Running for a Goal

Hi Beanie. I ran a half marathon in August (it was my first). Are you using Hal Higdon''s training plan? I used his and had success. As for advice, here is what worked best for me.

I used my ipod and the Nike+ that tracks you mileage so you know how far you are going. I would run to a specific mileage, take a walk break and then run as much as I could until the end. Do not expect to run the whole thing. Make sure you take water breaks. I would drive to where I would run, so I would stop and take a water break at my car and then keep running.

RUN OUTSIDE for sure. Inside/outside running is SO different.

Get some good shoes and make sure they fit right. And get some comfortable clothes that breathe well. August was really hot, so I wore minimal clothing that breathed well. Since its cold now, I would get some breathable pants and long-sleeved shirts.

I didn''t follow the plan TOO close, but tried to as best as I could. The actual marathon day was actually a lot easier than running by myself because people are cheering you on and it gets your adrenaline going. Also, see if you can get a running buddy, it''s much easier to motivate each other than to just do it yourself. Good luck!

I am actually using his training plan and i am following it to a T.

do you remember your time? I am just curious because i have never really been timed anything past 1 mile :) and that was a good 8 years ago!

I cant wait to run outside, I live in Wisconsin and this winter has been really cold, snowy and icy to really get out there and run so right now i am doing it indoors.
Did that Nike+ work well? I am looking at getting the garmin forerunner 405.

thanks so much for the advice, are you looking to do a full? Did you also do some 5K & 10K races before hand?

I''ve done 3 full marathons and I''m in the middle of training for my 4th (Shamrock Marathon on March 22nd).  I LOVE Hal''s plans.  I think they are great.  They really set you up to be able to finish and feel pretty darn good. 

As for training tips, you need to run at a pace you feel comfortable and don''t worry about time.  You will run faster on the day of the half marathon- the adreneline and the crowds will help.  Some people love walking breaks, others hate them.  It''s a personal choice.  If you haven''t done so yet, give them a try and see if they help.  They can be very useful during the water stations as it is easier to walk and drink.  Have I mentioned don''t worry about time?  If this is your first half marathon you''re only goal should be to finish.  After this one you can start setting time goals, but to do so for your first one is just destructive.  What happens if you don''t make it?  So now you''ve run a half marathon and you should feel so proud but instead your disappointed?  No way do you want to feel like that. 

Since you''re stuck inside for the time being make sure you set the treadmill on an incline when you run.  Treadmills are actually set downhill at 0, so you need a 1% incline to mimic running on flat ground outside.  I run at a 2% incline for 1-9 miles and 1.2-1.5% incline for 10-20 miles.  I hate running inside and it is so much harder for me to run fast inside, but there are times when the weather won''t cooperate so I''m stuck inside, thus the little system for making the treadmill as similar to the outdoors as possible. 

The Nike+ works pretty well but it gets off in calibration pretty quickly.  Basically, it works well at the speed you calibrate it at but not so much at other speeds.  It doesn''t bother me much since I run a pretty consistent pace, but it drives my FI nuts  since he is all over the place pace wise (from 10 minute miles to 6 minute miles - he''s a little crazy). 

Running some 5k or 10ks beforehand would be a great way to just get used to the "race day experience" and all the different things going on before the start of a race.  Plus they are fun.  Just relax and stay positive while running.  If you start thinking negative thoughts it will just get worse.  I start singing 80s music to myself when my mind starts to get negative.  It makes me bop and I usually stop thinking negative thoughts.  Usually.  Wow that was long.  Sorry.  HTH!

I''ve done 9 marathons and probably 20 half-marathons   Yes, I''m addicted to running! For marathons, I usually follow an 18-week training program and gradually increase my weekly mileage to 50-60 miles per week. I would do some long runs to get your body used to the mileage. So for a half-marathon, try aiming for 8-10 miles straight. And I agree with the previous poster, definitely run outdoors at least 50% of the time. Running on treadmills is sooo easy compared to outdoors. Don''t forget to STRETCH.
Good luck and have fun at the race!

Thank you everyone for the advice and encouragement!

Dee ~ I had no idea about the incline thing with the treadmills if you were runnning inside! I put it to 1.0 and man what a difference that made! my legs were burning a bit and if i would have done it at a 0 incline i would have been fine! Thanks for the tip!

