Half marathon with no training

[sunallsummer]

Probably a stupid question sorry but I’m not a runner so have no idea!

DH impulsively signed up to do a half marathon in 2 weeks and has done zero training for it. He’s slim and has normal fitness I would say but definitely not a runner and previously did a 5km and completed it but struggled

I know it’s his choice and he’s an adult to it’s up to him, but I’m just a bit worried about the idea of him running 21km with little to no training. I’m just not sure if I’m just being overly anxious but it seems so far to my non runner brain! Having said that, I know people do 10km without any real training and it’s fine, has anyone ever done a half marathon without any training and did it go ok?!

My concern is when he puts his mind to something he can be very stubborn and competitive so I think when the run starts he’ll actually go much faster than he should and it’s not like he’ll accept he’s not trained and take it at a slower pace. His plan was to drink a few coffee and get some pre workout for it and frankly I’m worried he ends up unwell after it

If anyone who knows anything about running can put my mind at rest and reassure me that I’m being silly and dramatic and he’ll be fine (other than a normal amount of tiredness afterwards) I’d really appreciate it!

It's worth checking if there is a time cut off. Road closures may end (if it's a big HM with road closures that is) and marshals will stand down.
It's likely to be a smaller HM if he managed to get a place just 2 weeks before the event.
People can still complete the event after a time cut off on the understanding there are no marshals, but (as we all keep saying)...what's the point?

Just let him realise himself that he’s stupid!

I did a half marathon last Sunday and there were a few men like your husband. Hopefully he can finish in the time frame and doesn't end up injured like they did. Make sure he warms up his hips before he starts and all he gets is sore feet and legs. I did run past a guy last Sunday who had shooting pains up his thighs at the halfway mark. He told his mate he would rather be injured than not finish.

I have run 3 HMs. My fastest 5k is about 32 mins and my fastest HM was 2:40. I ran this aged 38 and trained for about 3 months (2-3 runs a week including one long run, and cycling). I was already running 5k 3x a week before starting training. I’m quite overweight, so didn’t have a good base fitness. But I’m concerned his 5k time suggests he doesn’t have much base fitness either.

If his ego can cope with a bit of walking he will be fine. He is very unlikely to manage sub 2 and if he did manage there would be a higher risk of injury. I’d suggest he books a day off work the day after to recover and is open minded about his time, listen to his body on the day.

I’d ditch the coffee idea and stick to water/sports drinks and jelly babies, being able to chew/not choke can be surprisingly difficult if you don’t want to stop to eat so he should practice this. He should also be finding out how his stomach will react. For 13 miles with no experience he will probably want to fuel little and fairly often. Maybe every 5km. Stomach issues are very real for runners. After my 3rd HM I stupidly drank the smoothie thing they put in the goody bag at the end. It went literally right through me and I was stuck in a portaloo for the next hour unable to leave without shitting myself.

I’d suggest he attempts a very slow (ie much slower than his dreamed off race pace) 6 mile and 10 mile run, spaced out by several days, and ideally with at least a week left before the HM day. Then I’d do a couple of gentle 5ks the week leading up to the race.

Personally I wouldn’t run a HM in August at all, the heat is a real risk. Get excellent sun cream and plan for lots of hydration. Can he run with a bladder or similar? Again, little and often. A cap or visor too.

overall I actually think it’s just really lame and arrogant to try and run a HM with literally no training. He might be fine, he might even do well. But the work of a HM or marathon is the training. It’s putting in the miles, learning how to optimise your performance. Someone said to me the race is just the victory lap and I agree. The achievement includes everything that leads up to the day.

Has he been and bought brand new running shoes for the occasion as well OP? I’d suggest stocking your cupboards with blister plasters and ice packs for the aftermath…

He’s delusional but he’ll discover that for himself!

He should definitely think about his shoes, and socks. If he has brand new running shoes he needs to practice with them beforehand. I like these socks to help prevent blisters https://www.ronhill.com/collections/hilly-twin-skin?srsltid=AfmBOorEV5vx4iv2LgLa0SeZqNqFPxxQX8E8bAJokLM4eu_lZdr7Nbs9

Please come back to let us know how it goes, I really want to know!!

