I figured I would write a little about the things you should do and should not do when training for a half marathon. I learned a LOT about what I did wrong, and will hopefully fix those things before my next one in May.
First of all, congratulations. You’re going to start training for one of the most exciting races of your life! Your time doesn’t matter, but you will feel so good once you reach that finish line! Here are some of my tips and tricks for running/training for that race.
1. DO follow a training schedule. Guess who didn’t? There’s plenty on Pinterest like this one. I only got to 6 miles before trying to attempt 13.1. I don’t suggest doing that. Try to at least get to 10 before attempting 13. I will definitely do this the next time!
2. DO drink PLENTY of water. I made an effort to drink at least 6 bottles of water during work during days I run and the day before the race. Staying hydrated is crucial to running, because no matter how cold it is you WILL lose a lot of water while you’re running that much. I took a water at every water stop because I felt like I was losing a lot of water during the race.
3. DON’T try any new foods the few days before the race. I don’t suggest eating some new spicy Mexican burrito that you’ve been trying to eat the day before. Stay with the foods your body is used to. You don’t want to start cramping up while you’re trying to run!
4. DO eat some carbs the day before the race. This is a dieters nightmare, but it’s completely worth it. I had a big plate of regular spaghetti (not whole grain) and I suddenly had all this energy I never knew I had. Whole grain pasta can sometimes lead to digestion problems (I experienced it first hand before the 9K), so stick with the regular stuff. It’s important to balance the carb intake with how much you’re running. I’ve started drinking a Gatorade before runs so I have a bit more energy (since I don’t eat as many carbs as you’re supposed to, darn losing weight!).
5. DO stay positive. No part of me ever thought I could run that far, and I ran over 10 miles without stopping! Stay positive. Your body is strong and is capable of so many things! And when all those people on the sides of the street are cheering you on, you’ll feel so good about yourself!
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6. DO rest afterwards. It’s said you should take off how many days for how many miles you ran (so about 2 weeks for a half). I broke this rule and it was a BAD BAD idea. I hurt so bad when I attempted to run. Don’t do it.
7. DO get lots of sleep the night before. I might have been freaking out about the race and might not have gotten the amount of sleep that I needed to before. Try your hardest! Get to bed super early because most races start at the crack of dawn!
8. DO wear layers. It’s generally really cold in the mornings (especially in fall) and you’ll be freezing once you’re done. Wear layers to prevent your body from those spasms!
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9. DON’T run a half without getting properly fitted for shoes. My feet absolutely killed because I had the wrong type of shoes for my feet! I went to a specialty running store and they fitted me for shoes that are MUCH more comfortable than the ones I had!
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The new and much more comfortable shoes!
10. DO get there early. There will be thousands upon thousands of other runners (providing you run a big city race like I did). I got there a little over an hour before the starting time and it was probably a good idea! There were several parking garages but we got one of the last spots at the first one, so the walk to the start line wasn’t that bad. We were at a stand still in traffic for probably 15 minutes, and I’m really glad that we were there early! Plus, you know, being on time is one of my HUGE things. So there’s that. Jim and I are planning on getting a hotel for the next half (which I can’t wait for because it’ll be our first one after our wedding in May!)
Do any of you runner have any advice to share? Please do! I hope some of these things help!
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