Lessons from a Half Marathon Virgin

I’m the first to admit that I’m not a runner. I don’t even really like exercise, but I do my best to keep myself in shape. So when I got the idea to do a half marathon a few years ago, it seemed like something distant and in the future. But my friends finally talked me into following through with my goals this year. There’s something to be said about having friends who will hold you accountable.

But, alas, I made it through a whole year of races and have been training for this half marathon for the last four months. The day finally arrived that my hard work will paid off. Through this process, I set a regular workout routine, gave up dairy (for separate, and difficult, reasons because CHEESE), and ended up losing weight and building muscle. It wasn’t the original goal, but I must say it’s been a happy byproduct. It’s the first time in my life I’ve lost weight in a healthy way.

Running has become a metaphor for me, for getting outside of my comfort zone and accomplishing a goal I never thought I could do. It’s taught me a lot about what I’m capable of. I hate waking up early, but have gotten used to the early morning workouts.

And I’ve learned that, like most things, long distance running is 90% mental. So here are the lessons I’ve learned from being a half marathon virgin, as I just finished my first on Sunday. Take these lessons and apply them to life outside of running and learn from my fellow runners.

Half Marathon First Time Tips

1. Don’t give a sh*t about what anyone else thinks.

No one cares that you’re sweating like a pig at the gym or that you can only lift the five pound weight. Running a half marathon, or even deciding to go on a trip, is a deeply personal journey, so no one else matters. Get out of your head and prove the haters wrong.

2. Keep it simple, (stupid).

You don’t need lots of money or plans or trainers, just shoes. It’s easy to get caught up in all the gear, like the $30 running belt, the $50 wicking top and $50 pants, but you have just as much ability in your baggy gym t-shirt as you do that specialty top.

I also don’t think you need to shell out money for a trainer or specific plan unless you have trouble motivating yourself. I just googled “half marathon training schedule” and chose one that was right with my amount of time before the race and skill level.

3. To make change, you have to change.

Change your schedule, change your eating habits, change your fitness regimen, maybe even change your friends (if they’re negative). If you get home from work late and usually crash immediately after, you should work out in the morning. If you usually have big Friday nights out and spend Saturday mornings hungover in bed, maybe you should switch your party nights to Saturday or give them up altogether.

4. Be realistic.

You don’t just wake up one day and say, I’m going to run 13 miles. You start slow. Start at two miles, then work up to four, then six, then ten. I may have worked out five days per week for the last few months, I also took 2 rest days per week and took whole weeks off when I was on vacation and working every day. I think you should stick to your training plan, but it’s okay to adapt when necessary.

Here was my general schedule:

• Sunday: Run/walk 3 miles
• Monday and Friday: rest
• Tuesday and Thursday: Strength train (30 min. boot camp) and run 3-4 miles
• Saturday: long run, starting at 4 and going up from there

5. You can do it! You have to be your own biggest fan and cheerleader. You’re your own trainer. No one is going to make you get out of bed at 6 am to go running and no one is going to tell you to push yourself that extra mile. If you don’t believe in yourself, how can you expect anyone else to?

I asked some of my friends and blogger colleagues to share their biggest tips for first time half marathon runners and here’s what they said:

“Body Glide is your best friend. Use it. Definitely take a pack or two of Gu along the way (or a handful of jelly beans) and consume it BEFORE you’re getting tired (so, say, at the halfway point or a mile or two before you typically burn out). Have a kick-ass playlist and strategically time it so the songs that pump you up the most are toward the end to keep you moving. And no matter what anyone says, do NOT carb-load the night before; it will just leave you sluggish. If you do the whole pasta thing at all, it should be two nights before. GOOD LUCK! You got this!” – Kristin, Camels and Chocolate

“Make sure you’ve tested out every piece of clothing. And I usually wear a long sleeve shirt I’m fine with tossing/donating just at the start of the race so you don’t get too cold standing around before your corral takes off.”– Christine, friend

“Train at the same time as the race itself (ie probably mornings).” – Sarah, friend

“Most important of course wear your most comfortable shoes (The ones you trained with) and I would never wear really short trousers because my thighs clap together (haha) and my friend wore them during a race and her tights were bleeding afterwards.” – Nadine, The Nadwork

“Biggest thing besides being comfortable? Be vigilant about running at your practice pace the first few miles. It is amazing how fast adrenaline and everyone else will get you to speed up! Aim to start just a bit slower for the first mile or two than your normal pace and then slowly increase speed every mile.” – Tony, LandingStanding

Have you ever run a half marathon?