Couch to Half Marathon

[Gabe1124]

Hello everyone, this is my first post. My wife and I decided back in May that we were going to run the Wine & Dine Half Marathon this year. Both of us stay pretty active but had never really been big runners before we started training in May, yesterday we competed in our first race, a 5K, I know it is just the first step but the high we had after that race was incredible, can't wait to keep training, does anyone have any tips for us as we continue training for the half? Thanks a lot guys!

 

[Ariel484]

Congratulations on completing your first 5K!

As far as suggestions...

1. Find a good half marathon training plan and stick to it!
2. I assume you guys have good running shoes/were fitted for shoes before the 5K...if not, invest in a good pair - for running only - and keep an eye on how much you use them. You should get (I think) 300-500 miles out of a pair of shoes before you need to replace them. If the pair you have now is relatively new it should get you through the half marathon, I think.
3. Since you're going from training for a 5K to training for a half, you're going to need to start thinking a bit more about your apparel (maybe invest in some moisture-wicking clothes? Different socks in case you start to get blisters?), hydration and nutrition during your runs. These are all things you want to figure out during training BEFORE race day.
4. Don't forget your camera on race day!
5. When training gets tough, remember the high you're feeling right now after your first race and imagine how your'e going to feel after completing the half with that beautiful medal around your neck! (I haven't gotten to run the W&D yet and have MAJOR medal envy!)

I'd also suggest looking for W&D race reports on this board so that you can get an idea of how the race works at Disney (packet pick-up, getting to corrals, etc.). Search for Holly (Hollybelle)'s W&D trip report from 2011 in the trip report section...it's pretty detailed and should give you a good idea of what to expect.

And above all else, happy running to you and your wife!!

 

[sashacns]

Hi!

If you know of anyone who would like to run the SOLD OUT Disneyland Half Marathon or 5K, Children's Neurobiological Solutions (CNS) Foundation still has spots for both events!!! We’re an official Disney Charity Partner, and we're racing to find cures for the 14 million U.S. children with neurological disorders, such as autism and down syndrome.

Register here: http://bit.ly/CNSDisneyland

http://www.facebook.com/events/214286215344529

or email: sasha@cnsfoundation.com

Good luck training!!!!

 

[JillC LI]

Shannon's (Ariel 484) advice was dead-on. If you want to run for a Half marathon, find a good training plan for a beginner and stick with it! Congrats on your first 5K.

 

[Gabe1124]

Thanks a lot for all the help! I actually have a cousin who has run a half marathon before, so she is helping us out with our training program, and it is going great. We kind of tied in training for the first couple months to train for the 5K and now our training ramps up for the half. Really exciting!

 

[tink65]

Hey there, First of all congrats on your first 5K! Way to go!

I ran the Wine & Dine last year and absolutely loved it. It was my first 1/2 marathon too. Take a look at Jeff Galloway's training program. You can actually download it from the rundisney website. I followed his program quite a bit....not to the letter though. His program is actually dated to let you know what dates to run what....then finishes with the date of the W&D! I think you'll really like it....

Good luck and keep us updated on your progress!

 

[Gabe1124]

Tink65, how did you do your walk-run breaks? As of now we haven't been walking much at all. Just curious how you did that, I don't think either of us want to walk a ton, but aren't opposed to walking some. I guess could you explain how you did your training, I am a little confused by the magic mile too. Thanks for all your help!

 

[Gabe1124]

If anyone really could explain how their walking/running ratio has worked, we are going to try it out, just seeing what everyone did for their ratio, we are thinking we want to keep around a 11:30 or 12 minute mile pace possibly. Also could someone kind of explain how the Magic Mile works in Jeff's training programs? Little confused by it, thanks for all the help guys!

 

[Ariel484]

If anyone really could explain how their walking/running ratio has worked, we are going to try it out, just seeing what everyone did for their ratio, we are thinking we want to keep around a 11:30 or 12 minute mile pace possibly. Also could someone kind of explain how the Magic Mile works in Jeff's training programs? Little confused by it, thanks for all the help guys!

The walk/run works however you want it to...whatever works best. I think run 4 minutes/walk 1 minute is a popular one because it's easy to keep track of. When I do longer runs I will walk a minute at every mile (run to mile marker 1, walk a minute, run to mile marker 2, walk a minute...etc.). It's just whatever you prefer. I think the key for most people (myself included) is not to walk TOO long, because it's difficult to get started up again. And I know Galloway's theory is that you should walk BEFORE you start to feel tired so you don't completely bonk later on.

The Magic Mile...I did it in 2011 but I don't remember how accurate of a predictor it was. I think it's just basically you running one mile hard (but not dying/puking), and then multiplying it be a certain amount to get a prediction for your race pace.

Why the Magic Mile
After having worked with over 170,000 runners over 30 years, I've compiled hundreds of performances and have established a prediction formula based upon a one mile time trial. In other words, every 2 weeks or so, you can run a measured mile (at a good, hard pace for you) and use the time to predict what you could run at longer distances.
This assumes that
* You do the training needed for the distance and time goal (See my books Running Year Round Plan and Galloway Training Programs)
* The temperature on the race day of your race is 60F or cooler
* You pace yourself correctly and take the walk breaks necessary for your goal (see the same two books for details)

Take your one mile time and adjust as follows:
add 33 seconds for your pace for a 5K
multiply by 1.15 for 10K pace
multiply by 1.2 for half marathon pace
multiply by 1.3 for marathon pace
Here's how to do the one mile time trial:
1. warm up with a slow one mile run
2. do a few acceleration-gliders
3. pace yourself as even as possible on each quarter mile
4. run about as hard as you could run for one mile--but no puking! (finish feeling that you couldn't have run more than a football field at the same pace)
5. keep walking after the time trial for 5 minutes, and jog a slow 1-6 miles, as needed for the mileage for that day