Chiapet~ you are addicted to running but good for you! I was a very avid running in highschool and a few years out of high school i also continued to run.. then the pressures of working full time and going to school full time kind of pushed running out of the nest. Now that i am finally done with school I too am getting that adiction back! What a great addiction to be adicted too! Now just pray for some half way decent weather in Wisconsin... oh wait that wont come until March sometime!

Running in the cold-weather is refreshing! You just have to bundle up

Date: 1/22/2009 5:34:15 PM
Author: beanie
I am actually using his training plan and i am following it to a T.


do you remember your time? I am just curious because i have never really been timed anything past 1 mile :) and that was a good 8 years ago!

Mine was 2:30. I wasn''t super serious but I was happy that I finished. A decent time for runners who are not SUPER serious is about 8-10 min./mile. Hal Higdon also has some books and he talks about good times in them. You might be able to find that on his website too.

I cant wait to run outside, I live in Wisconsin and this winter has been really cold, snowy and icy to really get out there and run so right now i am doing it indoors.
I live near Chicago so I feel your pain!!!

Did that Nike+ work well? I am looking at getting the garmin forerunner 405.
I do like the Nike+ but you have to ''calibrate'' it by walking an exact mile and running an exact mile. I do know that the treadmill at my gym is WAY off, so I run with the Nike+ when I do run at the gym. I think the Nike+ is pretty accurate, but I would say you will probably get 100% accuracy with the Garmin.

thanks so much for the advice, are you looking to do a full? Did you also do some 5K & 10K races before hand?

I did 1 5K in May beforehand. I would LOVE to do the Chicago Marathon one of these years, my goal is to do it in a few years after I have kids. I figure if I can do it then, I will have succeeded.

Hi Beanie!

I''ve never done a marathon, but I''ve done a few olympic distance triathlons (which end with a 10K).

My only advice- make sure you''re taking in some calories while you run. Try out different gels/goos/drinks... and see what you can tolerate while you run.  Power Bar and Hammer Gel make some- I''m sure there are other companies too.  It''s just not a good idea to run 13.1 miles without feeding your body.

As far as WHEN to nourish during the race, I''m not sure, but it''s probably mentioned in training guides.  I would at least get something down every 45 minutes to one hour.

Just make sure you train with the gels first before your race day.  There are some that I just can''t tolerate (and make me gag)... others are OK.

Good luck!  I''ve always wanted to run a 1/2, but I''m just too darn scared.  Kudos to you for trying it!

I haven''t, but would love to some day. I am NOT a natural runner though. Le sigh.

Threadjack....Beanie how are you??? Havent seen you around much lately

I''m going to have to disagree with Amanda, there should be no reason you can''t run a half marathon without eating during the race.  People misuse gels and sports drinks all the time.  You don''t need a sports drink until you''re running for more than an hour.  And gels/food really are not necessary until you hit the 3+ hour mark of working out.  You''re body will be just fine if you eat a good meal the night before and the morning of the half-marathon.  Now if you like the gels, jelly beans, or shot blocks then by all means use them when you run, you just don''t actually need them. 

Thank you all for your support and remarks! I have signed up for a 10K in the middle of March so hopefully that will get me in the mindset of what to expect race day for my 1/2 marathon. I was suppose to do a 5K this past weekend but it was -5 out and i wasnt about to try to run in that!

I have heard good things about the Nike+, but i think i will go with the garmin as i like some of the features that it has. I know that you should take some fluids in during the race, as when i am running i usually get pretty thirsty at about mile 4 so i am sure i will take advantage of some of the water stops.

does anyone know if you can use your ipod during races, or is it determined on what race you are running. I have heard from other people that you arent allowed to use headphones during the race, is that true?


Hi Miscka! I am doing well, I havent posted much lately but i have certianly been lurking! I am still a LIW, as i am sure i will be for a while. Trust me when that day comes you will read it on here with big bold letters! My Mr. & I purchased a house together this past year and suffered from all that rain we had this summer. Let me tell you if we can survive the flood that we had, our relationship can survive anything! How have you been?

Beanie-a lot of races will not allow you to use headphones during the race because it is a hazard to other runners and yourself (you can''t hear someone coming up on you/cars/etc.). I ALWAYS run with headphones but can do it without if need be. Some races enforce the rules more than others. A 5K prob. won''t make you run without but the half-marathon might. Check the race rules-everyone is different.

Yay for a house! How exciting. I am doing well, just hanging around. I have a new and fabulous BF so that is going well. I am glad you are still around! Good luck with your running!

Date: 1/28/2009 9:32:59 AM
Author: DiamondsforDee
I''m going to have to disagree with Amanda, there should be no reason you can''t run a half marathon without eating during the race. People misuse gels and sports drinks all the time. You don''t need a sports drink until you''re running for more than an hour. And gels/food really are not necessary until you hit the 3+ hour mark of working out. You''re body will be just fine if you eat a good meal the night before and the morning of the half-marathon. Now if you like the gels, jelly beans, or shot blocks then by all means use them when you run, you just don''t actually need them.

Just for some more consideration regarding fluids/nutrition, I agree, you don''t NEED to eat during a race but it definitely helps! What you need also depends on how hard you''re working. If you are a sweater (like I am), you lose a lot of water and electrolytes during a race and you need to replenish them or else your body will shut down. My personal protocol is take water/gatorade every 2k (1.5 mile?) and nutrition (usually 2 shot blocks) every 8k (6 miles?..sorry, too lazy to do the conversion!). When I eat something I feel a really good burst of energy that lasts until my next nutrition break or until the end of a race. That''s just my personal race plan though and I''ve done this for several half-marathons and a 30k race. I''m not brave/crazy enough to do a marathon just yet!

I also completely agree with Amanda about trialling gels, jelly beans, shot blocks, etc. during your training so that you''re not going into a race taking coffee-flavoured gel for the first time and vomiting...or something similar!

Lastly, I have the Garmin 205 and I love it! I''m such a pace junkie...I call myself the pace police during our long runs. I do wish I had a heart rate monitor though, so I''d highly recommend the 305 (not the 405...I heard the screen is too small).

Good luck with your training beanie!

Sammyj thanks for adding in your comments. do you run with these gels/shot blocks? or do most races provide you with these? What are shot blocks???

I am a sweater and i do like to keep myself hydrated. I have never used gels or anything like that before, never really had too. However i would like to play around with them and see what it does, if it helps when i get into my longer runs. Does anyone have any favorites? Brands/flavors to try?

I have heard that about the 405 as well, i haven''t been able to see either of these products in real life but plan to soon. I ran outside for the first time since i started to train (it was a heat wave in wisconsin) and i wished that i had that to keep me motivated and to track my actual distance. I drove it after i ran it but i am sure it was off some.

Date: 2/2/2009 3:05:48 PM
Author: beanie
Sammyj thanks for adding in your comments. do you run with these gels/shot blocks? or do most races provide you with these? What are shot blocks???

I am a sweater and i do like to keep myself hydrated. I have never used gels or anything like that before, never really had too. However i would like to play around with them and see what it does, if it helps when i get into my longer runs. Does anyone have any favorites? Brands/flavors to try?

I have heard that about the 405 as well, i haven''t been able to see either of these products in real life but plan to soon. I ran outside for the first time since i started to train (it was a heat wave in wisconsin) and i wished that i had that to keep me motivated and to track my actual distance. I drove it after i ran it but i am sure it was off some.

Anytime beanie! Here''s the thing with drinking / nutrition while running, EVERYONE is different! I was really into running when I was in university and I could run hours without taking any water/food. I took a couple of years off running, turned into a yoga junkie, then went back to running 2 years ago. When I went back my endurance was poor and I needed my walk breaks and taking water was a great excuse to walk! I do however, feel like I need my water and food and I think that''s because that''s how I''ve trained myself. Does that make any sense?

Shot blocks are essentially the gels in jujube form. They''re like candy! They''re made by Clif and you take them to replace electrolytes lost while you''re sweating. I''ve also had Sharkies which are pretty yummy but they''re not as soft as the Shot Blocks. My favourite flavours are Strawberry (shot blocks) and Watermelon (Sharkies). If you like chocolate, some of my friends will cut up a Clif bar and eat those during a long run and I''ve also packed some real fruit berry chews if I don''t have anything else available. My clinic instructors have also set up stations with pretzels and jujubes during our long runs.

Good job with running outside! I totally understand how the weather is such a deterrent. I''m in Toronto and we were so excited when it was -1C out on Sunday...but then winds were blowing at 40km/h. This is a terrible winter for running!

Another way to track distance instead of driving around the block is using Gmap. Just zoom in on your neighbourhood and double-click at turning points.