Need advice for Half Marathon- Second guessing this whole thing

[mckay94]

Well here I am, 25 days before the half marathon race at Disney and I am severely undertrained. Mostly because I had zero personal desire to do this. I'm not a runner. But I wanted to make my mother happy (who doesn't) and silly me signed us up for the half last March. She has been begging me to do a race with her so I said the only way I'll do it is at Disney (my sneaky little way to get her Disney aka my favorite place on earth)

Anyways, I am severely undertrained and usually tap out around 3 miles from foot and calf pains (I am thinking plantar fasciitis but I have not been actually diagnosed) My two biggest concerns are my mom and also being able to enjoy the parks pain free the following 4 days. She has this idea that I can just run off adrenaline for the last 10 miles (no). She is an amazing running imo and her plan is to run a mile and walk 4 min, repeat and I know I wont be able to keep up.

My question is should I break my moms heart and back out of the race forcing her to do it alone or should I give it a try and just get swept? How humiliating is it to get swept at mile 3? I wish I would have started my training back in March but race day is almost here and I am just trying to get a realistic idea of what to expect.

 

[bumbershoot]

I would give it a try. Since you know you won't finish, it shouldn't be humiliating; just expect it. But make sure your mom knows that she has to continue on.

I'm not sure calf pain goes along with PF; the plantar fascia is on the bottom of your foot. Have you ever gone to a really good running shoe store? You might be wearing shoes that are wrong for you. I have a feeling you're going to owe your mom a future running event, so you might as well get it figured out now...

Could even do that NOW and work on your training in the next month. Maybe you could make it to 4 miles that way.

 

[mckay94]

Yes I went and got fitted in September and while I do notice a difference, the pain is still there. The pain is on the bottom of my foot and starts to wrap around my legs the longer I run. I almost starts to vibrate all the way up to my hip. I noticed yesterday while walking around target for 30 minutes the pain started. Idk what's going on with it but its strange because I am a 21 year girl and I feel like I need a wheelchair sometimes haha!

My mom and I did a 5k thanksgiving morning together and we were only together for maybe 45 seconds cause she has such longer legs then me (I'm 5'0) so I almost feel like were not even doing this "together". I hate not holding my promise and I hate even more to let my mom down. I think I'll just plan to go as far as my legs can take me.

 

[Barca33Runner]

Injury and pain are different for everyone but as long as you don't believe you are at risk of seriously injuring yourself I think it is worth a shot. The races are really great experiences and even if you are unable to finish you may motivate yourself to begin your training earlier so that you can come back and finish the next time. My first half marathon I signed up for on a whim, was severely undertrained (long run/walk of 6 miles), and was mentally prepared to get swept. It wasn't pretty, but I was able to finish. You may never know what you are capable of if you don't try.

Besides, you'll make it more than three miles because you'll start seeing MK and know you can make it inside. And once you're inside, no reason to stop until you are out. And after you're out, well, you're halfway done so why wouldn't you just finish?

 

[wilkeliza]

What corral are you in?

When you say pain in your feet and calves, what type of pain?

I've done half marathons under trained by my version of under-trained is having not gone over 10 miles before the race. A 5K to a half in 25 days is rough.

How are you generally in the health department?

Are you getting winded as well as the pain or just the pain?

These are all things to consider. Trust your body and don't push too far if you don't want to injure yourself since you have another 4 days at Disney and well a lifetime a head of you.

 

[IamTrike]

Well here I am, 25 days before the half marathon race at Disney and I am severely undertrained. Mostly because I had zero personal desire to do this. I'm not a runner. But I wanted to make my mother happy (who doesn't) and silly me signed us up for the half last March. She has been begging me to do a race with her so I said the only way I'll do it is at Disney (my sneaky little way to get her Disney aka my favorite place on earth)

Anyways, I am severely undertrained and usually tap out around 3 miles from foot and calf pains (I am thinking plantar fasciitis but I have not been actually diagnosed) My two biggest concerns are my mom and also being able to enjoy the parks pain free the following 4 days. She has this idea that I can just run off adrenaline for the last 10 miles (no). She is an amazing running imo and her plan is to run a mile and walk 4 min, repeat and I know I wont be able to keep up.

My question is should I break my moms heart and back out of the race forcing her to do it alone or should I give it a try and just get swept? How humiliating is it to get swept at mile 3? I wish I would have started my training back in March but race day is almost here and I am just trying to get a realistic idea of what to expect.

I think this is the key question:
What pace per mile have you been doing your 3 mile runs at? How far beneath Disney's 16 Minute mile pace is it. If you are more than 3 or 4 minutes below the cutoff pace you can add a lot of walking to the course to make sure that you finish.


a couple other questions:
Are you using run/walk intervals or are you trying to run the whole time when you go out for runs? If you aren't using run/walk I would definitely advocate trying that. Just adding walk intervals should make it so that you can cover more miles and feel better at the end.

