New runner, training for 1/2 Marathon (Read 2134 times)

I recommend one of John Binham's plans in "Marathoning for Mortals." No, you can't find the plan for free online; you have to buy the book. If you are newer to running, consider using a walk/run ratio during training and during the half marathon. I did this and I think it was one of the best decisions I ever made. I latched onto the 4 min run/1 min walk ratio during all of my long runs because it felt comfortable and was easy to follow - and I feel that using a run/walk ratio is easier on the body. I think a 3-day plan is fine - so long as you are doing some cross training. I did a 3-day plan for my first HM, but I also did 1-2 miles of swimming each week and I tried to diligently do 2 core workouts a week.

Just wanted to do a quick update and also thank everyone for some great advice! I ended up using the 'SmartCoach' feature on Runnersworld.com which is a personalized training plan based on my latest (actually my *only*) 5K time and current running level. So I have been doing slow steady runs at a painfully slow pace of 14:00mm! But they are great runs, and basically I will be increasing my long run each weekend and will use some run/walk ratios as necessary for those long runs! The other two runs each week are basically 2-3 miles each, also at a very slow pace. There are only 3 speed workouts in 16 weeks, and a couple of tempo runs - but other than that, the next 4 months will be slow, steady endurance building! I just wanted to post this update mainly for anyone new coming around who may be looking for 1/2 marathon training ideas for the new year! Thanks everyone for some great input - the one consistent theme in everything I hear and read for 'new runners' is SLOWWWW and STEADY for the whole first year running. I like that because it takes some 'pressure' off (self-imposed pressure ha ha). Thanks again!

For many, setting a goal that seems impossible--or at least difficult enough to be a true challenge and pushes you beyond your current capabilities is great motivation. Had I not set a goal to run a (full) marathon 6 months after I started running, I am 100% certain I would not be a runner today. I would have run for a couple of weeks and quit altogether. But having posted my intentions and telling everyone I knew that I was going to run a marathon--resulted in a self-fulfilling prophecy. I 'had' to succeed or I would have to eat crow, and admit failure. Last year I was inconsistant--but I am still a runner nearly 3 years later--and would not be if not for my initial long-distance goal. Good luck with your half Cyndi!

Gotcha. I totally understand the desire (addiction) to push one's self toward difficult goals. I guess the curiosity to me is the shift in running goals for new runners over the decades. 20 years ago, loads of people ran, but rarely did they run half/full marathon distances right away. That's kind of a recent phenomenon, so I was just wondering why the change. Good luck!

Running has advanced a lot. Now we know to drink occasionally (so as to not pass out like Salazar), rotate shoes, change socks every water stop, alternate water and gatorade, eat carbs within 30 minutes of running, wear many layers and strip throughout the race, shake hands with water stop volunteers, or pat their heads if their young, adjust the mile stops if our Garmin reveals them to be wrong, for the benefit of the runners behind us (always improve the world for those who come after), step towards the side of the pack before upchucking, and, above all, TAKE OFF THE BIKE HELMET BEFORE LEAVING T2!

Has racing road races actually diminished in popularity or has the phenomenon of just finishing marathons and half marathons increased disproportionately in popularity? I don't know, I'm asking. It seems to me that outside a brief period that the old timers reminisce about--the running boom of the 80's--actual road racing has always been a fringe sport known only to a select few weirdos. The interesting part about this current running boom (the just finish boom) is that it seems to only apply to larger events. Where I live there are still loads of good ole fashioned road races, many of which have been around for years or even decades and are mostly unchanged. They are still basically no-frills road races for runners by runners. Then there are the big "event" like races, many of which are newer but some of which are events that used to be "just road races" and have turned into events. To me these are really two different worlds, and it's only at certain big events that these two worlds even cross paths and even then they don't really interfere with each other--the racers are up front and the just finishers are in the back. The migration toward event status has increased the cost of some races, but you still have lots of inexpensive races if you want to avoid the high costs too.

My random thoughts ... there's certainly an 'industry' around the big distance events. Paid training programs, corporate sponsored teams, charity fundraisers etc. A co-worker went to Honolulu as part of a team to 'run' the marathon - to my knowledge her only race. Almost all 'non-runners' wouldn't find finishing a 5k as motivating, while everyone knows a marathon is a challenge. They're not going to win either event and so racing and PRs are not a factor in what draws them to an event. I coach youth track and we talk a lot with parents who ask about improving their fitness. For non-runners, completing the Army Ten Miler or The Marine Corps Marathon are achievements that motivate them and ones the person next in line at Starbucks will recognize. Placing in an age-group at the local small-town 5k/10k is not. As a consequence it seems most recreational runners just do miles, and neglect strength, flexibility or speed. I'm just getting started, out of shape, 45 year old couch potato, and a 6' 4" mesomorph. While I'm confident I could complete a half marathon off little training, and a marathon off a little more, from where I look today I am much more motivated to train toward racing (rather than just running) a 5k, however modest my finishing time will be. But good friends who have been running for years get their pleasure from training at high mileage at the same pace and completing the 'event' marathons, even if breaking 4 hours is unlikely. Each to their own.