This reminds me of that questionnaire where 50% of men thought they could win a fist fight with a grizzly bear. They don't live in the real world!

Please update us after the race OP

Im not a serious runner but DH is and based on what I’ve seen him do re training and planning ahead, I think yiur DH is delusional!

Was it a bet???? What on earth made him sign up?

Its actually really dangerous to drink too much water

That's the mistake beginners make, they drink way too much water during the actual races.

You don't wait until the starting line to start drinking and you don't need to down 1liter of water because you are a bit sweaty.

Twisted ankle or twisted knee at mile 3.5, while he was ahead on time for his target, blaming the road condition and leaving with his head high because do you know how fast he would have finished without his injury 😂😂

Injury which will not require medical treatment obviously

Some people can run a half marathon with no training.

Most can't.

It's not going to kill him to try.

Pre and during race nutrition is often different for different people and you usually have a period of weeks to see what works best.

Another pp runner here says she would eat eggs for breakfast for example, that doesnt work for me at all and I normally have cornflakes and milk. Other friends run fasted, some cant deal with milk, and have a bagel. All of us are seasoned runners but have found out by trial and error what works...and more critically what doesnt!!

Similarly I would take a gel at around 8 miles during a half marathon....but i had to try several brands before I found what is palatable for me. Other people dont use gels. If its going to be hot, water will be the most important thing and there will be water stations along the course. But hydrate well the day before as well

Sounds entirely plausible, and on no training may even be true 😄

@ThisSereneGoose absolutely right, which it is why it is important to practice hydration in training.

He will be fine. He will either run/walk his way through it or tap out. I think someone who can't run a 5km comfortably isn't really fit at all. It may even humble him a little?

It is thought this is part of the reason women have lower DNF rates in ultramarathons. Men tend to over estimate their abilities.

How old is he? I have run a few half marathons. They are quite hard work. It is possible for someone without training to finish one and I have often seen this. However, they struggle and will walk a lot of the way. My slight concern is the weather. If in two weeks it gets really hot again and he has had no training and runs in the heat I would be a little bit worried.

Doing a half marathon in the heat of summer with no training fuelled by coffee to get a faster time is madness. During a local half marathon in May there were more people collapsed along the final stretch than there were first aiders to look after them. If your DH is reasonably fit and takes his time he should be fine, but running full pelt on no training is irresponsible.

I signed up for a 10 mile run when the most I had ever run was about 5 miles. I managed. The adrenaline on the day spurs you on and lots of people walk for periods of a long run anyway

i have however signed up for a half marathon and I have 12 weeks of training ahead of me. Will I be fully ready? Probably not. Will I have to walk for periods of it? Probably yes.

I will however say from experience, whatever he does, do not allow him to have one of the gels before the run in an effort to boost energy 💩

I know people are saying what is the worst that can happen but having recently completed a half on a fairly hot day, there were quite a few people collapsed on the side of the road being helped by first aiders and in a couple of cases ambulances. I am sure he can do it if he has a reasonable level of fitness but I would really urge him to pace himself, make sure he keeps hydrated and absolutely no to coffee.

He won’t finish.

Don’t nag him, don’t tell him to carry hydration or look up fuelling.

But draw a line in the sand - you won’t be helping him when he hurts himself or ends up with heat stroke.

100% sure, but it was a long time ago before running was mainstream

I don't think it's that exceptional for a young man (my guy would have been mid 20s). Qualified for London is now 2.50 and thousands make that

Sub 3 on no training is exceptional IMO.
Agree to disagree though.

I’m a long time lurker on here and this thread has annoyed me so much I’ve had to post for the first time. I can’t believe how irresponsible all the posters are saying that your DH will be fine. I’ve run many half marathons and I’ve been unfortunate enough to witness a couple of deaths. It’s not a laughing matter and people can die when doing long distance running. One of the poor guys was a PE teacher in his 20s who had an undiagnosed heart defect. Your husband is an idiot and I only hope that the worst that happens to him is wounded pride, but he really should not be doing this half marathon under these circumstances.