Couch25k to a Half Marathon... Please advise!

[Guineapiggiesmalls]

Seeking advice from people who know their running!

I’m a new runner - started C25k in September after truly never having run in my adult life, but love it and have managed to keep up with 5k about three times a week (hovering around 32-35 minutes, not great but I’m getting better!). I’ve now got my eye on a half marathon, but my most local one is in early March and I don’t know if I’m being a bit ambitious. Should I look for something a bit later in the year? Or just go for it and accept I might have to walk over the finish line, or I get that far?!

Go for it. You'll be fine!

The hardest bit is getting from nothing to 5k; so building from 5k to a half will seem easy in comparison.

Keep a minimum of three runs a week, and add another if you can. You want at least one speed session and one long run in there. If you can get your long run to six miles by mid Jan and 10 miles by mid Feb, you'll be fine to then taper for a couple of weeks before the half in early March.

If it helps, I went from zero to a half in 5 months (a long time ago now, but still!) I got round the half in 2:20, and it hurt, but I did it!

You will definitely be fine. Don't worry too much about time/pace if it the distance you're interested in. Many people only train up to 10 miles before their first half, though I recommend running the distance before if you can (about three weeks before race day) so that you know you can do it.

Keep to three runs a week, increase your long run by a mile every week, keeping the other two to 5k - don't increase weekly mileage by more than 10% to minimise injury risk.

It'll be a challenge but you can do it.

I’m a running coach and I would say that early March can be achievable but you would possibly be risking injury. If you were one of my C25K group I would recommend that you did a 5-10k bridge (which would be a programme of about 8 weeks) and then a 10k-half bridge (another 8-10 weeks). You shouldn’t really increase distance by more than 10% a week to avoid injury, and I do advise people to allow some contingency time in their training plans to cover injury/sickness.

If you really want to do it though I’d say try to sign up for a 10k around the first week of February. Do some cross training 2-3 times a week (weights, cycling, swimming) to minimise the risk of injury. I also highly recommend running the full 13.1 miles prior to race day so that you know you are ready for it.

5k to HM is doable in 12 weeks but it doesn't allow much time to get the lurgy and life to interfere which will happen at some point along the way.

The main HM season is the autumn.

For a more enjoyable experience rather than just completing, it is worth getting comfortable at 10k before building up again.

It's doable but you risk injury. It takes quite a while as a new runner for your body to truly 'harden up' and an injury can be difficult to come back from. I would really recommend that you build up slowly for now, get mileage in your legs and simply enjoy getting faster over shorter distances before you look to doing longer distances. For reference, I took 16 months between starting on C25K and doing my first half-marathon.

Thanks everyone, lots of very good advice here! In my gut I feel like March might be slightly too soon, especially with Christmas and the inevitable overindulgence...

Well done you OP, it sounds like you have the Running Bug! But I'm another in the "doable but probably a bit too soon" camp.

I have a Half at the end of March and my 14 week programme starts this Monday. I've just done a 10k cross country long run this morning (slowly, mind). I reckon that means I've got enough weeks to add 1km per week to my long run, plus a week or two "spare" in case I get a cold or something or feel I need to take an easier, recovery week for any reason. Plus a 2-week taper. So I have a couple more weeks than you, and I'd say I'm probably a few weeks further on fitness wise.

From past experience (I've run just the one Half but trained for two) its really tough on your body if you are a new runner. Those training miles really take a toll especially if you are not used to it.

You really do need a bit of "give" in the schedule so if you need to, you have a week or two you can ease off and recover.

Getting to HM marathon fit in 12 weeks from running 5k three times a week is going to be quite tough, and will depend whether you pick up an injury. The PPs suggestion of aiming for a 10k in a couple of months first is a really good one - that will also be good experience of racing over a slightly longer distance (and 10k is a really fun distance I think).

Good luck whatever you do.

10k is a really fun distance I think

Are you mad?! 10ks are awful
5ks are fast and over quickly. Halves aren't as fast, and you have longer to "bed in" to the pace. But 10ks are that horrid no-mans-land between a short race and a long race. You've got to hammer it right from the start as there's no room for falling off the pace and making it back later. And holding that for 40-odd minutes is HARD!

Sorry to go off on an aside there. Give me a nice steady half any day. Lots of wriggle room over 13 miles!

Runningonempty I knew someone would disagree!

5k is flat out all the way - and then it's all over. HalfM (well, for me) is all about getting to the end. With 10k you know you can get to the finish line but it's short enough that you can actually "race" rather than just survive!