Making the Jump from Half Marathon to Full Marathon

[DrMomof3]

I'm another one considering the full next year. The 1/2 was my 1st race ever and it was awesome! I had SO much fun. I'm hoping my DH will walk the 1/2 next year and I can try for the full. My BIL is a marathoner (7 min/miles - I can't even imagine) and my step-sister is an avid runner who has never done a race. They live out in California but my sister was in Orlando for a conference last weekend and saw marathon weekend insanity! Now she's thinking about doing the half with my DH and I'll do the full (ok several hours behind him!) with her DH. I'm so excited.

Amanda

 

[cloudnut220]

To be honest, I'm worried about the training commitment for a full. Right now I can't imagine running for 10 miles mid week. But I guess it's something to think about and see if I can find it in myself to do!

 

[Sonnyeclipse]

To be honest, I'm worried about the training commitment for a full. Right now I can't imagine running for 10 miles mid week. But I guess it's something to think about and see if I can find it in myself to do!

I did the WDW half and the Wine and Dine in 2010 and want to do the full in 2012 so am glad I found this thread.

The concern above is the same concern I have. I'm not sure I will have the time to train properly for a full. I am going to try the Galloway plan and shoot for a mid year goal to see if I can complete it. If so, I'll use it again and try for the full in 2012. If not, maybe I'll just stick to the half. I so want to do the full but as I stated above, I'm just not sure I can commit the training time with everything else going on in my life.

 

[cloudnut220]

I just looked at the Galloway plan, and I'm shocked how little mid week running it has you do. Have many people here had success with it?

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

The training is what gets me, too. The good thing about the WDW races is that the taper for the marathon comes right around Christmas.

 

[Sonnyeclipse]

I just looked at the Galloway plan, and I'm shocked how little mid week running it has you do. Have many people here had success with it?

I would be interested to know this too. I used Hal Higdon's plan in the past for my half training but thought I would switch it up.

 

[johde]

If you're looking at plans, you might want to look at "Marathoning For Mortals". I used his plan for my first 2 half marathons. The book is also a good read.

 

[rubato]

Congratulations.

Yesterday was my first Full. Saturday was my second 1/2 and Friday was also my 2nd 5K, so YES, I am Dopey. Started training less than a year ago but when I began I set a goal to complete all 3.

Here is my advice, do as jmasgat suggested.

If your goal is to finish next year's Mickey, faithfully train and you WILL achieve it.

BTW, I am hurting but it is a HAPPY HURT.

I didn't do the 5k, but otherwise, this is my story. Saturday was my 2nd half and Sunday was my first full. I had an amazing time and don't hurt at all. (I still can't believe I can say that). I trained hard for 18 weeks and started with a decent base of about 25 miles a week.26.2 is a great distance. I don't think I'll be doing any more halfs, just fulls.

 

[chimera]

To be honest, I'm worried about the training commitment for a full. Right now I can't imagine running for 10 miles mid week. But I guess it's something to think about and see if I can find it in myself to do!

Precisely. The race isn't the hard part...the training is. When you're slow like me, it takes a good 5 hours to finish the 20 miler, not to mention the middle distance runs during the week. With work and family, I didn't make adequate time for the weekly runs and paid for it on race day.

There are some folks here on the boards that have used the Galloway plan. You may find a local group in your area closer to summer that's training together with that plan as they tend to exist all over.

 

[paxsarah]

I just looked at the Galloway plan, and I'm shocked how little mid week running it has you do. Have many people here had success with it?

I'll have an answer for you after my first full in March.

 

[J3nn78]

I used Galloway's plan (the Disney one) for this full because of the low mid week miles. I work full time and have 2 little boys, so I just did not have time for mid week runs longer than 4 miles. I had no trouble finishing the full. I have complete faith in Galloway's plan.

 

[verticalchaos]

If you're looking at plans, you might want to look at "Marathoning For Mortals". I used his plan for my first 2 half marathons. The book is also a good read.

I agree. I LOVE the Bingham-Hadfield (I'm inclined to say Jenny had more to do with the technical aspects of it) plan! Used it for my 1st half - the Disney Half. And I'm doing a taper to week 9 in the run/walk plan to run the NYC Half - I talked a little with Coach Jenny about what to do with 9 weeks between halfs, and that was her suggestion. I'll use the run/walk again starting the beginning of June to train for the DL Half...and then the Wine and Dine...and then I'll taper and go into training for the Full.

LOVE The Penguin and Coach Jenny!!!!

 

[deleckidesign]

I'll be doing a half in May, then probably will start on a marathon training plan beginning of June. And then just do the DL half as part of my training. At least I hope this is the best way to do that!

