Half Way There!
02/03/2026 in Running Posts
Over the past few days I have been asked by a few readers to write an article providing tips based on my experiences in half marathons. So get your pencils out and be ready to take notes because the half marathon is the best race out there and here’s why:
- You don’t need the lengthy recovery time as you would in a full marathon.
- Your long training run is only 10 miles.
- It’s the most bang for your buck. The average half marathon is $55 and you get to run for 13.1 miles of fun.
- There is a medal waiting for you at the finish line.
- And most importantly, many half marathons serve beer at the end.
Yes, it’s my favorite distance. The finish medals are fun but placing in a half marathon is quite another story. I competed in 10 half marathons during 2011, placed twice and came close a few times. Too many runners over train and arrive at the starting line all banged up. Obviously this is not an ideal situation and you must trust yourself enough to know that
completing a ten mile training run very slowly is enough to accomplish your goal in this race. Diet is everything leading up to the big day. Eat sensibly the night before just as if you were not racing at all. But load up on carbs and they will be sitting in your stomach the next morning. Carbohydrate intake IS important immediately before and during the race. I like to chew a couple Clif Shot Blocks with some G2 Gatorade thirty minutes before I start then resort to gels at miles 3, 6, 9 and 11. Try to drink diet sports drinks before a race because the regular versions are very thick and can make you nauseous when mixed with gels or Shot Blocks. I found this out the hard way and had to buy new shoes the next day.
When you hear that gun go off to begin the race, start out slightly slower than you think you should. Try to enjoy the first couple miles, listen to music and hopefully take in the scenery, knowing that in an hour you’re going to want to cram some spectator’s cowbell somewhere only a doctor can retrieve it. If this is your first half marathon you need to set your goal very low. FINISH the race. That’s all. Nothing more. This is new territory and a learning experience the first few times.
Hydration is VERY important. I can not stress this enough. Suppose you feel you don’t need any water at the first aid station. Drink it anyway. Once you start to get thirsty or dehydrated, it is most likely too late and you will suffer all the way to the finish, if you make it. Every station should be used to hydrate and walk for a short time. WALK? Yes, I said walk. As a wise man once said, “It’s better to get the water IN you than ON you.” If you must trot a little when you are drinking, fold the cup together at the top in order to create a sippy cup. This will allow a small opening to drink water without splashing it all over you. In an effort to recover lost time, I pick up my pace when I spot a water station. If I can maintain my 10k pace once my target is in view, it’s easier to offset the time I spend walking, drinking and recovering. It also doesn’t hurt to pour a cup of water over your head each time to keep yourself cool. Most races are well stocked and you will not be depriving others of precious H2O.
Mile ten is the toughest stretch for most half marathoner’s . The remaining 5k seems as though it should be a 
walk in the park but it is usually the longest 3 miles of my life. This is when your mental might can bring you to the finish by playing tricks in your head. Tell yourself that you deserve a walk break if you just make it to mile 11. There is usually an aid station there, but if there is no aid station, keep running and make the same deal when addressing mile 12. At that point I can assure you that you will not want to stop. ”It’s only one more mile to the end” you tell yourself and before you know it, you spot that magnificent finish line filled with balloons, reporters and a ticker tape parade just for you. Well, maybe not, but it sure will feel like it. Congratulations.
This is it! Get ready to test your training. It’s 5a.m. on a cloudy, damp Saturday morning in May and you start lacing up your shoes and wondering what ever possessed you to sign up for this “thing”. You will see friends where you are going but you can’t shake the jittery feeling when thinking about that period of time you are going to feel like that wet dish rag you left on the kitchen sink. Your heart races a little and you wonder, “How will I perform? I don’t want to get embarrassed out there.”
temporarily throw that urgency to finish well out the window. With discipline you can easily make up the lost time on the decline. But go up too fast and you could be suffering for the next mile. As you approach the start of mile 3 the course turns to the left behind some trees. These are blind curves and very useful for shaking off the inexperienced runners behind you. Try to pick up the pace in an effort to pull away from the competition that is 40 feet or more behind you. Once you make the turn, slow your pace up just a bit in order to recover your breathing. From the perspective of the runners trailing, they saw you eat up some pavement just before you disappeared out of sight. Many racers get discouraged and slow down because they think you maintained that pace after you left their field of vision.
. In this case, I try to find another person on the course that I am closing on. Pull up next to that runner and drop your pace for a short period in an effort to stay right along side of him. This will “block” the people behind and give you a chance at recovery. BE WARNED! This tactic is very frustrating to other racers and the more experienced ones will “nudge” you out of the way after they have given you a few seconds. If you attempt this don’t get upset if you get pushed out of the way. By the same token I am sure you have already experienced other runners blocking you, whether it be intentional or unintentional it can get irritating. Don’t lose your cool and slowly force your way through the middle of the two runners even if it mean brushing up against them. This is is a race and no time to be saying, “Excuse me sir, may I get by?” It is important to remember that you don’t want to be overaggressive and be labeled a dirty racer. While it’s more prevalent in the start of a race, I have been elbowed and shoved and I will give it right back. But after we all cross the finish line there should be no bad feelings and the knowledge that we gave our best effort.
Now that the introductions are over let’s talk about getting through the winter. So far most of us have enjoyed unseasonably high temperatures until now. It is time to toughen up and continue to run outside. Even if you use a treadmill during the really cold days, try to make it a point to get outside for at least three miles, twice a week. I made the mistake of getting on a treadmill all winter in the beginning of my running life and when spring finally came I could not figure out why the street stopped moving on it’s own under my feet. Let’s face it, the treadmill is like methadone for running addicts. It might get us through but ultimately we want and need our running fix outside.
Lastly I want to address one thing that bugs me all year but even more often in the winter. When I am running on a sidewalk or on a trail I inevitably come across people who are all bundled up and out for a walk. Sometimes with a dog and sometimes with a spouse. Let me be clear, I am an overly friendly runner and will give the casual wave to someone I am passing. So I ask myself how do these people seem to find a way to take up the entire trail and look at you with the blankest of stares as if they can’t figure out why someone would want to run without being chased by someone or something. It can be the oldest, skinniest of grandmothers out there and somehow she will suddenly expand to block my path in an instant and then look at me with a hollow look the likes of which I have not seen anywhere but a zombie movie. Really, there is something wrong with these people that don’t run.
