Stupidly signed for half marathon....

[Pinkstars2501]

Hello, my friend and I signed up for a half marathon months ago. Well it’s this weekend. I’ve done virtually no training due to injury and work/life commitments. The furthest I’ve run is 4 Miles, I’m bricking it.

Realistically is there any chance I can do this? On one hand I don’t want to do myself some real damage, but on the other, I don’t want to let her down. It’s quite hilly too 😕

Any advice from people who have done a half would be great.

I’ve done one recently, my first and probably last tbh! In training I got up to 10 and a half miles. I found it really really hard on the day. The first 9-10 was fine, the last 3 miles agony. I’d go and walk most of it if I were you, if that’s an option.

It isnt a good idea. I did one it took 4 months training 3 times a week and was still hard. However you can walk-run in intervals. The worst thing would be to start off at a fast lick.

Well you can walk run it. You'd probably manage the first half and then walk run the rest? Depends on what your injury is though as you may well injure yourself properly doing this.

You won't do yourself any damage because you probably won't be running a lot of it? You will have to run walk. Realistically is there any point and also, is there a time cut off? A lot of the smaller half marathons I've done have a cut off at half way and 90 mins, which you might not make walking.

The cut off is 3 hours. Well, that’s when the marshalls etc start to leave. My injury (although I’m not sure if it’s an injury caused by running really) is hip related, feels like a shooting pain in the joint. But it’s not consistent, most days I’m fine but every so often it just comes on for no apparent reason. I manage 4.5 Miles in an hour so if I had zero issues then I know I could do it i the time.
I really don’t want to let my friend down. People keep asking if I’m still doing it, I’d be so proud to do it, which I’m aware is stupid because risking injury to save face is dumb. My head is shot with being torn over whether or not to do it....

3 hours for the whole thing? Also is the 4.5 miles in an hour based on running or walking? Don't underestimate how much your body will hurt from running a longer distance.

Go for it. If your injury kicks in, there's no shame in abandoning and getting first aid treatment, you won't be the only one and at least you made the effort. If you do get round, even after the cut-off time, you'll still feel a sense of achievement.

Which half is it?

At that speed I'd estimate you'd be around 3 hours + as you will end up walking most of it

If it's a large event well supported by the public you will enjoy it, so I'd go ahead

Smaller event? You won't get much from it

I’m doing one this weekend and I’m undertrained and not fully fit. I’m still going to do it, I think it depends on your base level of fitness.

I have done half marathons, a full and several shorter races in the last 12 months so even though I’m not fit I know what to expect and I hope I can get to the finish.

Look up the Jeff Galloway method (Jeffing) as I will do that to avoid further injury and hope to still finish in 2hr30m - it’s a walk run tactic - run 60s walk 30s and do that the whole way.

I’ve done a half with injury before and the last 5km were agony but I still managed it in under 3 hours (I could hardly weight bear on one leg) so it is doable and if it’s a larger event you won’t be alone.

Honestly... (and I say this as a leader with a running club, so I'm used to supporting people training for 10k, half marathons and beyond), it would be unwise to attempt to run a half marathon if the furthest you've run is 4 miles. Trying to run more than 3 times further than you've ever run before, on a hilly course, potentially with a niggling injury is never a good idea. Yes - maybe you could walk the second half, but I struggle to see what you'd gain from that (and I often have walk-breaks in halfs/marathons, so I have nothing against walking). Even if you run the first 4-5 miles, 8-9 miles is a LONG way to run/walk (realistically, given the circumstances, will be more of a walk/run). There's a cut off point anyway, which means they may well put you in a sweeper vehicle, or take your number from you. Sometimes they will let you continue on pavements etc at your own risk, but if you're beyond the cut off, then you won't 'finish' anyway.

Has your friend trained for it? You say you don't want to let her down, but if she has trained, then she's going to want to run her own race anyway (she won't want to run/walk if she's geared up to run it). If she hasn't trained, then she shouldn't be running it either. If you're keen to support her, you'd be better off being there at a couple of places en route, cheering her on (seeing a friendly face on the way round makes such a difference).

