Running is great exercise. The half marathon is a thirteen mile race. The younger brother of the full marathon, it was most likely created as a stepping stone for those who lack the endurance to run the 26 mile race. Each year marathons and half marathons are run by people in every city.
Two summers ago I downloaded a program called Couch to 5K for my iPhone. It touted itself as a program to help couch potatoes develop the endurance to run 5k, or 3.1 miles. This program starts people off running for 90 seconds and then walking for 90 seconds. It escalates until people can run the 3 miles without walking. I started the program and quit within two weeks. Last January I began to run again, this time on a treadmill at my local YMCA. This time I kept with it and eventually worked my way up to be able to run three miles without stopping. I dropped fifty five pounds in the process.
As I have successfully completed 5k and 8k races, I feel like it is now time to push myself towards the next challenge; the half marathon. So, this May I will enter the Nissan Challenge Buffalo Half Marathon. I’ve never run more than six miles so I know this will be a major challenge. As such, I know that I need to do significant research if I am to be successful.
The essential question I will be trying to answer is how can I best prepare myself to run a 13 mile race. I need to find a good plan to build myself up to that level. I also need to know how to train the rest of my body to be successful, which will include a strength building regimen. I need to determine how people build up the mental endurance. Lastly, I want to know how people stay hydrated and any other tricks I need to know to help me run the half marathon.
In my preliminary research I’ve found a few interesting sources thus far. Hal Higdon, a well respected marathon guru, has put out a guide to help people prepare for this race. The article has a week by week program as well as a breakdown of things prospective runners should consider such as pace, rest, and cross-training. What’s more, he offers some encouraging words, explaining “assuming no major problems, most healthy people can train themselves to complete a 13.1-mile race” (“Training for your First Half”).
Another article reinforced my belief that I have to train for this race, explaining that “The days of just “gutting it out” are long gone” (“How to Train”). Apparently, I can’t just walk up to the line and tough it out. This site has tons of links to helpful articles that I plan to investigate during my research.
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