ANY PERSONAL TRAINERS HERE???13 mile run in October! What do i do to start training for it!?!!?

Question

i have 3 months to build myself up to running 13miles!

what kind of schedule should i have planned for myself?! or How should i go about training for this run!?

im starting from scratch here! i'm very athletic and can get myself fit...its been awhile since i've worked out but it wont take me long to get back into it

how should i go about training myself for the 13mile run in October!?!

Answer 1

I assume your goal is to complete the half marathon but you do care about time.  In addition, you are athletic but currently not doing running specific training.

You have about 13 weeks to get in shape.  It's doable as long as you are currently able to jog for 20 minutes.  If you can't do that then it would take another 8 weeks of  preparation.  The most important thing is to get used to easy running, slowly building up how long you can run and of course avoid getting injured in the process.

Rather than repeat a training plan here because people write entire books on this subject, you can find lot's of half marathon training plans online.  Here's a beginner article to read from Runnersworld but there are others (Try searching for Hal Hidgon or Jeff Galloway they also specialize in beginners plans).

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,71...

Answer 2

Hello,

You've got roughly 15 weeks until mid-October.  I'd start the 10-week beginner running plan at week 6.  That'll give you 5 weeks to run 3 miles comfortably.  At the end of this schedule, roll into the 10-week 1/2 marathon plan.  This will gradually build up your long run to 13.1 miles.  Best of luck!

- Mike

Answer 3

13 by Oct?  Good luck, not that you can't do it, Im sure you can, but it would be nice to have more than 12 weeks to train for it, you know.  Work out with weights once or twice a week hitting legs and of course running.  I would work your way up in incraments and speed as well.  Your mile time or 3 mile time is a good starting point because as you can run longer you will also be able to run faster so time yourself for improvment too.  What half marathon are you doing?

Dont forget about diet either, that is so important, running so many miles will burn more calories than you can imagine so eat carbs.  

If I were you I would be able to take week 12 off to rest so your ready to go for the race, taking a whole week off is not bad for you, it will actually help you, your muscles will be at 100% and in one week you wont lose anything either.

Answer 4

You should keep the following in mind:

1. Aside from your physical goal - your MENTAL goal should be to finish - NOT "I want to run this thing as fast as I can".

2. train SLOW. Even people who have run several half and full marathons are more successful when they actually do most to all of their training runs SLOWER than the pace on  race day.

3. For training - think about TIME SPENT more than how far you are running. This kind of goes along with training slow. It's better to run for an hour at a slow pace than it is to run like your being chased by the cops for 25 minutes! It's also better to to run twice a day for 30 minutes each run than it is to run once a day for 60 minutes (at first anyway, and after about 3 weeks pick one or two days where you run once a day but longer than the rest of the week).

4. STRETCH. It's not as critical before you run as after but if you live in a hilly area it's a good idea to jog for 10 minutes, stop and stretch and then run. Stretching after EVERY run is critical (especially if you are over 30 or don't do other activities/sports).

5. My only diet advice: Lay off the fried foods and bad sugars (candy and cakes) and drink more water. Water is harder for some people than it is for others (I'm one of them) but it's critical. Learn to drink water on the run too. My rule of thumb is nothing for the first 30-40 minutes of the race (and training) but then take a swallow at every water station after that (or every 15 to 20 minutes in training). This water intake guideline is not written in stone but it has never HURT anyones' race or training...!

6. Be consistent. There will be days when you feel good and maybe want to run fast. Consider taking that good energy and run longer instead.

7. Build up your miles. Start with a 4 mile run and build up to 6 over 3 weeks. Then try and split your runs to 2 a day and pick one day to run long. That long day should start with six and build to 10 or 12. Don't worry about not actually completing 13 miles in training. If you are consistently running 5 to 7 days a week you will be able to complete the 13 - no problem.

One last thing about the training slow thing: The best chance you have to not just complete the race but complete it with a great time is if you do your best to hold back and start out slow and progress based on how you feel as you go.  Even people who have raced dozens of times will agree that their best times in races were when they held back and saved the crowd and race excitement energy for the last third of the race.

GOOD LUCK!