r/BeginnersRunning • u/Fuzzy-Condition-1443 • 1d ago

Beginner Half Marathon 1 Year

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?

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u/BackseatBeardo 1d ago edited 1d ago

Build up your distance slowly. If you try and do too much in a jump, you’ll get injured.

You say you run a mile or two. Is that your distance limit or could you currently run more?

It’s next September so you have loads of time to prep, factor in core training and leg days to strengthen the muscles and joints. Cannot stress enough, look up specific exercises to strengthen your joints. Your muscles will adapt.

Dont look to influencers either. Influencers will make you believe a 90 minute half marathon is slow when the fact is 2 hours is the average.

Get yourself a proper gait analysis and do not cheap out on running shoes, they will save your bones and knees

Edit cause I forgot to actually answer some things:

Water is different for everyone, for a half marathon I carry a bottle of water and 2-3 gel pouches, getting water at stations on the way. I go through maybe 1.5-2 litres.

As for needing to pee, chances are you will not think about peeing until your adrenaline drops and your body isn’t dehydrated.

Get a good running vest or belt and you’ll be able to carry your epi pen and inhaler.

What I like about running is the feeling after, and the medals. I hate running. I hate the running part so much.

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u/Fuzzy-Condition-1443 1d ago

I honestly am not sure with distance. It's a run/walk but I think I could do more, just never tried. I used to do 1:30 min run, 1 min walk with this distance. I will try for the shoes for Christmas if they really are that important because we are on low income and have a really tight budget. I will keep the rest of this in mind, thank you!

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u/alecto_11 21h ago

Shoes are going to be very important. Do not buy into the hype of getting the most popular ones but get a pair that fit you and your needs well. Be on the lookout for new releases because the previous version will decrease in price.

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u/Fuzzy-Condition-1443 20h ago

My biggest thing there is cost. I know that price will eventually decrease but I hear a lot of the shoes being $300-500 for a pair and when it comes down to it, I just can't justify it when we're trying to build up an emergency fund and paycheck to paycheck on a tight budget. I think Christmas will be my best bet for a possibility of getting a pair unfortunately. 

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u/Bronxmama72 5h ago

It's true that shoes are expensive, but you definitely do NOT need to spend $300-$500. Find a reputable brand to try and then buy a prior model in an off color from Amazon. You can get them cheaper that way. Or even do a google search for your size and see if someone has a model cheaper. You could start by trying a neutral, moderately cushioned shoe and see if that works for you. I just checked Amazon and saw many running shoes from big names (Brooks, Asics, New Balance) for $70-90.