The Warm-Up
Stick with what you usually do for long run workouts. Some people like a lot of running to feel really ready. Others only need a few minutes, some strides, and they’re good to go. Whatever you do, include some race paced running in there to finish, even if it’s just 20-30 seconds. You don’t want to shock your system in the first few minutes of the race and spike that heart rate! Aim to finish your warm-up no more than 10 minutes prior to the start.
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Miles 1-2
You can’t hit your goal in the first 2 miles of the race but you CAN kill your chances completely by going out too fast. Put a speed limit on your pace here. No faster than 8:00/mi (1:45 pace). Say it with me now – NO FASTER! Don’t wait to check your pace until half mile in either. Check it at 0.25 miles (or even sooner!) to make sure you haven’t set off like a rocket on accident.
Your mantra for these miles – “calm and controlled.” YOU are the one who controls the pace, not the mass of people around you. Early discipline is key in races like this. Oh, and if you look down at your pace and see 8:10-8:15/mi, don’t sweat it one bit! You’ve got this!
Miles 3-10
Okay, time to lock in. If you were “calm and controlled” in the first 2 miles, now you’re “strong and steady.” Find that 8:00/mi pace and just lock in to it. In a half (as opposed to a full), you don’t have as many miles to waste, so you don’t want to be hanging out at 8:05, 8:07, 8:04, etc. Get down to the 7:50-7:59/mi range preferrably. Once you find it, try your best to just relax and get into a good rhythm. If someone around you is running the same pace, even better! Stay with them!
You don’t have to hit any home runs in this section, just keep clicking off miles at that steady pace. If there are hills or wind to deal with, try to maintain an equal effort through it all. This may mean some miles are slightly faster or slower and that’s okay!
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Miles 11-Finish
5k to go! You can hang on for a 5k! If you’re feeling amazing, this is the time to pull away but do so very gradually. Sometimes even speeding up 10 sec/mile can be too much so definitely listen to your body, and don’t be afraid to back off and just maintain if speeding up doesn’t feel good.
The key benchmark is 80 minutes as you hit mile 10. If you are close to that, then your goal is within sight! If you’re slower than that, you’ll need to adjust and dig deep! Try to pick runners ahead of you and chase them down slowly. Focus on your cadence (quick steps) and running upright. Tell yourself it’ll all be over soon and your pain will subside!
Fueling
Everyone is different but you’re likely going to want to get a gel or something similar (20-25g of carbs) around the 45 minute mark (so between mile 5 and 6) and again 30 minutes later (so about mile 9.5). In a half marathon, it doesn’t have to be anything substantial. If you have a fragile stomach, you might be able to just drink some sports drink or even skip the second one. The key is to practice this and feel comfortable with it! Good fueling with ensure you have glycogen left to burn and keep you running fast those last few miles!
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Good Luck!
In the end, have a blast. Racing should be fun and I hope you have just that! If things don’t go well, give yourself a day, then step back and evaluate what went wrong and how you can improve. If it went well, set new goals and keep your momentum going! Either way, find ways to keep improving and keep enjoying running!
