Forums >General Running>Beginner Half Marathon Thread
Misinformation Officer
Planning your first hm for 2023?
Been ages since you ran a hm, but plan to run a half in 2023?
This is our thread!
Runs like a dj mixing songs while wearing festive outfits.5k PR 5/31/21 24:21
10k PR 5/23 54:43
HM PR 1/2024 1:59:10
I've run 5 halfs, but it's been about 15 years. I consistently run 30mpw for several years, but I pay no attention to pace or what types of runs they are. I just get miles as they fit my schedule.
Previously, I used 2 different Hal Higdon hm training plans. I finished them all and avoided injury.
My Coros predicts my hm time to be 1:57:00 based on my non-specific existing running.
Wondering what training plans you all are using or have used successfully as a beginner.
What's your target race?
Welcome!
I'm in Buffalo NY so gonna start training for the Buffalo HM which is in May. I've ran half marathon distance but not recently and it was just on my own so this will be my first actual HM with other people. That's a ways off though so maybe I should challenge myself harder and see if I can finish 26.2 for the first time
if you're tired of starting over then stop giving up!
ran one hm 22 years ago in ?1:57? if the chips fall maybe i'll go for a half in 23. i'm a more serious and consistent runner today at almost fifty than i was in my twenties so i set a new 5k pr this week, but with age i'm not sure that will translate to a faster hm. biggest question is do i have the time to properly train. i could finish a hm easily since my long run is almost eleven miles, but to race a hm i'd need to seriously upgrade my mileage and probably drop some of the weight training, both because I'd need the time to run and because i would need to sacrifice some muscle mass to be speedy at that distance.
but i'm subscribed, thank you!
Born: 1973
Marathon PR: 3:44 (2000)
5k PR: 22:02 (2022)
1 mile PR: 6:09 (2022)
Goals:
5k - 21:42
Mile - 5:59
400m - 1:10
Thanks for starting this thread Re-Run. I'm not really a beginner, but have been having all sorts of consistency issues over the last few years. I had planned on doing a fall HM, but then low iron hit again and that idea got tossed pretty quickly. I want to do a spring HM, but first need to feel like I can actually run at something other than easy pace for any length of time.
Runs in the rain
Re-Run, miss you in the 50 and Over group! The last time I ran a half marathon race was in Sept 2019, but with the virus I have stopped racing. I did do some 12 mile training runs back in June and do intend to run some races next year, including a half next September, a long time from now! Typically my training is to very gradually increase weekly milage and also the distance of my long run. I regard minimum HM training to be doing a number of 35 mile weeks with at least two training runs of 11 miles. In the past I've done more than this getting up to a 70 mile week and doing two 20 mile training runs. However, it seems to me I do best when I build up a large base by running consistantly over a period of half a year or more, rather than just quickly ramping up a few months before the race. I am not very fast, in the past my main goal has been just to finish the distance, but intend to work on my pace with the eventual goal of a BQ marathon.
Long distance runner, what you standin' there for?Get up, get out, get out of the door!
My schedule is weird, so I typically long run on Tuesdays. Today was my first 9 miler in years. I've been bouncing around with 6-8 for a few months, so I decided to add the tiniest piece of structure to my training with an intentional build of long run distance.
Still not sure which race I'm going to do.
Week 1 of the NRC half marathon training plan completed! The plan itself starts very low mileage, but part of its philosophy is to keep your base mileage. So I started with their structured runs (recovery, speed, recovery, fartlek, long) and added my existing easy miles for my usual weekly total.
Still have not decided which race I'm doing in March.
spammer
Waltons ThreadLord
I've run 5 halfs, but it's been about 15 years. I consistently run 30mpw for several years, but I pay no attention to pace or what types of runs they are. I just get miles as they fit my schedule. Previously, I used 2 different Hal Higdon hm training plans. I finished them all and avoided injury. My Coros predicts my hm time to be 1:57:00 based on my non-specific existing running. Wondering what training plans you all are using or have used successfully as a beginner. What's your target race? Welcome!
Hi - I'm not quite a beginner any more but thought I might chime in. I started with Higdon plans but eventually moved to the Hansons plan and it worked for me so well that 6 years later I'm still using it. The combination of structure and simplicity is what seems to resonate well for me. I've taken about 15 minutes off my HM time since I started using the plan. It's not for everyone, but it works for me.
5k 23:48.45 (3/22); 4M 31:26 (2/22); 5M 38:55 (11/23); 10k 49:24 (10/22); 10M 1:29:33 (2/24); Half 1:48:32 (10/22); Marathon 4:29:58 (11/23)Upcoming races: Clinton Country Run 15k, 4/27; Running is Back 10k, 5/12
Hi all,
Just checking in here to see what folks thought of merging this thread with the current "advanced half marathon" thread for 2023.
On the other thread, we can promise a very friendly and supportive atmosphere (we tried merging with the Advanced Racing Thread but we were too nice for them), helpful training advice, a managed front page with planned races, general banter, etc. Mostly we just like talking running and having some fun. We have runners of all sorts of different abilities and experience levels.
I wouldn't want anyone to be daunted by the "advanced" tag. We had one runner join us this year who had held back for a while for that reason and has (I think) had a great time with us this year as well as having had a great running year. Mostly it's just about having a race or two that you're working towards, irrespective of goal time or ability level.
3,000m: 9:07.7 (Nov-21) | 5,000m: 15:39 (Dec-19) | 10,000m: 32:34 (Mar-20)
10km: 33:15 (Sep-19) | HM: 1:09:41 (May-21)* | FM: 2:41:41 (Oct-20)
* Net downhill course
Last race: Waterfront HM, 7 Apr, 1:15:48
Up next: Runway5, 4 May
"CONSISTENCY IS KING"
Sounds ok to me (OP). I intentionally started it bc I'm not an advanced hm runner. I've been around RA for about 15 years under different names, and the advanced threads in general are a bit spicy and intimidating to some beginners.
When my goal is "finish the race," that can be quite different from more pace-focused training.
Not against merging, just clarifying my thoughts on the OG thread.
Would like input from other beginners on merging or not.
Sounds ok to me (OP). I intentionally started it bc I'm not an advanced hm runner. I've been around RA for about 15 years under different names, and the advanced threads in general are a bit spicy and intimidating to some beginners. When my goal is "finish the race," that can be quite different from more pace-focused training. Not against merging, just clarifying my thoughts on the OG thread. Would like input from other beginners on merging or not.
I'm in a weird spot. I'm definitely not a beginner, but last few HM have been "get through the training". I "know" some of the folks on the advanced thread and they are welcoming.
The advanced racing thread (previously the marathon thread) definitely gets pretty spicy.
The advanced HM thread (previously the sub-1:30 HM thread) generally does not. We do normally post weekly training etc., mostly as a means to keep ourselves accountable.
It's totally up to the folks on here what you'd like to do but we can definitely promise a welcoming and friendly environment. And bad jokes, if Piwi makes a comeback. IDK, maybe some of us can hopefully help too. The "competitive jerks" (their terminology - not mine!) are pretty much exclusively on the advanced racing thread now.
As someone who was on RWOL, I think as long as folks meet everyone where they are, merging works. On RW, there was a lot of BS in the "beginners " forum where some experienced runners seemed to find 101 ways to discourage less experienced runners. Stuff like you shouldn't do a HM unless you run at least 40-50 miles per week, you shouldn't be doing speed workouts if you walk the recoveries and so on.
I'm open to posting in either or both. I'm on the odd spot of done plenty of HM but recently struggled to even complete a training cycle, much less race.