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In October 2018, I ran my very first half-marathon! The half-marathon was my goal for the year, something that I spent all my free time training for and put all my focus into. I went from being a non-runner in the Fall of 2017 to running a huge race one year later. So far, it is my proudest fitness achievement.
But going from being a non-runner to running a half-marathon means that every experience along the way was brand new. The moment I ran past 3km I was officially in uncharted territory. Which was both exciting and scary. Needless to say, I learned a ton of lessons along the way.
1. Picking Your First Half-marathon
The first lesson that I learned was that a surprising amount goes into choosing which race will be your first half-marathon. I thought I did a lot of research before I chose my race but turns out I did the wrong research. I focused mostly on how hilly the race route was and where the race was held. What I should have focused on was:
- Time of year. I chose a late October race to give myself as much training time as possible. However, I should have focused on what kind of weather conditions I might have that time of year. I live in Canada so the end of October weather is pretty cold, and I didn’t give that a second thought. It ended up being a big deal!
- What type of race? Think all races are the same? Think again! I accidentally chose a “big deal” race for my first half-marathon. That means there were tons of international runners, huge sponsors, race entertainment and more. It made me feel really overwhelmed throughout the race. In hindsight, I should have picked a more low-key race.
- Race Location. I chose a race in a nearby city because of its beautiful route. Big mistake! I should have chosen a race in my own city and allowed myself more time to relax and get myself together before my race. Instead, I was racing to get down to the city, park, get on the subway, get to the starting location and I didn’t get time to warm up. Not ideal for my first half-marathon.
2. Weather
Firstly, pay attention to tip 1 and chose a time of year where the weather won’t be a huge issue. Secondly, train in different weather conditions where possible. I started my training in the winter but from April until September I was training in warm to hot conditions. And when the weather turned cool and rainy, I headed indoors to the treadmill. Oops! What I should have done was run in the cold drizzle. Why? Because that was pretty much my race day conditions and I was unprepared mentally to run in the cold. Train in all conditions that you might encounter on race day.
3. Eating While Running
If you’re running your first half-marathon eating while running will be new to you. And it is something that you seriously need to practice before race day. Firstly, you need to experiment with what type of food you want to eat. There are tons of different options! I tried gels and gummy chews before finally settling on baby food. Yep, baby food. Sweet potato, mango, apple to be specific. Play around but spend several weeks training with your chosen food.
4. Race Wear
What you wear during your race is very important. You also want to have trained in exactly what you’ll be wearing at least once before race day. If you typically run with a hydration vest, don’t switch to a water belt on race day. Be consistent right down to what socks you’ll be wearing. Trust me, it does matter. Stay on top of the weather 14 days out from your race so you can be best prepared. Ultimately, go into your first half-marathon fully prepared for weather changes.
5. Shoes
Similar to my tip on racewear, train in the shoes that you plan on running in on race day. Make sure you get fitted for good shoes early in your training and long before your race. Your first half-marathon is not the place to be breaking in a new pair of shoes. Even if you’ve worn them on a run or two prior to the big day, chances are they’re still not broken in enough for a big race. Use new shoes as a reward for crossing the finish line instead!
6. Don’t Overpack
Keep it simple on race day and bring just what you need along with one variation of clothing (for bad weather). And then plan to store it all in baggage. Don’t bring a bunch of extra gels, food, liquid, clothes, etc because a.) you won’t need it and b.) it becomes a lot to carry around. Bring only what can fit into the storage bag provided by race officials.
7. Family and Friends
Plan ahead of time where your friends and family will be cheering and meeting you after. And have a contingency plan (I needed one!). Check out the race map and details a few days before and communicate as best you can about where everyone will be during your race. This makes it much easier to find your fans while you’re running. Also, make sure you have a clear plan about how to meet up with friends and family post-race. Have a back-up plan too! I needed a back-up when hypothermia set in immediately after my race and I couldn’t make it to our agreed spot.
8. Chaffing and Blisters
You don’t have to suffer through chaffing and blisters throughout training and your race. Thankfully there are products to protect your skin and make your first half-marathon much more comfortable. On race day apply it everywhere.
9. Have An Amazing Playlist
I know some races ban music but where possible have an awesome playlist giving you energy and motivation throughout your run. This is the playlist I used during my training and half-marathon.
10. Do What Works For You
Once you tell people that you’re running a half-marathon everyone is going to have advice to give you. I even had one person say, “Thirty years ago when I ran a 10km…”, it’s hilarious but also a little overwhelming. Take in the advice but at the end of the day, you have to do what is best for you.
What do you wish you had known before your first half-marathon?
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I ran my first half marathon a few years ago in early November. It snowed the night before! I was so annoyed at myself for running in cold weather, after having spent most of my training time in hot summer weather!
that was exactly how I felt! on race day I was like “what am I doing here in this cold?!”
Thanks Shannon, this information is seriously helpful. You should be Extremely Proud of your accomplishment. So much wisdom thanks for sharing.
Kathy Enright
thank you so much for reading and for your kind words <3 glad you enjoyed!