GULP just entered my first half marathon

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  • Well done all on biting the bullet... It has another chunk out of it now cos I've sent the cheque off for my 1st half too.  Sheffield in April...  Cake assures me that its as flat as I'm gonna get for a Yorkshire Half, so fingers crossed.  The furthest I've run is 7 miles but I've printed off the HM training plan from here (the Smartcoach one) and have it stuck to my fridge.  Am starting back at the beginning though as I've decided to do hills one week & flat the next.

    We'll have to keep updating how the training is going.

    Well done again to everyone & good luck. image 

  • Hi everyone, just got back from the pictures.............James Bond. Wow, action packed or what!

    We had lunch out and i avoided the fries and pudding, kept thinking about being in training and all that, I figure it'll be easier to run 13 odd miles if I can knock off that last couple of stone!

    I'm hoping to have a spare 3 or 4 hours on sunday to see if i can cover the half marathon distance at a run/walk. At least it won't seem so scary then and I have a worst case time!image

    Well done Saltpot and CazSoul, Slatpot when is yours? Cazsoul I haven't really got a training plan yet, i think i should have a look at some. Trouble is i don't understand half of them when the abbreviations and stuff. Mind you i've got a Garmin 305 so i ought to be able to do something with that. I haven't progressed past a 5k race with the stick man yet!

    Hello again Tracey, have you done Brentwood before? Is it very scary?

    Hi Jen-jen hope you manage to get out later image

  • Sorry Saltpot for misspelling you image
  • Julia

    Well done you for not being tempted by the fries and pud!

    I need to lose a stone and the added incentive is I just think of it as extra weight to be lugging around Reading!

    I went out and ran 4.5 miles yesterday and enjoyed it.I hadn't run for a few days as I had a niggily pain in my calf but seems fine now but will gingerly increase my mileage as not to overdo it.

    Am thinking of entering another 10k in Dec..

    glad you enjoyed the Bond film!!Yum Daniel Craig!!

  • Yum YUM Daniel Craig (but don't tell Mr T ! ) image

    Oh, my daughter just told him but he said 'so? Yum yum Bond girl! 'image

    I reckon that the extra weight will just fall off as we increase our mileage, 4.5 miles is good, could you do that twice more? I'd like to enter another 5 or 10k or two before march but not sure what's about yet. Take it steady with the calf, i'll keep you posted as to how far i get on sunday!

    Off to open a bottle of wine now, just one glass for the antioxidants you know image

  • WOW WOW WOW I went out this morning with the intention of seeing how far 13and a bit miles really is. I had set aside a few hours and planned to run walk the distance. Well, I couldn't stop and ended up running the whole way in 2.44. I seriously cannot believe i did it and when i got home i burst into tears     image So, everyone who is worried about getting around a half marathon, if i ( a 46 year old 3 stone overweight only started running in feb) can do it, you definitely can image

  • Well done Julia!!!!  That's great stuff.  You're all set now image
  • Julia

    Thats brilliant,well done you!
    I am so pleased for you,I can quite understand the tears-thats one great achievement..
    How did it feel?
    I did 6.5 miles today so a half half marathon!
    I've poured myself another glass of wine to celebrate with you!
  • Well done to everyone who are entering first half marathons , I done mine in October and loved it ,it made every ounce of pain in training (and there were a few ) worth it and the feeling of pride at finishing was great so good luck to all of you, I can't wait to do another so enjoy...
  • Julia - I did Brentwood half in 2006, it is a nice race but parking is a bit of a nightmare. Well done on your 13.1 miles today. I remember doing 12.1 miles, it should have been 13.1 but hubby got the distance wrong. I was walking like I got of a horse and it felt like someone had kid me in the stomach, probably a horse lol. Then I had to take my daughter swimming lesson and push my son in his buggy. I did a lot of half marathons and 10 mile races in 2006, I got the bug for racing, well if you could call my running that lol.
  • Wow, well done Julia that is absolutely brilliant and what a great time too. image

    How is everyone elses training coming along???  My 2 mile hill training didnt go quite according to plan yesterday... It was soooooooooo cold and absolutely tippling down and there was no way on earth I could convince myself that going out in it was a good idea.  Weather permitting, I'll do it tonight before combat class instead *fingers crossed for a lapse in the rain*.   I got up to running 7mile before my 10K race but that was on the flat (training, not the race as I found out on the day) and I'm incorporating more hills this time, hence starting back at the beginning.

  • Thanks you all so much for your congratulations, I can feel another tear in my eye............image

    I feel ok today but yesterday afternoon i could hardly walk, and getting up the stairs........!

    Around mile 9 i could feel my leg muscles starting to hurt a bit but i think you turn into a sort of robot, it was like, my legs had been going back and forth so many times i couldn't stop them and my puff was absolutely fine. Up till sunday i'd only ever run 8.5 miles before but it was not nearly so bad as i thought so i will now concentrate on trying to get a bit quicker and just enjoying the day when it comes.

    CazSoul the weather has been horrific here today, we have had floods and all sorts. At the gym where i work all the storm drains flooded thro our toilet plumbing and we had bog roll (used) all over the car park image Hope you "got a window" of dryness.

    Tracey it looks like you have definitely got the racing bug judging by your race entries! (34!) Does Brentwood have any fearsome hills that I should worry about? I'm hoping Mr T will be on driving and supporting duties so i can leave the car parking thing to him image

  • And thank you Ultra, Susiebe and Macca, I had typed too much to page back and lose it all! Susiebe I hope you enjoyed the wine! And Macca, where was your race?
  • Julia, just be careful not to go too mad or you might injure yourself. 

    The course at Brentwood's not too bad.  Nothing too awful.  First mile or so is downhill so you really need to be careful not to get too carried away - you will pay for it later!  The downhill start of course means an uphill finish tho!

