Training Guide: Running a Half-Marathon
Pages in this Story:
- Yes, You Can Run a Half-Marathon!
- Cross-Training, Hill Workouts, and Speed Intervals
- Get in Gear: Basic Running Equipment
- The Truth About Carbo Loading
- Race Day: Warm-Up Workout
- Race-Day Tips from the Pros
- Outfit Yourself: Race-Day Emergency Kit
Race-Day Tips from the Pros
Find the drive to go the distance with these tips from marathon veterans:
Just show up.
"I never think 'all or nothing,'" says three-time MORE Marathon winner Susan Loken. "If I'm not motivated to do an entire workout, I'll do a quick four-mile run and I still feel like I've accomplished something. Even better, nine out of 10 times, I end up going the whole distance."
Keep your eyes on the prize.
"When I go through a bad patch in training, I refocus on my goals and remind myself that it's worth it," says Kara Goucher, who placed third in the 2008 ING New York City Marathon with the fastest-ever marathon debut by an American woman. "If you can push through those times once, you'll know you can do it again."
Seek out inspiration.
"I pick up page-turner books about amazing physical feats like swimming across the English Channel," says Tera Moody, who finished fifth in the women's marathon at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials. After that, my training simply doesn't seem so bad!"
