Runners - Marathon or Half Marathon - Have you done one?

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Anyone here love to run?

I'm considering a half marathon in Sept and if you saw me that statement would make you laugh

I'm turning 50 in October and my 25 year old daughter wants to do a half marathon in celebration of our milestone years this year.

Anyone done this? Doing this? I figure my hyper focus will be an asset (my daughter has that super power too) but I am scared of being injured. I've ordered up a bunch of books on the subject and have time to train...

I'd like to hear your experiences.

I am running a half-marathon this summer as well. It is my first. I can run over 10km and feel pretty good, so I think I will be capable of this achievement. I need my music for my running routine, otherwise I have no interest and can`t run. I have hurt myself running, it is one of the easiest sports to get hurt in. I do specific exercises to make sure that my shin muscles are worked because I get shin splints. The best pair of shoes I had were new balances, and they were like $150. I also have underwear and a shirt designed for running because of chafing. You can go to a running store and they will watch how you walk and help you pick out the right shoes.

In general, I recommend mixing up your routine. I am not running everyday, only a few times a week. I also lift weights, stretch, swim, bike, use the elliptical and stair machine at the gym and do some stretches. One thing about running is that you have to have the muscle strength to lift your whole body up (especially abs and lower back) for a long period of time, so exercising all of your muscles makes running easier. Swimming is really good because it is low impact and you can work on your lung strength.

Good luck, i`m sure you can do it. Exercise is one of my big routine things and it is great because it makes you feel really good. I need to do 60-90 minutes of exercise a day or else I am restless and don`t feel right. Drink lots of water. !

I did the Great North Run with my dad a couple of times when I was younger. We started running a few miles every few days from several months beforehand, working up to seven-to-ten miles once a week immediately before the run. There's a bit of a steep hill/ravine quite near our house which it was a real challenge (for me at least!) to be able to run up but it's great for confidence once you can do something like that. My dad's standard was "if you can have a conversation while you're running, you're fine"; it's definitely better running with someone else than running alone.

You might find second skin (or whatever it's called) useful if you get blisters, or you might not. I didn't find it much use for running, but it's worth a try.

Well, I don't love running, but I have run a couple half marathons. My primary reason for running is to get in better shape for hiking season, which is what I truely love
The one half I did (twice) is a real course and everything, but it is something of a joke because it is in Montana, in February, on the snow (so most people aren't trying for a personal best time). Personally I very much liked that kind of casual atmosphere.

I'll second MrTeacher's advice to cross-train. For my first half marathon I rolled my ankle playing basketball a few months before the race (which was to be my serious training period). So I trained almost exclusively by riding a bike, which was very good for short bursts (riding up hills was something like interval training). While I certainly don't recommend that method exclusively, I actually think mixing in other excercises like biking can be a big help (at least if your like me).

Starting training early should give you plenty of time to slowly work up, so don't push it too hard to begin with (advice to help avoid injury). And it is worth investing in good running shoes. Your training will have ups-and-downs, I think the key is to just keep working through them.

Good luck

Long distance running/cross country & sprinting are the only things I am good at when it comes to sport, otherwise I make a fool of myself being unco. I can't participate in verbal sports either, by that I mean basketball, netball and hockey where you have to shout to participate in anything. Sport is such a weird concept.
But running keeps me fit and uses up energy when I'm agitated about something. Looking at me, people think I'm too skinny to have the respiration strength, and muscle capacity to run, but I can do it!
Give a marathon a go- just walk it if you like!

Cool. Good luck.

Here's some training advice:

If it hurts, slow down. If it still hurts, STOP! Doubly so for your joints.

Warm-up with a brisk walk and then a sloooow trot, before every run.

Stretch after every run. This is mandatory! And have a protein drink!

Run every other day.

If the constant pounding is too much, try an x-trainer at the gym. Set the resistance low and keep the cadence high: 85-90 or so per each foot. (The machine will probably read both feet: 170-180.)

Run on a treadmil with earplugs and listen to the pounding your feet make. The goal is to reduce that thumping to almost inaudible.

Stand up straight while running! Be very aware of your body position!

Department store brands Adidas, Nike etc... they DO NOT make proper running shoes. Go to an actual running store and have your gait analyzed. They will recommend which running shoes are best for you. Try different brands to see what fits best. Brooks, Saucony, Asics, all make good shoes. The best shoe is the one that fits YOU.

Get a heart rate monitor. MANDATORY! Run at your anaerobic threshold. Everyone's different, but a good rule of thumb is 180 minus age, so your running heart rate should be 130 or so.

Train by time, not by distance. For example, start with 30 minute runs, extend that to 45, then 60 etc... When you get more proficient, try running medium distances 2-3 times a week (60 minutes) with one long run per week (90-120 minutes)

There's probably lots of other stuff. I'll post more if I remember.

Excellent advice and encouragement from all! Thank you!

I have a slightly different take on this topic . I have 5 set runs , 5 / 7 / 9 / 11 / 13 .
Just depends how I feel on the day . Hot sunny means 5 of 7 miles .
I always try to beat my best ever times for each distance . I also run on local roads so I can't take it too easy in case somebody I know sees me .
A rather daft thing I tend to do is to run as far as I can away from home knowing that I have to run back home

I do this too. It isn't daft at all. Limiting factor is often not our muscles or lungs, but motivation. If you are 6 miles from home you haven't got any choice but to run 6 more miles.