Almost every person who is into fitness dreams of doing his or her first marathon, right? It won’t be easy but it’s not very difficult to attain as well. So if you’re making your debut at the 13.1-mile distance, mind these words of wisdom from people who’ve been there and done that. It’s good to learn from them.
4 Expert Tips For First Time Half Marathoners
“Don’t overtrain! You are going to start to feel really good in the weeks leading up to the half and you’ll be swept up in the magic of, ‘Oh my gosh, I can run so far!’ When your plan says four, do not go seven. I know this from experience! It will lead to aches and pains and potential injuries. Trust your plan and you will run like a magical unicorn on race day.”
—Ali Nolan, digital articles editor
“Do a 13-mile long run at least once during training: This will help you anticipate any race-day hiccups as well as apparel or shoe issues that may creep up when you increase mileage.”
—Molly Corcoran O’Keefe, publisher
“It’s smart for first-timers to think of a half marathon as a 10-mile run followed by a 5K race. Your goal should be to get to that 10-mile marker still feeling pretty fresh. Then, you can turn on the jets: Nothing feels better than passing people left and right in the final miles of a long race.”
—Meghan Kita, training editor
“I earned my 13.1 PR when I ran with a pace group for the first three miles of the race—a pace group five minutes slower than what I thought I could run. This kept me from being too eager and going out too fast (something I often do), leaving me with plenty of steam for the entire race. Half marathons are typically the first time you’ll get the chance to run with smart pacers, so use them to your advantage.”
—Brian Dalek, digital editor
These expert tips are just the tip of the iceberg. There are more tips available for you especially if you want to do your first half marathon within this year!
For more expert tips, read the full article: http://www.runnersworld.com/half-marathon-training/8-tips-for-first-time-half-marathoners-from-runners-world-staffers?internal_recirc=hpblock2
Here is another resource you can look into: http://www.active.com/running/articles/7-training-tips-for-your-first-half-marathon</a
This video might also help you: