Again, better to go slow than get injured!

If you’re out of breath and can’t hold a conversation when the pace says “easy”, you’re going too fast! This will probably mean shuffling along at a much slower pace than you think, but this builds your base fitness without overloading you and allows you to increase the distance. Runna will give you good guidance on starting to run faster at the right time.

Leave fuelling til later! You won’t need it until you start to run 60-90 mins and above but essentially what it means is that your body’s glycogen stores deplete after such a long period of exercise and you need to fuel on the run to keep them up. You can use specialist gels and sports products but I prefer real food- things with high carb content such as Squares/Soreen and just Haribo. There is lots of guidance out there about how much you will need that can be a bit overwhelming but start small. Fuelling on the run is an art and you need to train your stomach or it can cause 🤢 💩 issues. Basically start with some small things on the run, make a note of what your body digests well and what it doesn’t and increase from
there along with your training. Depending on what time/distance you are aiming for, you might not need to worry about this until your November training block- I generally only start fuelling when I’m running over 9 miles on a run, but that’s personal preference!

Definitely take it steady and like a PP said, build time on your feet and don't worry about distance. A half is a great challenge as it's long, but a manageable distance even if you walk a lot of it. You should be running slowly on your long runs initially, so that you can still have a sort of conversation. If you're struggling to speak, it's too fast.

Shorter runs can be quicker to build speed but long runs should be slow. You don't need to do more than about 10 miles on your longest run as the excitement and adrenaline on the day will see you through the rest.

Varying your long runs makes it more fun. Back in the day, I used to run in London and take my oyster card so I didnt have to run home and could just run wherever I liked then get the tube home. Obviously stood in the corner away from everyone with my stinking sweaty body!

After I moved to the Middle East, joining a running club was amazing as I pushed myself much harder and being with a group really helped when the exhaustion kicks in.

Good luck and enjoy the journey!

Love your enthusiasm! I'm currently a lapsed runner (your post is inspiring me!) but have run a few half marathons.

First of all - don't worry about fueling and hydration beyond carrying water and having a drink when you are thirsty. You don't need to be worrying about anything else for jogging a few times a week.
You can also run half marathon distance without extra fueling during the run - it's totally a choice.
Of course, you might want to look at your diet as part of your general health kick but it's not necessary to get hung up on it.

4km easy run done. I didn’t expect to find it that easy!

Well done! You’ve got plenty of time which is nice because you can really get used to working out how you run and what feels good for you.
I’d suggest a decent pair of leggings/shorts (don’t be self conscious of shorts, nobody is looking at your legs). It’s so annoying if you have bottoms that either drop down at the waist or get pulled down by your calves (like mine as they’re chunky). I also love having some with plenty of pockets so I can keep my phone in pocket plus EarPods if I feel I want to to take them out - sometimes I feel more safe running certain areas without music, etc, tissues as I get snotty and a gel if I’m doing a long run. comfort is absolutely essential. As PP said a decent pair of shoes and bra are also a must.

In terms of fuelling, i personally feel a lot of people overdo it. Fuel up well before you run (but not straight before), but keep it simple. I find a couple of bits of toast work for me ahead of a long run. If I’m doing 10k or more I might take a gel, but whether I use it depends on how I feel. I’ll often take a running water bottle on a long or hot run but that’s it.

I don’t know your age, but one thing women have to remember is our cycle can have a huge impact on our bodies in all sorts of ways. You might find you really struggle on an “easy” run and I find that infuriating even though I know why it is. Just don’t let that put you off, if you have a “bad” run, just know the next one will always be better.

Well done getting out there. The feeling of pride when you cross the finish line is unbeatable!