My Half Marathon Journey

2 weeks ago I successfully attempted my first half marathon. After making the decision to run it in March, this blog post (my first ever one!) will summarise the past 4 months of training, what I discovered along the way and the lessons learnt.

Why I Decided to Run a Half Marathon

It began in March 2021, where I found myself getting swamped with work from my degree. Spring term of Year 2 was so far the hardest term in my studies. I had multiple pieces of coursework that I needed to complete, with all of the due dates occurring within a week of one another. There was a lot of work to be done.
So one evening after working I decided to go for a run. I ran only about 2km, but that immediately lifted my mood. I could let off some steam, and hence decided that if I felt stressed out again on another day, I would run again. And so over a period of 2-3 weeks, I would go on night runs, with the start times ranging from 8-10pm, and I would just run round my street for a few kilometers.
Prior to this period I was already running weekly on a Sunday morning at the time, but now I saw that I could use running to de-stress. The thought of doing a half marathon began to stir in my mind at the time, and I'm not sure the exact date that I decided but I made the goal to run a half marathon this summer.

What I Learnt During Training

1. Slowly build up your weekly mileage
As tempting as it was to just go out there and see if I could run 13 miles, this increased my chance of injury as my body wasn't used to running that far. Remember to build up your weekly mileage. I have seen some figures floating around on the web and some recommend that you increase your total weekly mileage by about 10% per week (of course this is just a guide, it will vary for each individual). Increasing your weekly mileage at a steady rate will help you reach those longer distances and gets your body accustomed to it.

2. Incorporate "slow runs" into your training
It's not always about trying to reach a new PB or to be running on fumes by the end of a run, using slow runs as part of your training can be a useful tool. As a rule of thumb, a 'slow run' pace is one where you should be able to have a conversation with someone whilst running. The science behind it is that slower runs allow you to respire aerobically for longer, letting your cardiovascular system strengthen. Personally I have found that after using slow runs in my training, I was able to run faster on my route.

3. Stretch!
This was something I didn't take seriously enough until now. When you're running 3-4 times a week, it takes a toll on your body and recovery is key. Stretching before and after a run helps with this massively. You would rather take 15 minutes to stretch than injure yourself and be out of action for a week.

4. Avoid Runner's Rash
I had never experienced this before, and hope to not experience it again! Runner's rash is chafing as a result of friction that occurs when skin rubs against itself or clothing. Over shorter distances its unlikely you'll notice it. I made the mistake of wearing a sports t-shirt with stitched embroidery on a 9 mile run, and let's just say the area on my chest was quite sore after that. To prevent this, I would suggest that you wear loose fitting clothing with no embroidery, and if you wanted to be extra safe apply some Vaseline to sensitive areas.

5. Keep Hitting the Weights
Maintaining strength is also important when preparing for a long distance run. I aimed to have 2 weight sessions a week alongside my running, training my full body (don't skip leg day!). I found that doing compound exercises (squats, deadlifts, bench press etc...) was a great way in training multiple muscles, and meant I could keep my workouts short and intense.

6. Break Long Runs into "Mini Checkpoints"
As you set out for a long run, it can be daunting to think how many miles lie ahead of you, so one technique I used was to split my runs using checkpoints. These would be certain streets, shops or places that would act as markers, and I would focus on getting only to the next one. Segmenting my runs like this helped make long runs more manageable and less scary.

7. Accountability is a Powerful Tool
Set deadlines to your running goals. This a small task, but by setting a deadline you are immediately giving yourself something to work towards. This will act as motivation, and also keep you on track when training. I also told my family that I was going to run a half marathon. By telling others what you will do, you are now holding yourself accountable, and this can also motivate you to complete your goal.

8. Running is also a Mind Game
Sometimes on a run your legs are screaming to you to stop and all you can feel is lactic acid, but you'll be surprised as to how much physical exertion the human body can actually take before it gives up! For me, initially I found that before I was physically tired, my brain would be telling me "stop Jinal, you've run enough, just call it a day and walk the rest". So as I trained for my half marathon, I understood that you also have to condition your mind to overcome runner's block, and that comes with practice.

9. Have Multiple Running Routes
Keeping your runs interesting and exciting is a great way to stay motivated. I have multiple runs of various distances that I used for my training. Each route would be a different distance, with different elevation gains, number of climbs etc. This kept my body on its toes and prevented it from getting too comfortable with a particular route. It was also nice not to see the same bit of tarmac each time I went for a run!

10. Enjoy the Journey!
It's easy to just be focused on the end goal and that's it. But when training for a run, whatever the distance, enjoy the process. I would recommend keeping a video record or journal with your running data and weekly progress, as you can look back at it months or years down the line and remember all the hard work you put in.

The Road Ahead

At some point in the future I hope to go one step further and complete my first marathon. I would like to do this as part of an organised race (the half marathon was something I did independently). I think that would be an amazing experience, especially with the crowd support. I hope this blog post has been of use to those who are currently training, whether that be for a 5km, 10km or longer, but also to those who have never run before and are looking to start. Also special thanks to my sister and dad, for running weekly on Sundays with me. Thanks for reading and happy running!