3 months to run a half marathon...

[pomegranatefudge]

So for some mad reason after finally getting the running bug in the first lockdown I've signed up to a half marathon in 3 months.

I run 10k once or twice a week along with shorter runs, the furthest I've done is 12k and I do enjoy these runs most as I prefer slower and steadier to faster 5km.

I'm not fast, my 10km is about 56/58 mins . I'm not worried about speeding through the half, I just don't want to be last and I want to make it all the way round!

Please tell me this is feasible?! I've only ever done fun 5k races before, Race for Life etc and am feeling slightly nervous!

I think its do-able. If you keep your 1-2 shorter runs a week (maybe try to do one at a faster pace) and gradually increase the 10-12k run in increments of 1-2k per week, I think that will be achievable. Depending on how warm it is you might want to take (or leave out beforehand ) some water if you're going to be out for 1.5 hours (and possibly a few jelly babies!)
If it is a real life race, look for past results to get an idea of the range of finishing times.

I would guess if you could run 10k in just under an hour in non race circumstances you would probably do a 2 hour half marathon in a race, which would usually be nowhere near last!
Good luck

As you are up to 10/12K distance you are well on the way to training for a half marathon. 3 months is plenty of time.

I can't say if you'll be last or near the back as that partly depends on the type of half it is. Big events and smaller trail events are very different and attract different types of runners. However, at a sub hour 10K level now I'd be very surprised if you were anywhere near the back.

Run 3 or 4 times a week, but once a week make sure one is a long run that gets longer each week. Even by only half a mile (assuming your first this weekend for example is 6 miles or so) a week. Also make sure you have plenty of training on a similar terrain. So if you've entered a hilly trail run then dont do all your training on flat roads/paths and vice versa. Do mix it up if you can though.

Perfectly doable. This is pretty similar to the plan I followed. My times are similar to yours and I ran my half in just under 2 hours 5 mins.

i1.wp.com/buchorn.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Lazy-Girls-Half-Marathon-10-Week-Training-Plan-Lacey-Buchorn-10-Week-Half-Plan.jpg

I did something similar in December. I'd never run further than 10km in my life and even that was years ago before I had my kids.

Started with 5km and 10km runs a couple of times a week in Sept, Oct and decided in Nov to run a half marathon on Christmas eve, about 6 weeks away then. My running times are very similar to yours, 28 minutes for a 5km, 56-ish for a 10km, average 5.45mins per km, etc.

I kept up with 5, 8 and 10kms during the week, then over 6 weeks, on Saturday did 10, 12, 14, 16 and 18km, then did the 21km (half marathon) on Christmas eve. Took me 2 hours 6 minutes.

It was actually fine, once I got started. I had a good 2 hour podcast to listen to so that kept me going/ distracted and I had a nice breakfast planned for after (I ran at 6am!) .

You'll be well able...Good luck!

Oh and I did it again in January and February. I'm planning on doing one every month this year. They're all virtual and by myself so I just decide which day I'm feeling the best and keep running...

Sorry to hijack the thread but I'm really curious how to keep running to half marathon at the same pace. Back in 2016/2017/2018 (I got really slow in 2019/2020) I was regularly running 5K in 26/27 mins, 10K in 57/58 mins, but I really struggled to get under 2 hours 30 for a half marathon. I should have been able to do much better with my half marathon times, but I really can't. Even the races where I've ran every step I still got anywhere between 2 hours 26 and 2 hours 35. What am I doing wrong?

A sub hour 10k is great! And it's a really good base level of fitness to build up to HM from. There's lots of 12 week training plans to go for, most on the basic premise of adding a mile each week with a monthly "rest week" of reduced milage/ intensity and a couple of weeks taper so you're fresh for a race.

If it's a trail race (most upcoming races are as they are easier to manage for Covid measures) then the general pace will be slower than road running. Train on the appropriate terrain/ hills too.

@OrangeBananaFish

Sorry to hijack the thread but I'm really curious how to keep running to half marathon at the same pace. Back in 2016/2017/2018 (I got really slow in 2019/2020) I was regularly running 5K in 26/27 mins, 10K in 57/58 mins, but I really struggled to get under 2 hours 30 for a half marathon. I should have been able to do much better with my half marathon times, but I really can't. Even the races where I've ran every step I still got anywhere between 2 hours 26 and 2 hours 35. What am I doing wrong?

Have you used training plans? Any other changes?

My pbs were all getting rusty and were annoyingly from my early days of running before 35. I've gained a bit of weight since then, and while I run a lot, it's not always quality in terms of pace. I started doing better in 2019 when I started doing parkrun more regularly and got a new 5k pb replacing the one from 2016. Annoyingly Covid rules have buggered up the past year and made my fitness routines very inconsistent.

Concentrating on pace at least once a week helps a lot.