  • Hi again julia sounds like you,ve been busy lol my race was the Birmingham Half ,my local so it was nice to see the city from a different view point not that i saw much of it in the last few miles i was just looking at the road psycheing myself to finish but it was a great experience altho i had the same problem as you after ,walking down steps was a nightmare lol but that soon wears off and you look forward to your next run so enjoy it your well advanced for doing your first just keep it up !
  • I have eased back a bit Ultra Kaz, just a couple of gentle jogs with my 14yo daughter (who i'm hoping will get the bug too) and walking to work and back. I don't think I need to do the 13 miles again for a while, i just wanted to know if i could do it! I'm going to try and speed up a bit now, intervals and all that image

    Macca, the stairs were definitely a killer but I recovered remarkably quickly considering, the human body is a wonderful thing! I'm hoping for some good cheering crowds to keep up my motivation on the day, I work at a gym and people keep telling me they will come and cheer me on hurrah image

  • God - you're all scaring me now, you're doing sooo  well - furthest i've done is still only 10k arrrrgggghhh! oh well, i've got til April - that's ages - gulp - isn't it?!!!image
  • Saltpot you've got plenty of time.   Increase your long runs by a little each week and before you know it you'll be there!
  • Thanks U.K - this has motivated me to try 'a long one' tomorrow afternoon - in the words of Patsy Kensit "I'm not scared" xx
  • Saltpot, I know everyone says it but SERIOUSLY YOU WILL BE FINE. The key to it is your speed, if you are trying a longer run then go R.......E.......A......L............L....Y    S..............L...................O...........W....L......Y, slow enough to not get out of puff if you can, if you run to music then try and go between 140-150 bpm. Podrunner has some good stuff, you can get it on i-tunes store or google it, it's all free.

    And remember, it's ok to walk some as well, if you tell yourself you are 'allowed' then you're more likely not to.

    And remember, i am 46, i still weigh 12.12 and up till feb i had never run before. In fact before feb and for most of my life i weighed 16 odd stone so if i can then you really really can image

    And April is AGES away. image

  • Just realised, you may be out now so if so, hope it went well..............
  • Cheers Julia - good advice! Didn't get to go out at all, got caught up at work (typical...) So I can take your advice on board and have a go Saturday morning.. image
  • Thats really good advice Julia, think thats deffo where I'm going wrong on my hill runs... My pace is all over the shop and therefore tiring me out really quickly.  I even had perfect pace music on my mp3 the other night but I couldnt seem to get my mind in gear to settle down and focus on the music...   Rebel Yell by Billy Idol is really good btw.

  • Hi there, saw this thread and it seems right up my street. I have taken the plunge and entered the Wokingham half in Feb which will be my first ever race. I have been running a few months now and am up to 10k. I aim to do a 7 miler tomorrow all be it veeeerryy sllloooooowwwwly.

    My intention is to increase my log run by a mile each week - well, we'll see best laid intentions and all that.

    I may do a 10K before Feb just to get the racing experience, can't seem to find one around the Thames Valley area though - any one know of one? 

  • MTP - Have you used the events search on here???  There is a good chance you will have to travel but with any luck you'll be able to find one within 20mile radius or so.  You might find it harder to increase by a mile each week as you get to higher mileage but dont be disheartened it all takes time. 

    Good luck & well done on what you've achieved already.

  • mobthePlod

    Welcome!Theres lots of people here doing their first half next year so lots of support and motivation to go around!I'm doing the Reading Half at the end of March and am looking forward to it,part excitment, part scared though!!

    Have a look at the events forum and I'm sure you'll find lots of races.I know theres the Andy Reading 10k in Bicester on Dec 14th which has had lots of good reviews,is flat and friendly.

    hope your training goes well.I'm at the 7 mile point now though do it very slowly!!
  • Thanks CazSoul and Susiebe, I think I will sign up for the Reading half this weekend (if I'm not too late), should be good. My long runs are slow at the mo - I always seem to have plenty in the tank at the end which I guess is a good sign.

    Just had a look at the events, like the look of the Andy Rreading 10K but am in London then so can't unfortunately. Hope the running goes well, shall let you know if I manage the 7 this weekend - it's a hilly course which I gues will stand me in good stead. Keep plodding.

  • Oh god, oh god, oh god!!!  Will someone please shout at me, I was meant to be going out for a short easy run tonight before I go to the gym to meet my friend but I've got home and thought "stuff it I cant be ar*ed, I'll run on the dreadmill instead"  I think I've lost my running mojo... image  Oh god, oh god, oh god!!!! Its only 5 months until my 1st ever half and I cant even complete a 3mile hill run without a walk just lately... Whats gone wrong???  Am I broken?? 

    Please please please let my long slow run this weekend go according to plan.   As Mr CS is off to the football on Saturday I thought I'd take advantage of the situation and go out to run as far as my legs will run, no plan, no time limit, nothing...just run...

  • You're not broken - it'll come back - I've been laid up with flu all week so have done bog all and now i'm drinking a baileys - we'll be back on shank's pony soon... honest xxximage
  • Oh dear, I think it's the time of year. I am still managing to go out but having to push myself. The trouble with upping the mileage is that it takes longer to complete a run and i feel like it's starting to take over my life.......now if i could just get up a couple of hours earlier.........................image

    CAZSOUL GET OUT THERE AND GET RUNNING

    image sorry but you said you wanted to be shouted at!

    Hope you feel better soon Saltpot. mmmmmm Baileys my favourite image

    mobtheplod, hope it's going well. They reckon at my running club that if you can run 10 miles than you'll manage a half no problem. And having energy left at the end is a FABBO sign.

    Hi Susiebe, how's it going?

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