My first half mararthon...?

Question

Saturday night i have may agreed (while not entirely sober) to run a half marathon in October.

I work out regularly and i will take the training very seriously.

My main question is what would be a good time for my first run (13.1 Miles)?

I'm a 26yr old male in ok shape, bit of a belly.

Is there anything else you think i should be aware of and make sure i prepare for?

I know it's a long question and you've probably had similar questions before but any feedback will be greatly appreciated.

Cheers people, Frag!

Answer 1

Here's some tips that no one has covered:

- Show up to the marathon about 2 hours early. Sounds ridiculous, but think about the other 20,000 people running in the race along with their families/supporters all showing up at the same time. Creates a bit of a traffic problem. You may be sitting in traffic for an hour just to get to where you need to park.

- Get everything you need ready the day before. You will most likely be going to an expo the day before as well to pick up your number and other stuff. So if the race is not close to home, you may want to stay at a hotel since you'll need to be there two days in a row. If you need a hotel, book it now. They will all be reserved early. If you wait until the last minute, there will be no way to get a room anywhere.

A good time for your first marathon...I would say if you ran below 12 minute/miles you'd do well. Follow your training plan and you should do fine. If things are sore after running when you first start, ice the area where the pain is and take ibuprofen/motrin or aleeve/naproxen.

If you don't have real running shoes, visit a running shoe store where they will make sure you have the right shoes for your feet. They will make a world of difference. Check out stores like Road Runner http://www.roadrunnersports.com

Lastly, don't give up. You can do it!

Answer 2

its going to hurt! and just stay off junk food and eat healthy aswell.

Answer 3

See, thats what happens when your out drinking...haha joking.

Seriously, you can do this and here is an easy schedule to follow and all the information a beginner runner should know:

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

This is a great website, it is reliable and written by runners and coaches.

Make sure you buy good runners at the running store.  Get fitted properly - they check your over/under pronation, gait, foot type, etc.  Tell them you will be running your first 1/2 marathon and they will help you get started.  Sign up for a 1/2 marathon clinic if its feasible for you.  You will learn alot by doing that.  After the race....enjoy your medal/shirt and the post race meal.  Careful, you just might like this long distance running.

good luck :)

Answer 4

If you do ten-minute miles and finish, chalk it up as a win.

You say you work out regularly, but you didn't say whether you run at all.  In either case, check out the link below.  It gives a training schedule for you to follow.

You might consider building a 5K and 10K event into your buildup.

Walking is not a sin, by the way.  Many experienced runners do it in longer distance events.

Good luck.  Train consistently.  Don't go too hard, too fast.

Edit:  My compliments to the other respondents.  Nicely done.  The answers complement each other well.

Sorry I forgot to mention shoes.  A well-fit pair of shoes is a thing of great joy.  And you don't need racing shoes.  Whatever you buy as trainers will serve you well in a half-marathon.

And I don't know why the thumbs-down fairy decided to pay us all a visit.