You'll be fine, OP - aim for 3 or 4 runs a week and steadily increase the distance of your longest run to 11 miles, around 4 weeks out from the race. Then taper so you're fresh on the day. If you've never run further than 12k before, you might find the half marathon distance tough the first time you race it, but you'll get used to it fast. IME, going from zero to 5k is far harder than going from 10k to a half.

@OrangeBananaFish - you shouldn't be running a half at the same pace as a 10k, but it also shouldn't be that much slower. My half pace is 30 secs a mile slower than my 10k pace, for example.

The key is training for the distance. If you don't run over 12 miles that often, a half will feel tough, whereas if your usual weekly long run is 15 miles, a half will feel fast and easier. From the times you've posted, I'm guessing you weren't as adapted for the half as you were for shorter distances.

And when you get more used to running long distances, it works the other way too. You get past the point where your 5k and 10k PBs keep coming down as you run more marathons, and find marathons actually make you slower over short distances - or at least that's what happened to me!

@fellrunner85 The key is training for the distance. If you don't run over 12 miles that often, a half will feel tough, whereas if your usual weekly long run is 15 miles, a half will feel fast and easier. From the times you've posted, I'm guessing you weren't as adapted for the half as you were for shorter distances.

You are probably right there. Perhaps I should start building up a bit more now ready for my next half (whenever that is) and get used to long runs being up to 15 miles rather than the 12 that I did get up to previously

And when you get more used to running long distances, it works the other way too. You get past the point where your 5k and 10k PBs keep coming down as you run more marathons, and find marathons actually make you slower over short distances - or at least that's what happened to me!

That makes sense in regards to my times in 2019. I really struggled to get a sub 30 parkrun and don't think I ever achieved a sub hour 10K, but I did do my first marathon in October 2018 which I repeated in 2019. I only did further than HM distance for the marathon training.

@BogRollBOGOF I was always running parkrun regularly. I think my HM issue was not running far enough as many times as I possibly should.

I'm thinking of a new plan now. I'm out for 8 miles tomorrow (I haven't done double figures since August) so will start building my miles up so I will do more HM distances more regularly (once every 2-3 weeks or so). Will also continue to parkrun regularly (once they return of course) so hopefully by GNR I might get a decent time.

Thank you. Sorry to hijack OP.

@OrangeBananaFish

Sorry to hijack the thread but I'm really curious how to keep running to half marathon at the same pace. Back in 2016/2017/2018 (I got really slow in 2019/2020) I was regularly running 5K in 26/27 mins, 10K in 57/58 mins, but I really struggled to get under 2 hours 30 for a half marathon. I should have been able to do much better with my half marathon times, but I really can't. Even the races where I've ran every step I still got anywhere between 2 hours 26 and 2 hours 35. What am I doing wrong?

What has been your pace so far, is it consistent, or do you start out fast and burn out?

I ran my first half marathon yesterday. I followed the 12 week BUPA programme (but did it two week early)
I managed it in 2hours and 6 minutes. The programme really helped my pace, I could see results each week when I ran the interval and tempo runs.
Good luck!

Oh to add info regarding pace, I managed to get a 27 minute 5k during my training, and 58:27 PB for a 10k, but I couldn't have done a HM at this pace. My HM pace yesterday was 6:01/km

Once I'm up to 10k, I usually increase distance by a mile a week so you've got plenty of time

Good luck!

If you’re already up to 7ish miles, 12 weeks to train for a half is perfect!

Add 1-2km a week to your longer run and every 3 weeks have a mileage drop week for recovery. I would train to the full distance for a half, aim for your longest run 2-3 weeks before the race then reduce the length of your long run each week.
so if you've got 12 weeks til the race your longest run each week would look something like:
week 1 - 10-12km
week 2 - 13-14km
week 3 - 14-15km
week 4 - 10-12km
week 5 - 15-17km
week 6 - 16-18km
week 7 - 18-20km
week 8 - 12-14km
week 9 - half marathon distance
week 10 - 16-18km
week 11 - 14-16km
week 12 race

Thanks so much for all the replies! Sorry I didn't get a notification so I didn't realise.

Thanks also for all the positive encouragement, I'm at 9 miles/15k now and steady pace so feeling hopeful I can actually do this!

You guys have already answered some other questions I had, so going to plan in weeks where I drop my mileage on the longer run, conscious of overtraining as this is all new to me.

Also I wasn't sure whether I should train for the whole distance because a big part of the challenge for me is just running that far but I think mentally I'll feel much less nervous if I've already done it once!

You can absolutely manage to do this.

I did a half marathon last year. I didn't follow a training plan but did 2 to 3 5ks a week and then one long run at the weekend. Long run was mainly 10k but sometimes did 12 or 14k. Did my half marathon in 2.5 hours.