Can I be ready for a half-marathon? (Read 1035 times)

Wow...backstretch---- I didn't know if I should take you seriously or if you were making light of my request, but after looking at your summary and your workouts, you are very seriously. Good luck on your endeavor. Your mileage is way up there!!!!!!!!! Barb

Speaking for my own motivation I would rather take the chance and run to my specific goa,l than wait and wait and then maybe never running my goal race. It would suck walking around thinking I should have tried when I had the chance. Life is a gamble. Good Luck in your decision.

If we were talking about asking out that cute girl down the street or trying out for the varsity team in your senior year - in other words, something scary that you only get one chance to do - I'd be with you on this one. But running, by definition, is about patience. More patience = more base = faster times = less injury = more fun = more running ... and the cycle continues. Is there really a probability that putting a race back a couple months means it will never happen? Isn't the probability higher that one bad race - or one injury - will mean no more running, period? I take exactly your approach to running now, and I love it. I'd be faster if I didn't, but that'd be half as fun. And I know that if (when) I hurt myself, it won't keep me from ever running again. But for a beginner, patience is a lot smarter. Life is a gamble indeed, but no smart gambler wagers their whole roll for a minimal return.

I have been running off and on for the past 4-5 years. Started training for a half November of 2007 - got sidelined twice because of injury - I am now following Hal Higdon's Novice Program - however I have to cut out two weeks in order to run the half I want to run. Not trying to break any speed records! Anyone see any major issues with this approach ? With hal's Program I think I peak at 23 miles/week.

too many unknowns: How many miles per week are you running now? by that I mean slower, easy base miles? Having to cut weeks out of a training progam can prove dangerous if it's later in the plan.... which weeks did you/are you cutting? If you were sidelined twice with injuries, what were they? were they due to overtraining and running too fast? Nothing wrong with the peak at 23 miles per week, but if you were skipping weeks and building to 23 miles too quickly, you are setting yourself up for some more injuries..... maybe not. JMHO.

OK - here is some more info. On Hal Higgdon's program I cut out week one and plan on cutting out week - thus taking a 12 week program down to 10 weeks. Total weekly mileage builds as follows 10, 12, 14, 14, 13, 16, 20, 19, 20, 23 and 19(the 19 inclueds the HM). So far i am 4 weeks in and it is all easy relaxed pace.(9:00 - 9:20/mile). My injuries were March - Peroneal Tendintits - corrected with PT and OTC Orthotics and then June - calf strain - probably due to intro of speed work too much too soon. Any other toughts please let me know.

I've seen that plan. That doesn't seem like nearly enough milage for a half. I ran a 10 mile race in hot, humid weather on very little milage (about the same as Higdon half plan) last October....probably a mistake. I finished the race just fine, but I think it zapped whatever aerobic capacity I had and my running suffered for at least two months. I'm looking a half in late October and will have several weeks of 40+ mile weeks under my belt by then.