Does your ankle, calf issue start under your foot? If there is pain in your arch and heel try rolling your foot on a frozen water bottle a couple times a day

Have you tried compression socks? I find that a good pair of compression socks really helps me with calf and foot pain.

You say you usually tap out at 3 miles. What's the longest distance you've run in the past 2 months? If it's longer than 3 I would use that as a baseline and try to increase it 1 mile next week and the week after that on your long runs. That will get you up to a 5 mile plus long run. Not great but much closer to the half marathon distance.

 

[DVCFan1994]

Yes I went and got fitted in September and while I do notice a difference, the pain is still there. The pain is on the bottom of my foot and starts to wrap around my legs the longer I run. I almost starts to vibrate all the way up to my hip. I noticed yesterday while walking around target for 30 minutes the pain started. Idk what's going on with it but its strange because I am a 21 year girl and I feel like I need a wheelchair sometimes haha!

My mom and I did a 5k thanksgiving morning together and we were only together for maybe 45 seconds cause she has such longer legs then me (I'm 5'0) so I almost feel like were not even doing this "together". I hate not holding my promise and I hate even more to let my mom down. I think I'll just plan to go as far as my legs can take me.

First, I think you need to get it checked out professionally, it's the only way to know what you're really dealing with.

That said, I've had plantar fasciitis, as well as peroneal tendinitis at separate times. What you are describing sounds like it could be either or even both possibly. Plantar fasciitis the pain is in or adjacent to the heel, and can be in the side of the foot depending on the degree of tightening of the tendon. Peroneal tendons wrap from the calf, under the ankle to the bottom of the foot. Pain from peroneal tendinitis could be anywhere along those tendons.

Both can be correlated with calf tightness, as well as other causes such as poor fitting shoes, or using those tendons to overcompensate for other muscle weaknesses or imbalances.

I actually had a partial tear of the plantar fascia tendon. Rehabbing that had a lot to do with rolling my feet and calves with a lacrosse or trigger point ball. Additionally, I had to do tons of core work so I would better stabilize my pelvis while running. The pain you describe going to your hip is likely due to you conpensating for the foot pain by altering the way you walk and run, causing problems elsewhere.

As for the half, as close as it is, I'm not sure what I would do. I think an honest talk with your mom about the pain you're experiencing and feeling you can't finish is a good place to start. I'm not sure if the deferral process is still open for that weekend. You could plan to run and/or walk as much as possible and see how far you can get. You may surprise yourself and be able to walk fast enough to stay ahead of the sweepers longer than you think.

Good luck deciding what to do. I think figuring out what the cause of your pain is and treating it correctly are important first steps.

 

[Keels]

For calf pain, look at any form of compression attire - socks, sleeves, etc., as well as KT Tape.

Also, I struggled with this early on that I would *think* I would have pain and was hurt or I was just too tired, but in reality it was just a mental wall.

If you can get to 6 miles, you can run a half at Disney. I do think you need to be honest with your Mom that your training and current condition may not meet her expectations for the pace she plans for y'all to go. Did you put in a PoT and are y'all in the same corral or will she be dropping back to run with you?

You can cross the finish line, even with just a couple of long runs in the next few weeks but you need to make sure that it's on your terms and on your pace - I'm sure your Mom just wants to see you accomplish something that she loves and knows comes with such a high, awesome feeling.

 

[mckay94]

Lets just say I finished my 5k on thanksgiving at 42 minutes with a lot of discomfort and winded. I think my nike app said I had an average 13 1/2 min pace. I was ready to collapse at the end of it. When I do my runs on the treadmill, I am at about a 16 min mile and I still feel like its too hard for me to sustain for 13 miles straight. I guess it wouldn't be a big deal if this wasn't at Disney and I didn't already have to do a lot of walking to do. Is it wrong that I don't mind if I don't finish? I don't ever see my self signing up for another race after this just cause I doesn't really seem to be my thing.

What corral are you in?

When you say pain in your feet and calves, what type of pain?

I've done half marathons under trained by my version of under-trained is having not gone over 10 miles before the race. A 5K to a half in 25 days is rough.

How are you generally in the health department?

Are you getting winded as well as the pain or just the pain?

These are all things to consider. Trust your body and don't push too far if you don't want to injure yourself since you have another 4 days at Disney and well a lifetime a head of you.

