There’s nothing quite like crossing the finish line of your first big race. The emotions are heavy, your legs are aching and you’re truly pushing one foot in front of the other to the finish. Crossing the finish line means accomplishing a goal you set out for yourself and have finally completed. And that’s one of the best feelings in the world.
I recently ran my first half marathon, which is something I’ve had on my resolutions list for the past 2 years. This year I was determined to accomplish it. I grew up in metro-Detroit so it seemed fitting to travel back home to run the Detroit International (Half) Marathon. The uniqueness of the course also made me want to sign up. We ran from downtown Detroit across the Ambassador Bridge into Canada and back through the underwater tunnel. Fun fact: it’s the only international marathon and the only underwater mile race.
But you can’t just show up on race day without proper preparation. I mean, you can but that’s not recommended. You have to put in the hours to train beforehand and prepare yourself properly.
If you’re thinking about signing up for a half marathon or already have signed up but are not sure where to start with training, I’ve got you covered!
Training
I will preface this training section by saying that I was already in good cardio shape and had run up to 8 miles before. That being said, long runs were not part of my regular workout routine so this was definitely an adjustment. We also signed up for the race on the later side (3 months before) so I had pretty minimal time to get my shit together and start training.
I continued my regular workout routines during the week – strength training with HIIT cardio, maybe a medium length run in the middle of the week. I incorporated lots of spin classes and full body workouts to build endurance and overall strength. Whenever I did leg days, I did them towards the beginning half of the week so I wasn’t sore come Saturday/Sunday when I would have to do a long run. The most of my training came on the weekends when I prioritized one long run. I had 14 weeks from when I began training to race day. My breakdown for long runs looked something like this:
- Week 1: 6 miles
- Week 2: 6 miles
- Week 3: 7 miles
- Week 4: 7 miles
- Week 5: 8 miles
- Week 6: 6 miles
- Week 7: 9 miles
- Week 8: 9 miles
- Week 9: 10 miles
- Week 10: 8 miles
- Week 11: 9 miles
- Week 12: 7 miles
- Week 13: 11 miles
- Week 14/Race day: 13.1
You may be wondering how you go from running 11 miles to 13 on the day of the race. You really shouldn’t run the full race distance during training since you’ll be high on adrenaline and endorphins on race day and can power through the final few miles.
For a half marathon, I’ve heard people running different mileage maxes before the race. A friend of mine only ran 8 before her first and my boyfriend ran 9 before our race. Needless to say, the further the better but it’s ok if you don’t make it to 11. As long as you are confident in your ability to finish, you’ll be just fine.
My biggest advice is to run your long runs at your ideal race pace, if possible. If you’re trying to run the race in a specific time, stay on top of your pace during your runs to make sure you can hit that time. But know you’ll likely run a bit faster on the big day.
Day Before Race
Now that you’ve trained for weeks, the race is finally here. The type of workouts you want to do the week before are completely up to you but I suggest taking it a bit easy. My break down looked like this:
- Sunday: 5 mile run
- Monday: Strength training
- Tuesday: Hot yoga
- Wednesday: Spin class
- Thursday: Rest
- Friday: Rest
- Saturday: 3 mile run
We decided to do a short run the day before to stay loose, which I think was a good move. After 2 days of rest, I was itching to get my sweat on anyways.
Another important factor during the week before is your nutrition. Keep it clean! Stay away from the super fatty, greasy foods or anything super heavy, especially a few days before race day.
The day before is great to carb load up. I was following the FODMAP diet this week to help with my stomach issues so I opted to have chicken, potatoes and green beans. Lots of people swear by carb loading to get that extra energy. Think pasta, homemade pizza, bagels, pancakes, etc. But I’d avoid overeating since that may make you feel “heavy” the following morning. Don’t eat anything out of the ordinary in case it doesn’t agree with you.
In addition to training and nutrition, take time the night before the race to lay out your clothing, bib and pins, energy gels and chews, socks, shoes, etc. Pack your breakfast, water bottle, check bag and anything else you may need. I ended up making overnight oats the night before to eat in the car, which was the perfect amount of carbs, paired with almond butter and a banana.
Race Day
The day has finally come! The most important thing to remember is NOTHING NEW ON RACE DAY! If you haven’t worn it or eaten it before race day, don’t start now. Only eat foods you’ve normally had before your training runs, this includes energy gels and chews.
My biggest tips for the morning of is:
- Wake up extra early so you’re not rushed. Give yourself time to drink water, get ready leisurely, shower, eat breakfast, etc.
- Arrive to the race plenty early so you have adequate time to check your bag, get into your corral and stretch.
- Go to the bathroom right before the race. Whether you feel like you have to or not, try. You don’t want to stop on the course unless you really need to. This includes bowel movements. If you’re a morning go’er, give yourself time to do so.
- Relax and enjoy this moment. It’s easy to get caught up in the stress and worry of the race, but do your best to stay calm. YOU GOT THIS!
Recovery
YOU DID THE DAMN THING! Now it’s time to recover. Immediately following the race, be sure to drink enough water and eat something. After you cross the finish line, most races will provide everything you need and more: water, juice, protein shakes, banana’s, fruit cups, granola bars, animal crackers and more.
Although you’ll be tired, try not to sit down right away. Keep walking, even if you’re walking super slow, for at least 15 minutes. Stretch if you need it, but do so with caution since too much stretching right after can cause injury.
Take the day to completely rest. Replenish yourself with plenty of water, electrolyte filled drinks (Powerade, Gatorade, mio sport) and plenty of food. Today isn’t the day to cut it low on water or food. If you want to recover quickly, give your body the nutrition it needs to do so.
As far as workouts in the days following the race, take it easy. Rest, do yoga, stretch, take long walks, do whatever feels best. Don’t push it. Definitely take some time off from running to give those muscles plenty of time to recover.
Reflect
Now that you’ve accomplished your race, take some time to reflect on the accomplishment. Let it soak in. What you did wasn’t easy, but you put in the work, persevered and finished the race.
Once you’re recovered and are able to get back to running, you can start thinking about what your next race is going to be…
If you have any other questions about running a half marathon or about my training, ask me on Instagram at @breathesweateat.