Skirt Runner
I'm a goal oriented person, and I like to be able to think about and plan for "what's next." Also,some races that I may be interested in open registration months and months before the race itself and fill up quickly, so it may be essential if I want to get into races I want to begin planning for the future. So my question is this, for more experienced runners: How much time would you say someone should be running for before they start training for a half marathon, and how many miles per week should they be doing on average before beginning a training plan?
I've been tossing around the idea of doing a half sometime in the "near" future (as in near I mean May, or possibly October....which I know is thinking very far ahead but the October half registration opens on Monday!). I am thinking that the goal of doing one in October may not be too far fetched....but May may be too lofty of a goal. But I have some people telling me that as long as I have about 12 weeks to train I should be able to run one.
Background: dabbled in jogging/power walking in the past but only started running regularly in August. Did the 8 week Hal Higdon Novice 5K training program, ran my first 5K in October, then began the Hal Higdon Novice 10K program for my upcoming 12/16 10K. The training program peaks at only 10.5 miles in a week with running 3 days per week- a 3 mile run, a 2 mile run, and a 5.5 mile long run with cross training days mixed in.
I am not wedded to the idea of doing one in May, but I am open to it. I definitely am hoping to do the October though. Just wondering people's opinions on when a fairly new runner should even begin to consider training for a half. Thanks!
PRs: 5K- 28:16 (5/5/13) 10K- 1:00:13 (10/27/13) 4M- 41:43 (9/7/13) 15K- 1:34:25 (8/17/13) 10M- 1:56:30 (4/6/14) HM- 2:20:16 (4/13/14) Full- 5:55:33 (11/1/15)
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Smashy!!!
I'm not sure if this is what you are asking, but I think if you can run 8 miles in a single run, then you should be okay to train for a half-marathon.
PRs: 21:35 (5K); 1:46:46 (HM); 4:30:46 (FM)
I think you'd be okay. I jumped right into a half marathon, not really knowing what to expect. I started the c25K in April of 2010, and went immediately into a half training program after I finished that. I ran my first half in November of that same year and I did fine.
Gather as much advice as you can, then sort it out what fits you as a runner.
Decide if your goal is to finish a HM or run the full HM.
Once you have done a10K or two for experience, you'll better appreciate what it's like to run for almost an hour without stopping...then imagine doubling that.
We don't have many around us, but a 10 mile race is a nice stepping stone towards the HM.
Even if you can do 12-14 miles for training runs, your pace in an official race is often just a bit faster...and that can catch up to you after mile 10.
2/3rds training
I'm also eyeing a half in spring, but I'm working towards getting a few consistent 40+ mile weeks under my belt before starting on a half training plan. I want to be well prepared and have a good base to build some speed onto so that I can really enjoy racing it, not just slogging to the finish. I could go out and easy run 13.1 tomorrow if I wanted, but that is not what I want to do on race day. It really depends what your motives are. BTW I've been running "consistently" since about September.
My not-entirely-running-related 'Gram
not lazy, just tired
I averaged about 25 miles/week for about a month before starting a training program (in the end of July for an Oct. half). I really wondered whether to do it or wait until I was running more mile/week for longer. It worked out well for me. I had a good first half, loved doing it. Well the last 3 miles were hard and I had to really push myself to keep my pace from slowing down. Overall, I had a great time and am glad I did it.
Not if it makes sense.
Uffda
Believe it or not, I'm a fan of beginners using the Higdon plans. It gets people out there and able to finish races. I used the Beginner HM plan to finish my first HM. I did promptly start the Intermediate HM and I completed that (and the last half a second time) and I did much better in my HM. The point is, if you want to finish a HM, it'll get you there. If you want to actually race it (or at least have <2 hr time) then more work will be needed.
- Andrew
I think it just depends what your goals are.
You could certainly spend December and January building mileage, and then start training in February to do the May race. People will certainly be on the start line with less training than you'll have. If your goal is to complete it, that's fine.
Ideally, though, you would be running more mileage than you are currently when you do start training.
IMO those 2 and 3 mile runs don't really do a lot when it comes to an HM, and 10 MPW is not enough to start training for one (though I know some plans will start you out with mileage that low).
I would want to be running at least 15-25 miles a week before I started, with one of those runs being at least 7-8 miles.
Thanks for the advice. I know the Hal Higdon Novice 1 HM plan starts at 10 miles per week (with an optional 2 mile run in addition), which is what I'm already at, but the milage of the long run increases fairly quickly and I feel like it would be better for me to build a better base and modify that plan (or look for a plan with more mpw) when it comes time to train. I appreciate the advice...not sure what I'm going to do yet though!
Not a dude
I signed up for my HM in June after running for less than 2 months. Probably not the best decision I ever made because I ended up getting pneumonia in July and then had tendinitis in August, BUT I ran miles, and more miles, and steadily increased my long run from September through November. It was tough at first, but then everything clicked.
I think you'll be fine to run the HM, but if you're going to use a Higdon plan, you might consider using Higdon 1 to build your mileage up a bit and then switch over to Higdon 2 which will take you all the way to a 12 mile long run rather than stopping at 10, which leaves the remaining 3.1 a mystery. I personally wouldn't have wanted to run my first half without having run longer than 10 miles prior to race day. The Novice 2 is pretty similar to the Novice 1, but has more miles per week and a longer long run. With the amount of time you have, you can extend the schedule as you see fit by plateauing for a week or two before increasing or adding in cutback weeks as needed.
Feel free to take what I have to say with a grain of salt though since I am less experienced than the other folks who have already chimed in.
Completed my first half marathon 2:09:04!!!
Return To Racing
Kristin, you'll be on your way after the 10K. I'd shoot for a May HM.
From the Internet.
That's exactly what I'm doing for a late April HM and I'm on almost the same time track as you (started running regularly in July). I think you'd be fine shooting for one in May
The first thing to do is decide on your goals. If you can run for 8 miles without stopping, you could go run a half marathon tomorrow if all you wanted to do is finish. If you want to run it at a pace that's a good bit faster than your easy pace, that takes about a year of running coupled with 30-40 miles per week and some speed work for most folks.
Short term goal: 17:59 5K
Mid term goal: 2:54:59 marathon
Long term goal: To say I've been a runner half my life. (I started running at age 45).
Everyone is different, with different goals. This is only my own experience and it doesn't have to be yours... I decided on my first half once I realized that 13 miles had become a regular weekly run for me and 16 milers were my LRs... I was also running 40 mpw regularly at that time (after starting running 4 months before). I asked what a good finish time would be for a first HM and I was told that sub-2:00 would be good. I tried running the pace for a 1:55 on the TM and I hit it perfectly. Race day didn't make me run faster than a regular training run, because I was nervous, started out too fast and walked bits of the course. But I finished in 1:54, so I was still satisfied with myself. Only you really know what it is that you want of your first HM... Do you want that good finish time for yourself in your AG? Do you want to be average, right in the middle of the pack? Or it could be that you don't care about the speed, you just want to not walk at all any of that 13.1 mile course (which would be an accomplishment compared to what I did in my first). There is no one answer... There are many answers, and it's up to you to pick one and see where you are at the moment in relation to your goal.
PRs: Boston Marathon, 3:27, April 15th 2013
Cornwall Half-Marathon, 1:35, April 27th 2013
18 marathons, 18 BQs since 2010