I think lots of people underestimate the half marathon distance, partly because they see so many people running marathons and this frames the distance as a lot less. Which it is - but it's still hard. Your body needs to be used to running to be able to do it for that long.

I know this sounds negative, but it's more about being realistic - and sensible. If you want to do a half marathon (and in my view, you have to want to do one yourself, not just because your friend wants to do one), then find another one (I'd suggest a nice big one, where there will be lots of people of all speeds and lots of support) and work out a training plan, and train properly. Then you stand a chance of enjoying it and feeling that real sense of acheivement. Be warned - it gets addictive! I signed up for a half marathon when everyone was doing the Ice Bucket challenge (I'd run 10k before, but no further). 3 years on, I'm about to do my 5th marathon. Every time, I say 'never again', but somehow I get sucked in...

Thankyou all, I will take all points on board. I have until tomorrow night to give someone my place, so a little time to think.
It’s Ironbridge Half, so those that know it (or are running it), your insight will be great.

That's on my list of races to tackle! It reinforces some of my points though...

It's a smallish field, and not in a town centre. Never underestimate the support you can get in a small village, but there will be big stretches with no support at all.

It's not an easy course - a keen running friend of mine said it was one of the toughest she's done.

It's mixed terrain. Have you done any off-road running? It's very different from road running. I run 20-35 miles a week, all year round, and recently ran 16 miles off road and it nearly finished me. And it was downhill all the way (canal). Running in mud is hard work.

I wouldn't wait until tomorrow night to decide. What's going to change between now and then? And you'll need to hydrate/fuel etc, so you need to decide soon. There are unlikely to be people hanging around to take your place late the night before, but there are very likely to be people today looking for opportunities (a LOT of half marathons were cancelled last weekend, so there are loads of runners out there who will be wanting to race).

My advice - sign up for next year - by all accounts it's a lovely race. But sign up for a 10k or 2 in the meantime. Depending on where you live, you may be close enough to consider the Regency 10K run in Leamington Spa on 15 April. That would be a good test of whether you want to run over a longer distance, and it's a lovely race - really well supported, through the town centre and parks, and the second half is much easier than the first, which is great if you start to struggle.

I was going to post exactly what CanYouHear said. If your friend has trained for the race you will only hold her back. You would be more support to her now if you were there to cheer her on.

canyouhear speaks sense!

It sounds a great race though

I wasn’t ever going to be running literally along side her, she’s faster and I’ve already said to her that it makes me feel worse if I feel she’s going slower for me, so I’d be doing the actual race alone. But you’re all right, I’ll be pulling out today. I’m gutted, but I’d feel worse if I ended up doing some real damage. It’s just not worth it.
I’ll sign up for next years and this year be cheering my friend along.

Don't be gutted. I bet by going to watch you'll really want to do it next year! And it will be great for your friend to have you there.

A friend promised me she'd run with me when I signed up for my first half. She pulled out about 2 months before (no training!), but she was there half way round (where I thought she'd be), and then hot footed it to the end. She was shouting my name all the way down the finish straight and it was the best feeling knowing she was there. In all my photos from the finish I'm absolutely beaming, and that certainly doesn't reflect how my legs felt! Be there at the end, cheer like mad, and make her feel amazing. You won't regret it.

(By the way - if you do go and support on the route, please do clap for EVERYONE you see. There's nothing worse than running past a load of people just standing there, gawping. Yes, your hands might hurt. Yes, you might feel a bit daft. But it makes the world of difference to the runners. Take a big bowl of jelly babies to offer out for extra supporter points.)

Good luck to your friend - come back and tell us how she gets on.

Thankyou, I’ll definitely be there at the finish. Not sure I’ll be able to be there at the halfway point too, just due to the route and traffic etc. I’ll take her for cake after.....brownie points for that.

Good decision. Sorry it's worked out that way for you though. Hope you manage to do it next year with no injuries.