 

[MikeofRose&Mike]

I just looked at the Galloway plan, and I'm shocked how little mid week running it has you do. Have many people here had success with it?

DW and I did a modified Galloway getting ready for Wine and Dine and are doing it again for the Princess. We ran slightly longer during the week about 40 to 50 minutes, not a lot longer. This year I am trying to add a day of Yoga and a day of biking.

 

[FireDancer]

I didn't read the whole thread so if any of this is redundant sorry.

I understand what you mean about finishing a half and not feeling like you could turn around and run it again. When I do a half I still don't feel like I could do it again. If you did that just means you left way too much time out on the course. When I line up at the start of a 5K, 10K, half, or full I am mentally prepared to run that distance. You'll be mentally prepared for the full at the start line just as you were for the half (hopefully) at that start line.

I recommend finding a plan and using it. You don't have to treat it like gospel but use it as a guide for how often and far you should run. If it works better to move runs around go right ahead. The biggest mistake I made for my first full was concentrating too much on the long run as opposed to total mileage. Both are important and using a plan, even as a guide, will make sure you keep that in mind.

It is a cliche but the hardest part of the marathon is the training. It really is like a second job, at least it felt like it on my 30+ and 40+ mile weeks. If you put in the miles and time in training you will be ready come race day. I didn't feel like running 20 miles during a snow storm or skipping out on an event because I had to log a mid-week 8 miler but I made the commitment so I did it. Those are hard mental hurdles that you overcome in training to make you ready for race day. After them a 2:45 wakeup or 20 minute walk to the start line are nothing.

I can only speak for myself but the sense of accomplishment I felt after finishing a full blew away the feeling of finishing a half. The harder the goal the better the runners high.

Good luck

 

[cloudnut220]

FireDancer--Thanks for the advice. I know I left time out on the course on Saturday, and it's tough now looking back on it. It says to me that I need to work on speed and being comfortable with a faster pace. With this being my first HM, I feel like I didn't know how it would go, so I was conservative. I guess that's my nature--it's better to take it slow than to fail. But I want to break out of that rut with the running! It's hard after a lifetime of being told I was the "slow" one--but I know I have a faster girl inside!

So my goal for my next two races (after I let my posterior tib tendonitis calm down--one of those reasons I was conservative!) is to push it. And then to focus on Marathon training. Because I know I can do this!

 

[FFigawi]

I can only speak for myself but the sense of accomplishment I felt after finishing a full blew away the feeling of finishing a half. The harder the goal the better the runners high.

I'm totally with you on this. Finishing my first half felt good, but nothing like getting through my first marathon did. That's when I really felt I had accomplished something as a runner. And running my first ultra was even better than that.

 

[mickeyncldkd]

I can honestly say the jump from the 1/2 to full was scary at first then exciting. I did halves for awhile then the full in 2010. the full was fun just like the half. I really did not care about my time. I only wanted to finish and not looking for my best time. I am going to do the goofy in 2012 and I am just looking forward to finishing. I am not worry about my time at all. Everyone should do fine with jumping from the full to half. Just do the training and not worry about time, but enjoy everything around you during the run.

 

[Rupert B Puppenstein]

I have to agree with John and Frank on this one. I never was one of those at the Princess or DL half that wanted to cry because of the accomplishment. Sure it was tough, pretty cool, and I was exhausted sort-of, but until I finished the WDW Marathon, I was ready to cry from Mile 24 on. That was the true accomplishment in my book. I love my Princess medal the most but I have to say that I really felt good about finishing that full and the medal was pretty great too! There aren't words to describe how great it felt. It was part exhaustion, elation, and relief!

I will agree that the hardest part to the jump was the training. It took so much more of a time commitment and ramping up was constantly a big challenge. You get to a certain mark, say 10 miles and you think, whoa that was 10 miles, then you get to 15 and repeat the same disbelief, and it keeps going up and up and up. Then, running the race and seeing those markers, you kind of go through the same disbelief in my experience. But, the lucky part is that there are so many people there with you and on the sidelines to help you get past that finish line!

 

[sap1227]

I used Galloway's plan (the Disney one) for this full because of the low mid week miles. I work full time and have 2 little boys, so I just did not have time for mid week runs longer than 4 miles. I had no trouble finishing the full. I have complete faith in Galloway's plan.

Thanks so much for your input! There is no way I could fit in 10+ mile runs in the middle of the week, but I could definitely follow the Galloway plan.


I think you guys have talked me into it! After 6 Disney Half Marathons I think I am ready to make that jump to the full next year