I am in corral L. I would say the pain is a throbbing pain, and having my fiancé massage my feet seems to help a little. I do have to say I am in the overweight range for my height (darn you college 15!!) but its not severe I would say. I am about 135 at 5ft tall. It is the reason that I even consider signing up for the race was to lose a little extra weight but I just find that I am more hungry then ever on run days. I am winded and I certainly and sweating up a storm by 2 miles. like a lot. Then the pain starts to kick in and its just not fun after that.

I think this is the key question:
What pace per mile have you been doing your 3 mile runs at? How far beneath Disney's 16 Minute mile pace is it. If you are more than 3 or 4 minutes below the cutoff pace you can add a lot of walking to the course to make sure that you finish.


a couple other questions:
Are you using run/walk intervals or are you trying to run the whole time when you go out for runs? If you aren't using run/walk I would definitely advocate trying that. Just adding walk intervals should make it so that you can cover more miles and feel better at the end.

Does your ankle, calf issue start under your foot? If there is pain in your arch and heel try rolling your foot on a frozen water bottle a couple times a day

Have you tried compression socks? I find that a good pair of compression socks really helps me with calf and foot pain.

You say you usually tap out at 3 miles. What's the longest distance you've run in the past 2 months? If it's longer than 3 I would use that as a baseline and try to increase it 1 mile next week and the week after that on your long runs. That will get you up to a 5 mile plus long run. Not great but much closer to the half marathon distance.

I do mostly walking and add runs in there, to make it all worse I am pretty slow too. I haven't tried compression socks yet but I have been meaning to! The pain starts under my foot and kind of just take over my legs after a while. I guess it is worth mentioning that I have pretty much almost flat feet but I did go to my local running store and had the owner there have me try on different shoes and walk around in them in such. He also had me go up a size (isn't that a thing?)

 

[mckay94]

Also the farthest I've ever run was about 5.5 miles and it took close to 2 hours and I was in a ton of pain the rest of the day.

I started a desk job last year and sit for pretty much 9 hours straight so I am wondering if that may have something to do with my leg muscles weakening? I went to Disney last march and by the end of each night I felt like I was walking on nubs no exaggeration there. My fiancé and I decided to leave Universal on our last day because the veins in my feet had become so swollen I was unable to walk. I am planning on getting some nice little Dr. scholls for my shoes this time and I am going to tone down the crazy Disney fanatic in me and try and take it slow with my rests!

 

[wilkeliza]

Also the farthest I've ever run was about 5.5 miles and it took close to 2 hours and I was in a ton of pain the rest of the day.

I started a desk job last year and sit for pretty much 9 hours straight so I am wondering if that may have something to do with my leg muscles weakening? I went to Disney last march and by the end of each night I felt like I was walking on nubs no exaggeration there. My fiancé and I decided to leave Universal on our last day because the veins in my feet had become so swollen I was unable to walk. I am planning on getting some nice little Dr. scholls for my shoes this time and I am going to tone down the crazy Disney fanatic in me and try and take it slow with my rests!

Yep switching to an office job definitely can do it. I did that after working 8-12 hour days on my feet all day. The runs last year weren't easy but were not nearly as hard as this years. The big thing was my body was not use to standing that long since I sit for 8 hours and then go home and sit some more and then go to bed.

 

[Barca33Runner]

Also the farthest I've ever run was about 5.5 miles and it took close to 2 hours and I was in a ton of pain the rest of the day.

I started a desk job last year and sit for pretty much 9 hours straight so I am wondering if that may have something to do with my leg muscles weakening? I went to Disney last march and by the end of each night I felt like I was walking on nubs no exaggeration there. My fiancé and I decided to leave Universal on our last day because the veins in my feet had become so swollen I was unable to walk. I am planning on getting some nice little Dr. scholls for my shoes this time and I am going to tone down the crazy Disney fanatic in me and try and take it slow with my rests!

After reading your other replies, I would say it is time for a talk with your mom. She seems to be your entire motivation for attempting the race to begin with and your only trepidation about pulling out now. Letting her know how you are feeling is the only way to know how she is going to react to the situation and how best to move forward.

 

[Ariel484]

I think you CAN do it, but the pain you're experiencing is concerning. I'd hate for you to really injure yourself.

Running is so very mental, and I hate that you don't seem to be looking forward to the race at all...I agree that you need to be honest with your mom. And it's probably easier said than done, but I think if you start the race with a positive attitude, that will go a long way. You seem prepared for the possibility of getting swept, but don't 100% focus on it. Setting small goals is a great idea - you know you can go about 3 miles, and that will get you to the MK gates. 2 more and you'll just about be at the Magic Kingdom (and able to see Space Mountain). Then through the MK...that's just about halfway. Make it your goal from there to get back to Epcot. And so on. Focus on the environment around you - the other runners, the on-course entertainment, the parks, etc.

