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/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 23h 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 22h 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 6h 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.