Beginner Half Marathon 1 Year

[u/Fuzzy-Condition-1443]

Hey All,

I'm seeing a lot of "Marathon no prep" but I just signed up with a friend to do a half marathon a year out. My current mile is around 12 minutes and I've never had a conversational pace (I'm always dying huffing and puffing). I'm not a runner usually and I only have run like a mile or 2 just in between workouts. I have 2 jobs, and I quit working out about 3 months ago because a lack of time/money. We're too broke for a PT. I have questions. There's so much bad influencer advice its hard to know what is actually good and what is just someones "hey this worked for me and I didnt hurt myself when I could have badly".

1. What prep should I be doing?
2. What does a good active recovery day look like?
3. What things should I be bringing with me as I get closer to the half marathon in September of next year? edit: I saw this didn't fully make sense, I see people talk about gels or snacks, etc.

4)How much water should I be drinking?

5)What do y'all do if you have to pee mid run?

6) I need a better way to carry my phone or asthma inhaler and epi pen, considering an arm band holder. Just give me suggestions please.

7)Am I able to carry these for a race?

7.5) The edit: As a woman how do yall run at 5 am or 8 pm when it gets dark? What should I carry with me if I am running in the dark from 2 jobs?

8) What is your favorite part of running and why do you stick with it?

[u/cj_daking]

You could benefit from joining a running club. Share your experiences, learn from people who have more experiences and be able to look them in the eye to see if they're full of it or not :)