I'm not sure what else to say...mostly I just sort of feel bad that you're dreading this so much.

 

[surfde22]

Also the farthest I've ever run was about 5.5 miles and it took close to 2 hours and I was in a ton of pain the rest of the day.

I started a desk job last year and sit for pretty much 9 hours straight so I am wondering if that may have something to do with my leg muscles weakening? I went to Disney last march and by the end of each night I felt like I was walking on nubs no exaggeration there. My fiancé and I decided to leave Universal on our last day because the veins in my feet had become so swollen I was unable to walk. I am planning on getting some nice little Dr. scholls for my shoes this time and I am going to tone down the crazy Disney fanatic in me and try and take it slow with my rests!

Yes the desk job will definitely impact that. Does your company offer the rising desks so you can stand for part of the day? I know a lot more companies are offering them because it's better for your body to stand an hour or so and then sit an hour so. If they don't set an alarm on your phone to remind you to get up and go for a brief walk ever hour or so. These small things can do wonders for your body. I suffered with plantar pain and back and shoulder pain off and on for years. These things helped me quite a bit. Also, working on posture and core strength can help too. Remember your body is really one big unit not a bunch of little pieces.

 

[bumbershoot]

She is an amazing running imo and her plan is to run a mile and walk 4 min

That's just going to be impossible for you, obviously. You really need to talk to her.

It is the reason that I even consider signing up for the race was to lose a little extra weight but I just find that I am more hungry then ever on run days.

A common wish and a common myth for some of us. Losing weight while training for runs is *hard*. A solid nutrition plan is necessary for many of us, along with the willpower of sticking to it.

I am wondering if that may have something to do with my leg muscles weakening?

Yes. It's also likely reducing your core strength which is going to throw everything off like DVCFan mentioned.

 

[Baloo in MI]

Running is really about oursleves. Whether fast, middle pack or slow, running ultimately comes down to desire and commitment. All runners have bad days. On those types of days you depend on your previous training and desire to meet a goal. In reading your concerns and responses it sounds like none of this would be there for you. I believe that running a Half Marathon is doable for just about anyone who really wants to and can put in some training. I think that is the question though, do you want to? And if you do is it for you or your mom; I think that it has to be for you. If you are running out of L you have a little time to put distance between you and the Balloon Ladies, and if you mix in some walking you could make the distance. But bottom line, only do this if you want to. If not tell your mom now and go cheer her on and enjoy a Disney vacation. I hope this is not coming across negative or mocking because that is not at all my intention. I do wish you the best in making your decision. If you do decide to run have your foot looked at and have a good run. Either way enjoy Disney!

 

[FFigawi]

I'm going to be Debbie Downer and recommend that you not do the race. Anytime someone describes their body after a run as dealing with "throbbing pain," that's a sign that they have a potentially serious injury and ought to take a break and get it checked out. Plus, you really need to think long and hard about why you are considering putting your body at risk of serious damage. Doing this just to make your mom happy is not a good enough reason, at least in my view. As @Barca33Runner said, it's time for you to have a serious talk with her about your feelings about the race, your lack of personal desire to run, and your injury. I hope and expect she'll understand that you'll still be there to support her in the race, but it's not the best thing for you to be doing.

 

[derekleigh]

Just being straight and honest with you, but Pixie Dust isn't going to help you. Running is as much of mental game as it is physical. At this point you have both those working against you.

Mentally, it seems you have no desire to run the race outside of satisfying a request of your mom. If you've already spelled out defeat (no finishing, no reaching past 3 miles, etc) you are working against yourself and your body will follow.

Physically, you are undertrained and have a bodily pain that should be addressed with a professional. 3 weeks out and you're only able to just barely complete a 5K standing upright is not good. If you were doing the 10K Id say it's possible to get some longer runs in to get you to the finish line standing upright and with little discomfort. But not a Half marathon, a distance longer than 4 times the length of a 5K. However, the issue you have with your lowers legs is the biggest red flag IMO. It may be something correctable, or it may not be. However I think if you push yourself beyond your training right now, you will end up in a lot of pain.

I am sorry this is negative feedback, but I'm just trying to be honest and straight forward with you. I'm not a doctor so I cannot tell you what your lower leg issues are, but if you do decide to go through with the race, I'd have this issue looked at NOW, like tomorrow. I would talk with your mom at this point and be truthful with her otherwise it could be a painful lesson in pride for you at the end. And IF you decide to do the race, which I would not recommend at this stage, I would have a positive attitude and you go however far your body can [safely] take you.

I wish you the best of luck.

 

[WhereInFlorida]

What? Every mile IS NOT magic??!!? I feel duped.

 

[Ariel484]

@FFigawi @derekleigh glad you said what I was too afraid to say.