I resolve to run my first half marathon this year......

[DrNortherner]

If I write it down I can't back out.....

Want to run the Redcar half in memory of my Dad. No pressure for times etc, just to complete it will be enough.

Currently run approx 20 miles a week, member if a running club, pb for 10k is 52 mins.

Any advice on training and stuff greatly appreciated.

Also, thinking about getting a Garmin forerunne - any good or do they make you obsessed with distance?

Thanks!

I'd have thought that with your current mileage and 10k time, you'll be fine with a HM. Sounds as if you are ready for it.

You just need to gradually increase your long runs- by a mile a week, until 10 or 11 miles is basically ok. Most people do the long run at the weekend, with a few shorter 5/6/7 milers through the week.

When is the Redcar half?

Garmin forerunner is great. Have had mine 2 years. You can get some good software and upload your runs onto a map, store the data etc. Can make you a bit obsessive about always running with the Garmin - if it's not on the Garmin it hasn't happened, but after a while you get over that.

It's in June I think.

Thanks for the positive comments. Am looking forward to it!

Oh you'll be fine. I bet you could do it now. There'll be people from your club doing it as well?

Not sure as Redcar is about 80 miles away, it's my home town. Will ask though.

I think you'll be fine. As Merle said, you sound like you could get round now. The question is not whether you'll finish but how fast.

When I did my first half I had never run further than 10 miles. And I'd only done that a couple of times, not all of those as part of the HM training . This meant miles 11 and 12 were really hard, but mile 13 was fine. I think this was partly because it was downhill and partly because it was the final mile!

In retrospect it would have been better to have got at least one 12 miler under my belt in the run up to the half. I was doing 8- 9 mile runs pretty regularly but nothing more than that.

My other mistake was not to check the terrain. I did Windsor which is beautiful but undulating. Sadly I train by the Thames which is flat.

I think we run about the same speed. My 2011 resolution is to run a HM in less than 2 hours. I did Windsor in 2H2m. The plan is to enter about 4HM this year, to keep the fear/training up, raise general fitness levels and hope that it all comes together on the day in at least one of those 4. Oh, and also by avoiding "undulating" courses.....

My first one is Wokingham in about 6 weeks, aargh. Lots of my club are doing it too so they will make me get the miles under my belt. Good luck with Redcar.

Thanks Fridayschild, good luck for Wokingham!

Yes definately the more races you do the less frightened you are each time. You should perhaps do a few 10ks and 10M races between now and Redcar. I can imagine that you might not want to do any HMs, as Redcar will be special for your dad, but I think as much race experience as possible would make your first HM less stressful and more enjoyable.

Well done on going for your first HM. As others have said, given your current training (and 10K speed) you?ll be able to get round, it?s just a question of time. That being said, it is definitely worth building up to 12+ miles in training for a couple of reasons.

Firstly, you?ll pace yourself more sensibly ? training up to only shorter distances before doing a HM, means there is a real temptation to go off faster than you should for the HM distance, especially in a busy field, which means the last couple of miles may well be very painful and very slow.

Secondly, psychologically it makes a real difference knowing that you have run that distance in training, especially when it gets to the 10 mile marker or so on the day of the race (which is where I find it you begin to feel it). Knowing that you can do the distance or close to it helps you, or at least me, push through that.

On being able to track your pace, it does help, though you can get a little weirdly obsessive about it. If you can get over that (um, I think I have now!) then it?s very good as a training aid to help push yourself to perform as well as you can. On the day itself, it also helps you run to your own time rather than getting swept along by the field. Just as an aside, rather than a Garmin I?ve got the Runmeter app for iPhone 4. Only costs £2.99 and does everything the Garmin does and more as far as I can tell ? it?s fantastic and a fraction of the cost of a Garmin.

Finally, some wise words about checking the terrain of the course. Did the Nottingham HM last year and it was very hilly which I just hadn?t trained for ? some of those hills were not fun at all and made the last couple of miles much harder work than they would have been. Building in hill training (and interval training) into your regime is good in any event, but if the course is hilly, it becomes very important.

Hope this helps!

drNo - go for it and I second what has been said in that you should just go ahead and enter a few races to commit and take the fear factor away. I have a Garmin Forerunner 405CX which I am still working out but it is a tremendous help with various things. Sadly, I don't think it will be able to babysit but there we are.

Thanks for all your support!

Am off to running club this evening, will be a tough speed or hill sesh probably as usual on a Tuesday.

I am going to invest in a garmin (no iphone so can't get the cheap app)and steadily start increasing my mileage. Kind of thought I need to get up to about 11/12 miles.

Will keep you all posted.

I know I said no pressure with times and all that....but do you think 2hours should be achievable?

2 hours should certainly be achievable. There's various time predictors (like this one on Runnersworld which would put you at sub 2 hours. Also fits in with my experience of running early on (did 10k in 50 mins and first half marathon shortly afterwards in 1hr 52 mins). Of course it depends on the course, but hey, always good to have something to aim at!

Congratulations on entering your first HM, you will love it. I did my first last year, then Windsor in September, now am training for Reading. My tips:

• Download a training plan from Runners World. You can get a plan specifically for those aiming for sub-2 hours. You can either transfer it in a whizzy way to your Garmin (when you get it!) or print off a paper version and write it into your diary.

-At least 12 weeks before your race, start building up your long run. You ideally need to do a couple each of 8-9, 9-10 and 11-12 miles. This will give you loads of confidence that you can comfortably do the course.

• Leave a week before the race for "tapering" ie dramatically reducing your mileage.

• try to do a 10k race approx 1 month before the HM to get you reacclimatised to racing.

-You might want to investigate ways of taking on energy during the race. You don't really need this for 10k, but the HM is different. Do you know if you can tolerate the energy drinks they give out on the course? I love them but they give some people stomach problems. I also use sachets of sports gel. I wouldn't eat them for pleasure but I am pathetically grateful for one at the 10mile point

Enjoy the training and good luck!

Hey DrNO, hope it's going well and thanks everyone else for the advice, I'm in the same position so v useful! I started running last year, did a couple of 10K races and this year have signed up for two HMs, Leeds in May and the Great North Run in Sept. Looking forward to getting a few longer training runs under my belt - or at least i would be if i hadn't been poleaxed by evil child tummy bug this weekend.